About
Paul Hanley works with the subject matter of the world-famous Chesapeake Bay, blurring boundaries between fine art photography and abstract painting traditions via his exploration of color and light.
Hanley’s pristine photographs present iconic elements of Bay life— shorelines, working craft, living things—which he either prunes to pure essence or distorts, to evoke a deeply powerful narrative of the place and its interwoven relationships, illuminated.
Whether of rugged working watercraft or serene water patterns, Hanley’s photographs reference the greater whole that connects them: the unseen magnitude of the great Bay itself, stilled into a fleeting instant, a single frame.
Paul Hanley is an emerging fine art photographer who has called the Eastern Shore home for over three decades. Born and raised in the Brandywine Valley, Paul now enjoys the good fortune of living literally steps away from the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
After pursuing photography as a hobby for many years, Paul’s lifelong interest in the power of photographic images coalesced into a passion when he studied with famed landscape photographer Michael Blanchard of Martha’s Vineyard.
Today, Paul daily shoots images—sometimes well before dawn and into dusk—that capture the dramatic essence of the upper Chesapeake Bay. When not immersed in photography, he is often found elbow-deep in restoring vintage British MG sports cars.
