Portfolio

About

Resides: Mosman Sydney

Full time occupation: Photographer: tourism, advertising, editorial, portraiture, lifestyle, stock

So much has changed in the 35 years since I first picked up a camera. I was fortunate to learn the traditional photographic techniques and happier still to discover that they played an important part in effective digital captures. The tools have changed but the basic components of a great picture remain the same.

My earliest goal when I first began photographing my friends surfing was to get a picture on the cover of Surfer Magazine so I composed my pictures allowing for the masthead and captions.

Little did I know, though, that composing for the printed page would serve me so well when I got a real job photographing a visitors guide.

That first assignment developed techniques, procedures and approaches to compensate for the tight budgets, short lead times and the use of non-professional talent that are so common (and mostly unavoidable) when picturing Regional Australia.

Later, patience and even more planning added to a growing photographic knowledge base.

All this and learning to scan left me in a good place when digital capture became viable to deliver pixels that worked quite well on the printed page.

Exhibitions
1993 School Days – a series of portraits showing the students of Newcastle SSP for intellectually disabled students. Complemented by poems / stories written by the children after viewing their pictures Watt Space Gallery (University of Newcastle)

1996 Five Women anonymous bodyscapes of 5 women who had not posed nude by a photographer undertaking his first nude series Suters Architects, Newcastle and The Photographers Gallery, Sydney

Various group shows as part of the ACMP and Hunter Photographers Group

2003 Tokyo – ACMP Collection Touring Exhibition

2005 / 2007 Newcastle View3: 3 friends depicting 8 favourite coastal locations first visited during the 1970’s and 80’s
Paul Foley’s contribution was titled “leaving and belonging” – 8 B&W images made in close-up of the foreground while allowing identifying features to be visible in blurred detail in the background.

2006 thru 2010 Selected for Artists of Mosman annual Exhibitions

Awards
Several Bronze & Silver Awards AIPP
1997 – The Gold Medal at The National Print Awards
2002 – Acceptance into Australian Photographers Collection
2003 – Acceptance into Australian Photographers Collection
2005 – Runner up (Landscapes) International Photography Awards, NYC
2005 – Honourable mention (Architecture-Bridges) International Photography Awards, NYC

Achievements
2002 – one of two Australians invited by Chinese Government to join a group of 50 international photographers to exhibit and photograph in China.
2003 – images made during that trip used by the Hasselblad camera company in their marketing and publications.
2001 – 2005 – Owner/Director Lightmoods Photography Gallery – Newcastle

Books
2001 – Newcastle – New Century, New Horizons
2004 – Lake Macquarie – Reflections of our City

Contributions
As part of a commitment to charity and fund-raising Foley has provided his photography services for:

*The Betty Cuthbert Tribute (featuring 58 Prominent and World Champion Australian Sports People) – For MS
*The World Professional Surfing Champions – assembled in the one place – For SIDS research
*All of the living AFL Brownlow Medallists bought together at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – For Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital

Paul Foley 's current location:
Sydney , Australia

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