Featured Photographer: Paul Hoelen

By Tim Levy | 28 August 2024

Kiwi born to a Dutch Sailor and an American Nun, Paul’s natural wanderlust and four passports have led him around the globe before eventually settling on the beautiful, wild island of Tasmania.

In his 'happy-place'. Captured on the remote Svalbard Archipelago on a photographic expedition he was leading in the Arctic Circle.
In his 'happy-place'. Captured on the remote Svalbard Archipelago on a photographic expedition he was leading in the Arctic Circle.

Thriving on variety and the challenge of tackling new projects across a wide range of genres, Paul’s work spans across fine art nudes, landscapes, and large-scale event photography through to fashion, travel, documentary and environmental portraiture.

Alongside his commercial work, Paul is passionate about visually exploring the earth from an aerial perspective, supporting long-term conservation projects, and advocating for various cultural, humanitarian, and environmental campaigns. Notably, his 23-year-long, multi-award-winning Men with Heart documentary project, which examines the definition of healthy masculinity in Australian culture, is currently touring the country.

Paul is a Grand Master of Photography in the NZIPP, judges regularly at a state, national and international level, runs photography workshops worldwide and writes for numerous magazines and publications.

He is a member of the progressive modern landscape collaborative The Light Collective, is an Ambassador for Asukabook Australasia and his work is represented by One Fine Print and Source Photographica worldwide.

You can see more of his work on his website. 

Or follow him on his Instagram page.

I can’t actually remember taking this photograph as I hadn’t slept for 3 days straight at the incredible Burning Man Festival in America, but it changed my career and opened a lot of doors for me. And the experience at that wild festival changed my life. Image: Paul Hoelen
Desert Dreamscape. Image: Paul Hoelen

I can’t actually remember taking this photograph as I hadn’t slept for 3 days straight at the incredible Burning Man Festival in America, but it changed my career and opened a lot of doors for me. And the experience at that wild festival changed my life.

Yoni tree. I was invited to document a 12-day wilderness therapy immersive deep in the Tarkine Rainforest, a place very dear to my heart and an ethos I deeply believe in. Near the end, each person undertook a 4 day solo experience and some asked that their personal relationship with self and place be captured at some stage in that time. This was one of those moments. Image: Paul Hoelen
Yoni tree. Image: Paul Hoelen

I was invited to document a 12-day wilderness therapy immersive deep in the Tarkine Rainforest, a place very dear to my heart and an ethos I deeply believe in. Near the end, each person undertook a 4 day solo experience and some asked that their personal relationship with self and place be captured at some stage in that time. This was one of those moments.

Island style. This was taken on an exploratory aerial trip to a remote island chain way off the western Kimberley Coastline in West Australia. We had to time it with an extremely low tide to be able to reach into all the reef structures visually as most of it is generally underwater The bluest blues I’ve ever seen in my life out this way… Image: Paul Hoelen
Island style. Image: Paul Hoelen

This was taken on an exploratory aerial trip to a remote island chain way off the western Kimberley Coastline in West Australia. We had to time it with an extremely low tide to be able to reach into all the reef structures visually as most of it is generally underwater The bluest blues I’ve ever seen in my life out this way…

Zion canyon. This image was taken deep within a very steep and remote canyon in Zion National Park in the USA with my good friend and amazing US photographer Taylor Glenn. I had just rappelled down here before him and swam through freezing water to a very slippery and muddy edge to turn and capture him coming down behind me. I fell in the water straight after this shot and just managed to save the camera. I love the adventure and adrenaline of this moment, but also the bones of the earth like feel of the rock structures themselves. Image: Paul Hoelen
Zion canyon.  Image: Paul Hoelen

This image was taken deep within a very steep and remote canyon in Zion National Park in the USA with my good friend and amazing US photographer Taylor Glenn. I had just rappelled down here before him and swam through freezing water to a very slippery and muddy edge to turn and capture him coming down behind me. I fell in the water straight after this shot and just managed to save the camera. I love the adventure and adrenaline of this moment, but also the bones of the earth like feel of the rock structures themselves.

Ascension.This was taken at about 430 am in -3 degrees in Hobart, Tasmania during the infamous Dark Mofo Exhibition. It was so cold my hands actually stuck to the metal on my tripod. I title this image ‘Ascension’ as it speaks to me of the fallen souls that the Cenotaph is honouring heading upwards towards the heavens. Image: Paul Hoelen
Ascension. Image: Paul Hoelen

This was taken at about 430 am in -3 degrees in Hobart, Tasmania during the infamous Dark Mofo Exhibition. It was so cold my hands actually stuck to the metal on my tripod. I title this image ‘Ascension’ as it speaks to me of the fallen souls that the Cenotaph is honouring heading upwards towards the heavens.