ASUKABOOK AMBASSADOR - PAUL HOELEN
Asukabook Ambassador Paul Hoelen just received the title of Landscape Photographer of the Year at the Epson AIPP Professional Photography Awards held over the weekend in Hobart. This was his fourth win in the last five years and his winning submission of four images received an unprecedented four Gold Awards, including an extremely coveted Gold with Distinction Award. All of his images are taken from the air throughout various regions of West Australia that he meticulously researched for their potential abstract interpretations. One Gold image is the cover shot of his new Asukabook entitled "Saline" which is currently available on...(link). The other three images were taken for a concept book project entitled 'Red' as part of a collaborative project with his group 'The Light Collective'.
Born in New Zealand to a Dutch sailor and an American Nun, Paul has managed to put his many passports to good use before eventually choosing to base himself in the beautiful, wild island of Tasmania. He honed his photographic skills throughout an early career in Wilderness Therapy and still remains true to his love for the natural world. Self taught, travel hungry and with a penchant for adventure, Paul thrives on diversity and has since expanded his photographic repertoire into a much wider range of genres and can regularly be found at various corners of the globe shooting landscapes, event and band photography, art commissions, environmental portraiture, boutique weddings and commercial projects.
"I'm deeply motivated to grow both as an image maker, and as a person. Photography allows me to travel and explore the world, its people and how we live in it so easily, as it's such a portable and universal skillset. I love to use it to dissolve boundaries in culture and language, and to remind ourselves of the beauty and value within each other and of our natural world. What makes for powerful and meaningful imagery to me is when you can find or create a simple yet genuine sense of connection with people and place, or even a moment. I like to spend as much time as I can building trust, understanding and rapport with my subject as that's often where the true essence of your subject is revealed and that magical moment lies waiting..."
Paul has won numerous accolades and awards for his photography both nationally and internationally, including two times AIPP Tasmanian Professional Photographer of the Year, three times AIPP Tasmanian Landscape Photographer of the Year and two times Overseas Photographer of the Year in NZ. On an industry level he has been awarded AIPP Master of Photography and Fellow to Gold Bar of the NZIPP. He judges regularly at a state, national and international level, runs workshops and writes for many photographic magazines and publications. He exhibits regularly and his fine art work is currently represented by Source Photographica in both Australia and the USA.
Paul is very much of the affinity that 'do what you love, love what you do', and in his case, quite luckily he feels, photography fits the bill pretty well perfectly!
Awards
2015 
Tasmanian AIPP Epson Professional Photographer of the Year 2015
2014
AIPP Honorary Award: Gold Bar to Master
NZIPP Overseas Photographer of the Year in NZ - winner
Head On Festival: Invite Only ‘Add On Exhibition’ Sydney
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Landscape Photographer of the Year – Runner Up
2013
Head On Festival: Exhibited Finalist – Landscape
NZIPP Overseas Photographer of the Year – Finalist
Honorary Award: Fellow of the NZIPP
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Photographer of the Year - Winner
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Landscape Photographer of the Year – Winner
AIPP TAS Highest Scoring Print Award – Gold with Distinction
2012
NZIPP Overseas Photographer of the Year – Winner
NZIPP Master of Photography
AIPP Master of Photography
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Photographer of the Year - Runner Up
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Landscape Photographer of the Year – Winner
Creative Asia Awards: 3rd place: Landscape
Top Emerging Photographers of the Year in Australia: Runner Up - Landscape
2011
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Photographer of the Year – Winner
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Landscape Photographer of the Year – Winner
AIPP Tasmanian Professional General Photographer of the Year – Winner
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Portrait Photographer of the Year – Runner Up
NZIPP Overseas Photographer of the Year – Finalist
International Loupe Awards – Top 10 Landscape
2010
APPA: Gold, Silver with Distinction and Two Silver Awards
ASWPP: The Edge Photo Imaging Photography Excellence Awards
Winner: Open Wedding Category in Australia
2009
APPA: Highest Scoring Print: Self Commissioned Category, Gold with Distinction
AIPP Tasmanian Professional Photographer of the Year: Highest Scoring Print
