Paul Dressendorfer - Biography

Biography

Paul Dressendorfer has been involved with photography for many decades. In his day job, he was a research scientist/engineer in a variety of fields including microelectronics, optoelectronics, micromachines, and nanobiotechnology. This vocation required his looking at things in new ways, discovering alternative approaches to accomplishing goals, and creating novel solutions to problems. Those skills carried over into his photography where he strives to provide innovative perspectives of natural scenes.

Often a key enabler of his original point-of-view is his passion for flying in a small open-cockpit aircraft. This vehicle, officially called a weight shift control aircraft (or more commonly known as a “trike”), uses a wing very similar to a hang glider. Suspended from the wing is a go-kart-like carriage which contains the engine in the back, with the pilot up front (and potentially a passenger in the back). It is comparable to flying a motorcycle around the sky, being highly maneuverable and not having to conform to roadways.

By combining this capability with his photographic skill, many of his images provide a “bird’s-eye view” of the landscapes of the Southwest, which many are not lucky enough to experience on their own. Overall, his photography provides a unique perspective of the wonderful world around us. Paul’s award-winning work has appeared in several exhibitions and venues in New Mexico.

 

Artist’s Statement

From an early age, I have loved to explore nature. As a youngster, I turned over many a rock to see what was underneath (thereby getting an early introduction to rattlesnakes). As I grew up, I expanded my horizons to include various other outdoor activities (e.g., hiking, biking, boating, rafting, skiing, …) and traveling to destinations with different cultures, geography, and landforms. Along with this, I developed an interest in photography both to have a keepsake of my explorations and to share my observations with others. I have particularly enjoyed the sights provided by nature in her landscapes, wildlife, and patterns, and those of man’s influence and interactions with her. I have continually strived to find new approaches to portray scenes I have found inspiring, unique, or interesting.

These endeavors formed a natural fit with another passion of mine – flying an ultralight aircraft. Although many folks have been passengers in commercial aircraft, typically they are at 30,000+ feet and have a very detached picture of the world below. My ultralight provides the opportunity to see the world from a vantage point most do not have the chance to experience. I am often soaring only a couple hundred feet above the ground, allowing me to get a “bird’s eye view” of the features below. This viewpoint offers an intimacy coupled with a unique perspective that can be difficult to achieve by other means.

The photographs in this exhibition represent a coalescence of my love of photography and of flying. I hope I have succeeded in providing viewers with a different outlook on the wonderful world around us.