We were lucky to catch up with Warren Paul Harris recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Warren Paul, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

At the age of 14, my father taught me how to develop my own film, which really opened my eyes to the process of photography overall. I spent the next few years taking mediocre photographs of everything I saw. Architecture has always been a driving interest for me. Luckily, I lived right across the street from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Marin County masterpiece in high school.

I took a correspondence course in photography at the age of 19 or 20, which improved my results somewhat. After the 1971 earthquake in Los Angeles, I discovered time exposure photography and shortly thereafter was introduced to infrared film. The entire time from then until the late 80s, I always had a darkroom in the house. I worked in the music business for 20 years and found I had talent for photographing live concerts. I have a vast library of rock and roll photography and my most popular work is of Sly Stone in the recording studio. I routinely sell those images through my fulfillment site.

I re-enrolled in college in 1991, studying German, Computer Science and Art. The art class changed the way I saw the world. It taught me the fine art of composition. Of creating drama in my work. I have always credited this class with taking me to new heights of creativity.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Working as a Technical Engineer for Motown Records and having friends throughout the entertainment industry opened the doors to live performance photography, which proved to be a natural fit along with my exposure at an early age to the psychedelic music scene in San Francisco during the mid-to-late 1960s. This, combined with my background as a guitarist since the age of 14 – and a roadie with The Grateful Dead in 1968, proved to be a perfect training ground for Rock ‘n Roll photography. I have photographed Sly Stone, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Drowning Pool, Ted Nugent, Randy Travis and 3 Doors Down, to name a just a few.

Moving my family back to Marin County in 1975, I began my career as a Recording Engineer, working with numerous local and national artists, photographing their performances and promo materials, and honing my photographic skills.

In 1981, with increased fiscal responsibilities, I “hung up my cameras” to pursue a more lucrative career in the technical field, opening AudioCraft Engineering, and operating it for 6 years. Needing a change of environment, I joined Symantec Corporation as a Technical Marketing Specialist, for three years, during which time I created marketing materials for our sales force, designed campaigns and photographed the subjects. Three years later. I opened my own computer consulting firm, which I relocated to Plano, Texas in 1999.

I have always credited a college art class taken in 1991 with vastly improving my appreciation of art and compositional skills, while confirming my long-held belief in an inability to draw anything recognizable.

An epiphany in 2006, caused me to re-embrace my first love of photography, acquire new digital equipment, and attack the art form with a vengeance, determined to make up for what I felt was “lost time”. Never without a camera, I capture new images for my collection on a regular basis and have embraced digital manipulation to create my frequently dark and other-worldly images. In spite of being advised by a multitude of friends and relatives that “There is nothing to see in Texas.”, I pursue the obscure and fascinating beauty I find throughout the vast expanse of the Lone Star State. I find gems of Texas minutiae everywhere I train my lens.

In 2010, I sold my computer consulting firm to dedicate more time to photography. This allowed me to relocate my studio closer to home in Frisco, Texas, which I used for commercial assignments, fashion and glamour photography and a creative outlet for my own projects. In development are several coffee table books, the first of which, Texas As I See It, was published by Brown Books in November 2011 and reprinted in 2018.

I have freelanced for local newspapers and magazines as well as international publications over the years. I shoot freelance projects for local businesses and government offices and have participated in dozens of art shows. My work is on permanent display in City buildings, Frisco Square, Ebby Halliday offices and in the homes of local collectors across the Metroplex.

I have been referred to as a “Renaissance Man” on more than a few occasions. It appears to be a compliment… I love cabinet making, welding, playing guitar, creating various projects and am as comfortable with electricity and electronics as I am with woodworking, plumbing, construction and plastic fabrication. I am an Amateur Radio operator and active in the local storm spotter network.

In a departure from photography, I have been exploring abstract digital in recent years.

A 2015 feature article in the Dallas Observer characterized me as “Grateful Dead Roadie Turned Prolific Texas Photographer”

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Closing in on 74 years on this planet, I desire less conflict and more peace in my life. To that end I have gone back to studying Zen and creating art in this direction. Most of what I create are fractal based designs and mandalas, which frequently morph into Yin Yang designs.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice

NFTs are dead. They peaked around 3 years ago and everyone I know is being inundated with bots and scam requests to buy their work as NFTs. All of these requests / attacks require the artist to “list” their work as NFT on a rogue site for the purchase. If you fall for this scam, you will lose money and your art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://warrenharris.net
• Instagram: @dallasdigitalart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarrenPaulHarris
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warren-paul-harris-6100062a4/
• Twitter: @rockshootertx
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDKyidpPRpRVP4p7_bh-9cA

Image Credits

All work Copyright Warren Paul Harris, Dallas Texas