PAUL KARNS

About

Thanks for stopping by!

I am an itinerant creative currently based in Boston. Much of my career was spent as a award-winning graphic designer and art director in advertising, brand marketing, and media, including GQ, Mademoiselle, Ralph Lauren, Capital One, Saatchi, and others. I also directed communications for Virginia Commonwealth University and mentored student designers and writers before turning to startup business life and working as a contributing writer for Richmond Magazine.

I spent much of the past decade recovering from serious health issues and exploring ideas before returning to photography and writing, including Leading Lines, a Substack journal focused on bridging the two.

I have an abiding love of documentary street photography and capturing what Cartier-Bresson called “the deciding moment,” but I am just as likely to spend time looking at textures and shadows in the Maine woods. My work has been featured in  the 2024 Black and White Minimalism Awards

Most recently, I have concentrated on portraiture, lighting, and studio work and plan to expand this work greatly in 2025. 

If you like what you see, let’s work together!


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