Hans Schmitt

Once upon a time, long ago, I was an Army Photographer. After leaving the military, I went to school and became a Forester. For the next 38 years, I roamed the forests of northern Wisconsin and the U.P., all the while continuing my photographic endeavors. To me, photography has become the expression of an often unnoticed world.

While I do some work with color, my heart lies with the black-and-white image, largely due to its unique pre-visualization process. Turning a color world into a mix of tones provides unique challenges and rewards. I don’t search for unusual subject matter; rather, I search for unusual perspectives of the subject matter. Coming from a painter’s background, I pay particular attention to light ratios and color to create effective compositions. I also enjoy printing and have always done my own, digital or otherwise. It allows me the final control and expression of the image.

The final step in the artistic process is the viewer. To me, my work has no profound underlying message or philosophy; I just hope it’s interesting to look at.

Hans Schmitt’s Artwork

Bottoms Up

This is a rack of freshly picked oyster mushrooms. I felt the underside gill structure was much more interesting than the caps. Next stop... dinner.

Calling Elvis

I suspect these unusual structures are bulkheads for a battleship. They are quite large (about 20 feet tall) and were in storage behind Marinette-Marine Corporation. They look like some sort of scientific array. I thought, what would I do with a scientific array? I’d call Elvis!