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Hank Erdmann
Hank Erdmann is a photographer and photographic educator who resides in Will County, Illinois. He has photographed throughout North America, making the Midwest his primary geographic area of interest. A love of history, especially the maritime history of the Great Lakes, kindles a special interest in the ports, shorelines, islands, hardwood forests, prairies and other natural areas of Lakes Michigan and Superior and their surrounding environs.
"My photographs are an expression of excitement and joy at seeing a fleeting moment when nature takes light and subject and creates an image that leaves a lasting impression in my mind. Occasionally, I'm fortunate to record such images.
In the 70’s and 80’s, many, if not most budding landscape photographers in the US were disciples of Ansel Adams. Adams was also an ardent environmentalist who spent thirty plus years on the Sierra Club board and had trained in another profession, that of a pianist. Many of my generation also championed another ardent environmentalist who also spent 30 plus years on the Sierra Club board and had been trained for another profession, that of medical research, and who had also left that training to become a photographer. That photographer was Eliot Porter. Through a love of nature and largely the influence of Porter and Adams, my life focus and profession also became the environment and photography. Eliot Porter is also honoured to have coined the phrase; ‘the intimate landscape” and the intimate landscape became my primary artistic expression.