High definition and sumptuous color are the immediate impressions of Ray Hartl's architectural photographs. Often mistaken for paintings, this body of work is the result of extensive travels through villages in Mexico, Guatemala, and Europe.

His dedication to the 4X5 view camera as a creative tool lends itself to a slower, more thoughtful approach to the medium. The results are carefully balanced and composed photographs where color, line, and form are equally emphasized.

"My photographs are object oriented and deal with the surface of reality. I am primarily interested in how man structures and decorates his environment and how this integrates with the natural landscape. My earliest photographs were an attempt to capture the seductive beauty that I felt in nature. As this sensitivity developed, so did appreciation for how man strives to bring a sense of order and beauty to his environment."

Hartl views his architectural work as a collaboration. "I am involved in the restating of reality, a reinterpretation of that which has already been created by anonymous individuals. I feel my best work moves beyond the decorative to portray a beauty of the human spirit."

His recent equine series presents a contemporary vision of a classic subject. "I portray the equine form in a manner that is both sculptural and sensual. Working close-up, I search for moments of beauty and grace that are revealed in the body language of these intelligent animals."