About Us | Poetic Light Photography

About Poetic Light

San Francisco Bay Area Commercial and Portrait Photography.

Hendrik Paul, Founder

When I was 8 years old, I discovered my passion.

I was on vacation with my family in Northern California. One sunny afternoon, we visited a small, non-denominational chapel along the coast in Sea Ranch.

As I looked up, light gently streamed through the stained glass windows. I knew this was the shot.

My Dad handed me his silver Pentax camera. The weight of it felt good in my hand. I clicked my first photo.

And the rest is history.

Since that day, my love for photography has only grown. I find a deep spiritual connection with the natural world when exploring my surroundings, camera in-hand.

I love capturing moments in time. To tell stories with images. To tap into and communicate the spirit of what’s in front of me.

I have over 30 years of experience with a Masters in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute. I’ve published two photography books and won awards for fine art photography. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV and a Leica M6.

Based in Marin County, I specialize in Bay Area lifestyle photography, family photography, portrait photography, commercial photography, product photography and headshots.

Let’s connect.

Discover How I Can Help

My mission is to capture your essence with world class photography.

My relaxed and easygoing nature will help you bring your vision to life.

Whether you are looking for family portraits, or you’re a Bay Area business seeking fresh new images for your website and social media, I am here and ready to support you.

What Clients Say

Hendrik helped me feel at ease and was very professional and kind during our shoot. He is so talented and really has an eye for how to capture both your essence and ideas and translate them into beautiful photos. I'm so excited and pleased by how my photos turned out. Thank you!

Hendrik is an absolute pro. We initially contracted him to do headshots for a project in 2020 and we loved his work so much we've used him many times since! He's extremely professional and responsive, is very accommodating to our last minute requests, and is equally comfortable taking the lead or receiving direction on set. We're very happy we have him as a partner and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for awesome photography and a professional experience.

Hendrik Paul is the consummate professional. I knew him to be honest, trustworthy, and a man of his word. I engaged him to photograph textiles for a book project. He accomplished the shoot going over and above what he needed to do to make it successful. The results were amazing; the publisher was extremely pleased, too. It was an absolute pleasure to work with someone with such integrity. I highly recommend Hendrik.

“I love how the images turned out for my new website! To be honest, I am not very comfortable in front of the camera. Hendrik is patient, gentle and kind which helped me feel more relaxed and natural during the session. I highly recommend Hendrik because he is easy to work with, has grounding energy and and helped make me look and feel my best.”

“When my Northern California clients need a photographer, I send them to Poetic Light. I know the work will be high-end and my clients will love working with Hendrik. The thought Hendrik puts into his photography can bring a brand to life and dramatically improve marketing results.”

Hendrik Paul perfectly captured the moment and memorialized a special relationship between human and canine. Bolt, the Dalmatian, was young then and eager, devoted, willing. Hendrik spent hours with us, taking dozens of photos at multiple locations. Thank goodness I trusted his advice and followed his suggestions. The result captured a moment in time and illustrates a bond I will always treasure.