Sometimes I like to think of myself as a photography factory. I see my photographs mostly as raw material for projects that might be worked on at some point later on in life.
We all have but a short time on this earth. As slow as time can be it is also fast, swift, furious and mighty and then it’s over. Jack Kerouac is dead. Andy Warhol is dead. Garry Winogrand is dead. Lee Friedlander, William Eggleston and Bob Dylan are not dead yet, but probably will be at some point. Charles Bukowski once said that endurance was more important than truth. Charles Bukowski's now dead.
When I'm not taking or processing the pictures I'm mostly thinking about the pictures.
I'm trying to publish a library of 1,000,000 hand crafted, lovingly created, individually finished and processed photographs before I die. Mostly I'm focusing on America.
The absurdity of my obsessive view on photography is not lost on me -- but it is the absurdity of life that I find most beautiful of all. Where Sisyphus had his stone I have my camera and a bag full of lenses.
Document, explore, lather, rinse, repeat. Photography for me then becomes a kind of hyperactivity, loosely arranged and presented. My work is less about individual images and instead more about the power of a massive amount of excessive and disjointed images where stories, characters and places sometimes stay and other times reappear or disappear entirely for no good reason at all.
If you want to see good overview portfolio of some of my more popular work you can find that here.
"Don't think about making art. Just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they're deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol
I collect photography books, postcards and vernacular found photographs.
Thomas Hawk on Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection
I've got over 4,000 photo albums on Flickr that I've put together. You can see these here.
Here's a video interview about me and my work from the Flickr blog.
You can contact me at tom(at)thomashawk.com but I check my flickrmail much more frequently.
America
- JoinedAugust 2004
- Current citySan Francisco
- CountryUSA
- Websitehttp://thomashawk.com
- Facebookthomashawk
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Most popular photos
Testimonials
Extraordinary gallery ! An example to all of us here !
Always inspiring to watch your photostream and of course the many background stories about it on twitter and the like... Thank you for sharing and keeping the good spirit alive.
Thomas Hawk is a Flickr and American photographic icon. Much here to see and much more here to learn!
Lucky. I consider myself lucky that Mr. Hawk post his work here on Flickr. There is no better Eye on this site or elsewhere; and yes, I consider his gift, work, at the level of where the Best "Eyes" exist. I am so glad that I discovered his archive of serious, humorous, journal, kinky, erotic, sensual, religious, in… Read more
Lucky. I consider myself lucky that Mr. Hawk post his work here on Flickr. There is no better Eye on this site or elsewhere; and yes, I consider his gift, work, at the level of where the Best "Eyes" exist. I am so glad that I discovered his archive of serious, humorous, journal, kinky, erotic, sensual, religious, intimate, sexual, political, landscape, foodie, traveled, family, eccentric, concentric, zoomed, widen, cockeyed, stressed, relaxed ------- Genius. Thank you. Your valuable time and work is greatly appreciated and enjoyed.
Read lessThomas, you are an inspiration for me! Thank you for sharing your work.
AFTER VIEWING THE SITE #MY SENSES CONCLUDED #IT# BEING ONE OF THE BEST ARTWORK AMONG MY FRIENDS
So much fun to open up each batch of photos - never know what to expect, but there’s always something which makes me smile. Love that all the photos are licensed under Creative Commons - allows me to use these a reference photos for my paintings and drawings. Thanks for taking on such a large challenge!
Going through Thomas photoalbuns are a fabulous trip to sensations, colors, places, and all kind of feelings. A very eclectical photographer who do not fear anything that can be photographed. Indeed, anything can become a work of art under his eye and through his lensses.. Keep on !!! congrats, and greetings from Br… Read more
Going through Thomas photoalbuns are a fabulous trip to sensations, colors, places, and all kind of feelings. A very eclectical photographer who do not fear anything that can be photographed. Indeed, anything can become a work of art under his eye and through his lensses.. Keep on !!! congrats, and greetings from Brazil ! :-)
Read lessIt’s an extraordinary collection and I look forward to seeing each new upload. In the distant future this will surely stand as a comprehensive record of 20th and 21st century America.
WoW! You have an incredible portfolio of photos in your unique gallery Thomas Hawk. It is not difficult to see that you find joy in taking great pictures, and that you have passion for what you do. You are a great photographer. Keep on capturing the good moments in life. There is a lot to brag about here: Thoughtful co… Read more
WoW! You have an incredible portfolio of photos in your unique gallery Thomas Hawk. It is not difficult to see that you find joy in taking great pictures, and that you have passion for what you do. You are a great photographer. Keep on capturing the good moments in life. There is a lot to brag about here: Thoughtful composition, perfect and natural light, good balance, beautiful lines, nice contrasts, depth that draws you into many of the images, use of complementary colors and beauty. What more can we expect! :) Keep up the good work. I hope it's okay that I follow you ;)
Read lessOne of the best photographers on Flickr today! I truly enjoy seeing his work and find myself thinking about how he made a shot. He is VERY inspirational to many photographers. I'm hopeful one day, I'll bump into Thomas and be able to say thank you in person. Thank you Thomas for sharing your work and providing all of… Read more
One of the best photographers on Flickr today! I truly enjoy seeing his work and find myself thinking about how he made a shot. He is VERY inspirational to many photographers. I'm hopeful one day, I'll bump into Thomas and be able to say thank you in person. Thank you Thomas for sharing your work and providing all of us a unique view into the world. Cheers, Wade
Read lessThomas Hawk's photographic work is full of colors and impressive realism. I must admit that before visiting his page, I carefully studied his collection to discover all the great photo spots to get ideas on how to capture the environment to make a spectacular photo. In short, you are a teacher. Greetings friend
Thomas was the first photographer that I followed on Google Plus and was my gateway into the photography community that flourished for awhile there. His work was (and still is) highly influential to me and has always been a benchmark against which I compare my own work.
Bukowski may have been talking about love, but it could have been photography - "be there and let it happen". Great work.
I have been a member of the flickr community for about a decade. I only recently stumbled upon your page and I am glad that I did. Your photos are thought provoking, beautiful images that bring me joy and inspire me to make even better photographs.
Quite inspirational photographer. Thomas' stream is full of color and vibe. I will admit that before visiting SF, i studied carefully his photos in order to discover all the cool photographic places around the city as well as get ideas on how to capture San Fran's unique vibe!
A staggering collection, so varied, photos, which, so far I have only been able to view a little of. I have been rather greedy here on faving some of them. Thanks a lot from Peter.
The first thing I do in the morning is view the new shots that TH uploaded to Flickr. Especially love the old slides. And, he's a might fine photographer - love those landscapes.
Thomas is something rare on Flickr, not just a fantastic photographer but a true artist. I, like thousands of others on Flickr, look forward to the daily dose of brilliance that he unselfishly shares with the world. Covering everything from travel photos to abstract, cityscapes to portraits and found slides, there is s… Read more
Thomas is something rare on Flickr, not just a fantastic photographer but a true artist. I, like thousands of others on Flickr, look forward to the daily dose of brilliance that he unselfishly shares with the world. Covering everything from travel photos to abstract, cityscapes to portraits and found slides, there is something here for everyone, and to top it all off he is a genuine gentleman. Thank you Thomas, for helping to make every day a little bit brighter.
Read lessPossibly the most prolific and diverse contributor on flickr, Tom's daily dose of downloads are a staple for my personal consumption. Still, he has the time to view the work of others. The flickrworld wouldn't be the same without him.
Great collection of photos! Keep up the good work!
A kaleidoscope of the mind ....
Consistent, eye catching, brilliant, imaginative, transforming, refreshing and bright are just a few of the words that I would use for Thomas and his Flickr stream. He makes photography live and his pictures consistently stand out from the crowd....when looking for inspiration or refreshment, this is the flickr stream… Read more
Consistent, eye catching, brilliant, imaginative, transforming, refreshing and bright are just a few of the words that I would use for Thomas and his Flickr stream. He makes photography live and his pictures consistently stand out from the crowd....when looking for inspiration or refreshment, this is the flickr stream that has helped and after more than 9 years following, I am addicted. Thank you for allowing us to share your creativity and giving me the freedom to glimpse a photographic heaven
Read lessIt is a feast to dig myself through your eyegasmic stream , i hope you get to the 1 mil .. i bet on it !
There are few photographers whose work I enjoy more. Great photographers can take an often-photographed subject in a unique way, and see things others don't, and allow you into their minds and their mind's eye. Thomas does this. But few others' work has his work's breadth and variety. I look forward to his new posts. … Read more
There are few photographers whose work I enjoy more. Great photographers can take an often-photographed subject in a unique way, and see things others don't, and allow you into their minds and their mind's eye. Thomas does this. But few others' work has his work's breadth and variety. I look forward to his new posts. Hope he stays active here on Flickr.
Read lessI am fascinated by your philosophy. And I know, at you everything will turn out. Forward!
Simply galore 👀
Oui, une galerie remarquable. D'abord, par la quantité de photographies. Mais aussi par leur qualité et leur extraordinaire diversité. Il faut une grande attention au monde qui vous entoure pour être capable de produire autant de photographies, toutes intelligentes et évocatives d'un monde très particulier et très d… Read more
Oui, une galerie remarquable. D'abord, par la quantité de photographies. Mais aussi par leur qualité et leur extraordinaire diversité. Il faut une grande attention au monde qui vous entoure pour être capable de produire autant de photographies, toutes intelligentes et évocatives d'un monde très particulier et très diversifié. Car cette galerie est une vitrine des USA. Ce n'est pas un monde dans lequel personnellement je me reconnais et où je me plairais de vivre. Je préfère l'Europe. Mais je rends hommage au photographe et à son entreprise : faire comprendre le "Nouveau Monde". Plus je fréquente cette galerie, plus elle me semble intelligente, même si elle est absolument étrangère à ma culture. Yes, a remarkable gallery. First, by the amount of photographs. But also by their quality and their extraordinary diversity. it takes a great attention to the world around you to be able to produce as many photographs, all intelligent and evocative of a very particular and very diversified world. Because this gallery is a showcase of the USA. It is not a world in which I personally recognize myself and where I would like to live. I prefer Europe. But I pay homage to the photographer and his project: to make understand the "New World". The more I frequent this gallery and the more I find it intelligent, even if it still seems to me as foreign to my culture.
Read lessInspired work. Always something new to discover, and if not plenty of quality images to revisit.
What hasn't already been said here? One of the greatest photographers of our time- maybe ever. Quantity and quality and attitude. Thank you for taking the time to add favorites and for the inspiration.
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