Bio
Simply stated, Nathan Wirth attempts to photograph silence.
A Much Longer Bio
Using a variety of techniques– including long exposure, infrared, intentional camera movement and the occasional dip into compositing– Nathan Wirth, who was born and raised in San Francisco, is a self-learned photographer who seeks to express his unending wonder for the fundamental fact of existence. In his work, he attempts to focus on the silence that we can sometimes perceive in between the incessant waves of sound that often dominate our perceptions of the world. Nathan earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English Literature from San Francisco State University and brings a deep appreciation of poetry to his explorations of place (especially the sea). Poets such as George Oppen, Gary Snyder, Seamus Heaney, Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, Mary Oliver, Lorine Niedecker, and George Mackay Brown have played a fundamental role in shaping his attention to the things and places that he photographs. Often returning to the same locations many times, Nathan seeks to explore the silence and the sublimity of those places. In addition to poetry, Nathan is profoundly influenced by the paintings of Morris Graves, Caspar David Friedrich, Edward Hopper, Mark Rothko, and Camille Pissarro and the photography of Michael Kenna, Edward Weston, and Wright Morris.
For the past few years, Nathan has been studying and integrating into his work Japanese traditions of Zen, rock gardens, ma, and calligraphy– as well as the transience, impermanence, and imperfections of wabi-sabi. Nathan’s studies of Zen calligraphy and Zen writings have led him to the practice of trying to achieve, while working on his photography, a mind of no-mind (mu-shin no shin), a mind not preoccupied with emotions and thought, one that can, as freely as possible, simply create.
Nathan also complements his photography by gardening and studying and practicing the art of Ikebana (specifically the Sogetsu School of Ikebana).
Nathan also curates and edits, slices of silence, an online place to read and view conversations about photography.
Nathan, after living in San Francisco for the first 44 years of his life, moved to Marin County and currently makes his living teaching English Composition at City College of San Francisco.
Gallery Representation
Nathan is represented by The Great Highway Gallery in San Francisco. Please contact John Lindsey with your questions. I sell my own artist-made prints through this website (click on the Buy Prints link above for more information). John can produce larger prints than the ones I offer through this site (and I work with him on-site to create those prints).
Exhibited
- 2021 — Group Show – Toby’s Art Gallery, Point Reyes Station, CA – December 4, 2021 – December 27, 2021
- 2020 — Solo Show – The Book Passage Art Gallery (solo show), Corte Madera, CA – Nov 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020
- 2019 — Napa County Fair, Napa, CA. Aug 7, 2019 – Aug 11, 2019 (4 images)
- 2019 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. July 3-July 7, 2019 (14 images)
- 2018 — Solo Show – The Sound of Trees, The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA Nov 17, 2018 – Nov 30, 2018
- 2018 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. June 30-July 4, 2018 (8 images)
- 2017 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. June 30-July 4, 2017 (13 images)
- 2017 — Group Show – Wanderlust Exhibition, Dickerman Prints, San Francisco, CA June – 2017
- 2017 — Group Show – B&W Minimalism Magazine Photography Exhibition, Center for Contemporary Creations, Isfahan, Iran – May 26, 2017 – June 20, 2017
- 2017 — Group Show B&W Minimalism Magazine Photography Exhibition, Yadegaran Art Gallery, Kerman, Iran – February 17-24, 2017 (4 images)
- 2016 — Group Show – International Symposium for Contemplative Studies, San Diego, CA – November 10-13, 2016 (Exhibited with Matthieu Ricard)
- 2015 — Solo Show – Stone Altars (book release and solo show), The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA September 19, 2015 – October 17, 2015
- 2015 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA, July 1-5, 2015 (6 images).
- 2015 — Group Show – Golden Camera Awards Exhibition. Kyiv Photography School, Kiev, Ukraine, March 31-April 30, 2015 (6 images)
- 2015 — Group Show – Golden Camera Awards Exhibition. National Museum of Taras Shevchenko, Kiev, Ukraine, March 27-29, 2015 (6 images)
- 2014 — Solo Show – a slice of silence, The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA May 3, 2014 – July 4, 2014
- 2014 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA, July 2-6, 2014 (4 images).
- 2013 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA, July 3-7, 2013 (3 images).
Projects
- 2017 — Wine Label for Brook and Bull, Walla Walla, WA (2015, 2016 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 2016 — Artist Series Wine Label for Kenwood Vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon)
Events
- 2022 — Photo Talk and Presentation at the San Francisco Public Library in San Francisco, July 14, 2022 (View –> HERE <–)
- 2021 — Town Hall Seattle Panel on Spirited Stone: Lessons from Kubota’s Garden with Charles Johnson and Marcus Green (View –> HERE <–)
- 2017 — Photo Talk and Presentation for the Pacific Association for the Continental Tradition Conference at the University of San Francisco, September, 29 2017
- 2017 — Book Signing and Discussion with Gary Snyder, Jason Wirth, Dale Pendell, and Nathan Wirth at the Open Book in Grass Valley, CA August 5, 2017 (read about it –> here).
- 2013 — Photo Performance Collaboration with jazz musicians Phil Nimmons and David Braid at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada, November 2013
- 2013 — Photo Talk for the Pacific Association for the Continental Tradition Conference at the University of San Francisco, September 2013
Recognized
- 2022 — Siena Creative Awards, Runner Up (Second Place) in Nature Category
- 2021 — Tokyo International Foto Awards, Gold Medal (First place in the Nature-Trees Category)
- 2021 — Black and White Spider Awards. First Place in the Nature Category and Named Amateur Photographer of the Year
- 2021 — Marin County Fair. Best of Show Monochrome Print
- 2020 — Black and White Minimalist Photography Awards – Named one of the 50 Best Minimalist Photographers
- 2019 — Dodho Magazine, Black and White Photographer of the Year 2019 – Finalist
- 2019 — Black and White Spider Awards. One Honorable Mention (Nature Category); Three Nominations
- 2019 — Napa County Fair. Best of Show – Creative Print; Second Place (Black & White); Honorable Mention (Black & White)
- 2019 — Marin County Fair. Best Print – Beauty of Trees; First Place (Moonscapes); First Place (Creative or Alternative Print); Three Honorable Mentions
- 2019 — Moscow International Foto Awards. Third Place (Bronze) – Fine Art – Abstracts
- 2019 — Tokyo International Foto Awards, Gold and Bronze Medals (Nature Category)
- 2018 — Black and White Spider Awards. Two Honorable Mentions (Nature Category); Three Nominations
- 2018 — International Photography Awards – Nature: Trees. Honorable Mention
- 2018 — Marin County Fair. Best of Show Monochrome Print; Second Place (Marvelous Marin); Two Honorable Mentions
- 2018 — Moscow International Foto Awards. Second Place (Silver) – Nature – Trees
- 2018 — International Color Awards. 1 Nomination – Fine Art Category
- 2018 — Monochrome Awards. Fine Art Discovery of the Year (First Place), Four Honorable Mentions
- 2017 — Epson International Pano Awards. 2 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals, 3 Bronze Metals — and three images placed in top 50
- 2017 — Black and White Spider Awards. Third Place (Nature Category); Third Place (Silhouettes Category); Nomination (Fine Art Category)
- 2017 — International Photography Awards – Nature: Trees. Third Place
- 2017 — Marin County Fair. Photographer of the Year; Best of Show Monochrome Print; Jack Fulton Award; One Honorable Mention
- 2017 — Moscow International Foto Awards. Third Place (Bronze) – Nature – Trees
- 2017 — Dodho Magazine, Black and White Photographer of the Year 2017 – Awarded Merit of Honor
- 2017 — International Color Awards. 3 Nominations – Nature Category, Abstract Category
- 2016 — Tokyo International Foto Awards, Honorble Mention – Nature Category
- 2016 — Black and White Spider Awards. Honorable Mention (Nature Category), Three Nominations (Nature Category, Fine Art Category)
- 2016 — International Photography Awards. Two Honorable Mentions
- 2016 — PX3. Honorable Mention
- 2016 — International Color Awards. Nominee – Nature
- 2016 — International Photography Awards – Family of Man. Honorable Mention
- 2015 — Black and White Spider Awards. Honorable Mention – Nature
- 2015 — Moscow International Foto Awards. First Place – Nature – Trees; Three Honorable Mentions in the Nature and Abstract Categories
- 2015 — International Photography Awards. Honorable Mentions – Fine Art-Landscape; Nature-Landscapes
- 2015 — Siena International Photography Awards. Finalist, Landscapes
- 2015 — Marin County Fair. All-Around Best Print of Show; First Place – Monochrome; First Place – Creative-Alternate; Special Landscape Award; Three Honorable Mentions
- 2015 — PX3. Honorable Mention
- 2015 — Golden Camera Awards. First Place – Landscape
- 2014 — Stark Awards. Honorable Mention – Zen / Minimalism
- 2014 — International Photography Awards. Honorable Mentions – Fine Art-Landscape; Fine Art-Other, Nature-Landscapes
- 2014 — Marin County Fair. 1st Place Ribbon, Special Category, State Parks; Honorable Mention, Creative
- 2014 — PX3. Honorable Mention, Collage
- 2013 — International Photography Awards. Honorable Mention – Deeper Perspective
- 2013 — Marin County Fair. 2nd Place Ribbon, Monochrome, Honorable Mention, Monochrome
- 2012 — International Photography Awards. Honorable Mentions – Fine Art, Portrait & Fine Art, Landscape
Published
- 2021 — (Print) Agenda Magazine Vol 54 Nos. 1-2 (2 images)
- 2020 — (Print) Spirited Stone: Lessons from Kubota’s Garden (10 images)
- 2019 — (Print) NSEW, Issue 2 / Fall/Winter 2019 (images and interview)
- 2019 — (Online) Dodho Magazine – Interview
- 2019 — (Print) Cover Art for In the Half Light by Peter Weltner
- 2019 — (Print) Cover Art for Vespers on Point Reyes by Peter Weltner
- 2019 — (Print) Old-Growth by Peter Weltner (7 poems) and Nathan Wirth (7 tipped-in photos) — Limited Edition (100), Hardbound, Signed Book published by Marrowstone Press (for sale on this website)
- 2019 — (Print) Black & White 2019 – Best photographers of the Year (Published by Dodho Magazine)
- 2019 — (Print) Cover Art for Nietzsche and Other Buddhas: Philosophy after Comparative Philosophy by Jason Wirth
- 2019 — (Print) Cover Art for Reoccupy Earth: Notes Toward an Other Beginning by David Wood
- 2019 — (Print & PDF) “Learning to See by Letting Go” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
- 2019 — (Print & PDF) “Wabi-sabi: Cultivating an Appreciation for and an Expression of What Is There” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
- 2019 — (Print & PDF) “The Sea is “in” the Waters of the Ocean” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
- 2019 — (Print & PDF) “Ma” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
- 2018 — (Print & PDF) “Mushin: Slicing through the Silence” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
- 2018 — (Print) Cover Art for The North (Juno Award winning jazz album by David Braid, Mike Murley, Johnny Aman, Anders Morgensen)
- 2018 — (Print) Cover Art for Andre Kunz’s Jazz Release Silence
- 2017 — (Online) Dodho Magazine — Twilight by the Sea(sons)
- 2017 — (Online) Dodho Magazine – Interview
- 2017 — (Print) Black & White 2017 – Best photographers of the Year (Published by Dodho Magazine)
- 2017 — (Print) Cover Art for Mountains, Rivers, and the Great Earth: Reading Gary Snyder and Dogen in an Age of Ecological Crisis by Jason Wirth
- 2017 — (Print) Four images used in Engaging Dogen’s Zen: The Philosophy of Practice as Awakening edited by Tetsuzen Jason M. Wirth, Shudo Brian Schroeder, Kanpu Bret W. Davis
- 2017 — (Print) The Light of the Sun Becomes the Sea, a collaboration with poet Peter Weltner, a book of poems (4 images)
- 2017 — (Online) Dodho Magazine (Infrared Silence)
- 2016 — (Online) Petapixel (Imaginations)
- 2016 — (Print) Buddhadharma Magazine
- 2016 — (PDF) The Black and White Landscape Companion Book (interview and images)
- 2016 — (Print) Lion’s Roar Magazine
- 2016 — (PDF) Pentaprism Magazine #13 (interview, cover image, and images)
- 2015 — (Print) Korean Translation of Living This Life Fully: Stories and Teachings of Munindra by Mirka Knaster (published by Alchemist Books in South Korea) 15 of my images used
- 2015 — (PDF) Blur Magazine
- 2015 — (PDF) Shades of Grey: Fine Art Photography Magazine
- 2015 — (Online) Mother Nature Network (Infrared Silence)
- 2015 — (Online) C|Net (Imaginations)
- 2015 — (Online) Seeing Neon: Art | Technology | Design (Imaginations)
- 2015 — (Online) Dodho Magazine (Suburban Observations)
- 2015 — (PDF) Square Magazine Imaginations
- 2015 — (Print) Stone Altars, a collaboration with poet Peter Weltner, a book of poems with 8 images.
- 2015 — (Online) Dodho Magazine, April 2015 (Suburban Observations)
- 2015 — (Print) Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality, Spring 2015, Vol. 15, Number 1 (1 image)
- 2015 — (PDF) Pentaprism Magazine, March 2015
- 2014 — (Online) Poetry / Photography collaboration with poet Peter Weltner, the light ekphrastic, August 2014
- 2014 — (PDF) Photograph (Interview and Feature), 2014
- 2013 — (Print & PDF) Plus One Collection: Volume Three
- 2013 — (Print) Art Booklet and Cover for Nimmons’n’Braid – Suite St. John’s: Falling Through, 2013
- 2013 — Poster Art for the Balagula Theatre (Lexington, Kentucky) production of E.G.O. : The Passions of Eugene Gladstone O’Neill, 2013
- 2012 — (Print & PDF) Plus One Collection: Volume Two
- 2012 — Cover Art for David Braid, Verge (winner of the Juno Award), 2012
- 2011 — (Print & PDF) Plus One Collection: Volume One
Online Galleries
Social Networking
Camera Equipment Used
Nathan uses cameras and lenses and filters and a tripod and a bag and a printer and paper and processing software and some other stuff.