Pat Kofahl

Get to know

Pat Kofahl

I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. It probably comes from the joy of reading; of amazing adventures, wild imagination, incredible stories of the real, the possible, the improbable. Images are also a powerful story-telling medium. They not only convey massive amounts of information at a glance, they can subtlety convey context in such a nuanced way that the shift of an eyebrow or a change in posture can communicate an entire story in an instant. An arrangement of seemingly random objects can communicate a startling truth, simply in their juxtaposition.

As a military brat I’ve grown up across the world, and been exposed to pretty diverse cultural influences, including living in the Midwest, the deep South, then moving to Saigon and attending a French school in the early 50’s. Next, back to the U.S. in DC, off to Hong Kong for several years and a British school, followed by a posting in the Bay Area in Marin County, then the wine country, and off to the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era at 17.

Traveling is in my blood, and I’m fascinated by the diversity of cultures and peoples I have encountered across the globe, from Vietnam to Hong Kong, to Paris, Venice and Dubai. The world’s a big place, and I’m so glad that the 150,000 images I have taken over the years are there to remind me of all the places I have visited, and the people I’ve met.

Photography has also, I hope, made me a more critical observer, more aware of the little things I might otherwise overlook; aware of the changing of the seasons, sun and moonrise and the setting of the same. I’ve become more conscious of my environment, and also now look at both scenes and issues from multiple points of view; in other words, more tolerant. That’s very exciting to me.

I love to share my images, and have worked hard at my craft for a number of years, learning the intricacies of multiple camera systems, new technologies, printing, workflows and color theory. This hopefully allows me to present a more cohesive product. I do everything – from concept, to acquiring the images, color correction and printing on canvas and paper – as well as specifying frames and mats for archival custom framing, the completion of which is executed by my immensely talented staff, which has my back, and allows me to do what I love so much.