Josef Höflehner was born in 1955 in Wels, Austria, when the country was still under Allied occupation. He grew up in a family where the camera was used so infrequently that at least three Christmas parties were on the same roll of film. Although Austria could boast of impressive mountains and vast natural landscapes, it had no coastlines, deserts, or empty spaces where the horizon could be seen untouched. At the age of 20, Höflehner bought a camera and began traveling. He received a photography award early in his career that opened doors for him professionally, and he has continued developing his career with incredible success.

Each of Höflehner’s photographs achieves a perfection of composition that seems to challenge the possibility of viewing it any other way. Passionate about solitude and the unexpected natural beauty that Josef captures, Höflehner’s photographs elevate earthly subjects to a nearly mythical level, defining the essence of the place. In these rare and hard-to-reach moments, the natural and the artificial come together in a poetic play of light and shadow, emptiness and structure. Through his images, he transports us to a new level of observation, exposing us to a world where chance and an underlying natural order coexist with our built environment.

Höflehner’s exquisite silver gelatin prints can be found in an increasing number of public, private, and corporate collections worldwide. Notable collections include Polo Ralph Lauren, AT&T, Fidelity Investments, the French banking giant Société Générale, and GAP/Banana Republic. Josef has exhibited around the world, was chosen as the Nature Photographer of the Year in 2007.