Tedd Pruess was born 1962 in Colorado. Since an early age photography has always played a large part of his life. Preuss is self-taught, but has refined his art with a few courses on the technical aspects of photography. As a long time architectural photographer in San Francisco, Pruess was looking for an outlet for his creativity. However, it was only recently in Chicago where he resides now that he was able to achieve a long-time goal to pursue fine art. Pruess draws inspiration from vintage and classical art. Consequently the images he captures have a distinct vintage feel about them, dreamlike and mysterious.

The other half of the photographic process - the technique and especially the printing - is as important to me as practice of relating to my subjects. I chose platinum/palladium as a medium for its distinct vintage quality and archival properties for this vision. Platinum/palladium images reveal shadows and dark values beautifully; the blacks become a force of nature.


Introduction to Series

My images are not portraits - they are studies - yet they radiate the individuality of my subjects through their emotion-laced gestures. My studies blend formal and sensual qualities, but they do not reside merely in the middle of the conventional spectrum - the women whom I represent exist for themselves.

With this series Simple Beauty, my aim was to capture the elegance and grace of the female spirit. To share in their natural beauty and mystery of being, yet, secretly wishing to leave traces of their identity forever.

Neither impersonally abstract nor sexually inciting, my images represents subjects in moments of their own integrity; we are invited to appreciate them and to affirm them as they affirm themselves, but we are not moved to disturb them.