Paul Kurek, a Chicago based photographer, graduated with a degree in Chemistry. His background as a Senior Research Scientist for an International and Fortune 500 company helped Mr. Kurek achieve 27 United States Patents and six publications for inventions and processes related to petroleum technology. For four of those years, he was the editor and chief of his companies Research and Development newsletter where he gained experience in layout, publishing, and graphic design. In transitioning from chemistry to photography, he started as a wedding photographer for Fred Fox Studios in Chicago, Illinois and now concentrates his talent as a portrait artist and commercial photographer for his own company, Out-A-Site Images in Barrington, Illinois. Mr. Kurek has studied with many well-known photographers throughout his photographic journey such as Frank Cricchio, Dean Collins, Fred English, Clay Taylor, Don Blair, Dan Anderson, Howard Bond, Art Ketchum, Monte Zucker, Elizabeth Happe, and Scott Kelby covering the areas of commercial and product photography, traditional and digital retouching and restoration, food photography, model and acting portfolios, fine art photography and architectural interiors and exteriors. He was an assistant instructor to Jeff Graves at Winona's Professional School of Photography in background design. He has won numerous awards and photographed notable celebrities such as the Mayors of Lake Zurich, Cary, and Brookfield, Illinois, along with former anchor for Channel 2 News, Bill Curtis, Jack Brickhouse, Charles Percy, Michael Jordan, and former Illinois State Treasurer Judy Barr Topinka.
“I would characterize my photography style as being creative, meeting and overcoming challenges, and striving for uniqueness and perfection. I infuse human emotion into my subject matter while simultaneously capturing a moment in time for everyone to enjoy. I love making that magic happen! I am guided everyday by the saying:
‘It’s not your aptitude but your attitude that determines your altitude”.”