Though you might see his signature in the corner of a photograph of a black bear cub in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Paul Hassell isn't strictly a photographer. Paul is in the light business.

An entrepreneur since the age of fifteen, a lover of solitude, and a loyal friend, Paul defies convention at every turn. You won't walk away from a conversation with him thinking how little you know about the nature of visible light. You'll walk away with the sense that Paul is doing what he was created to do. This at-home-ness in himself and his craft becomes a kind of permission for others to find their vocations and live them.

In his words: “I want to live a life that's open and honest. If I'm consistent, then my photography will speak this same language.”

Paul found what makes him tick and organized his life around that calling. He designed his own major at The University of TN: Freelance Photography and Writing for the Natural Environment. That's a mouthful. He's a member of Climb for Captives and Board Member of the Great Smoky Mountains Conservation Association. But the credentials matter less to him than sharing the profound experience. He points the way to a bigger truth and deeper reality.

Paul grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and married his best friend Nora in 2011. They have four little blonde adventurers.

Paul has been published in National Parks Magazine, Time-Life, Nature's Best, National Wildlife, and National Geographic books.

Click HERE for a special interview with Paul by RootsRated.