TOM GUGLER

Tom Gugler is a fine art and commercial photographer whose work explores his connection to the natural landscape and honors indigenous peoples and cultures of the American West. 

Originally from rural southern Oregon, Tom moved to the Los Angeles area to attend Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 1986. His relocation to one of the most densely populated and developed urban regions in the world has made him value the ties to the land he gained during his upbringing. This has been the focus of his photography for the last three decades, and his personal work highlights the pristine beauty of the natural landscape, while drawing attention to the forces that threaten it. This is also the basis for his photography of Indigenous people on their land as seen in Faces of the Earth — a long-term project which seeks to raise awareness about the challenges that first peoples face in maintaining a connection to their land and traditions today.

Tom returned to Art Center as an instructor in 2006, where he continues to inspire students with his passion for traditional film black and white photographic techniques.