Toni Parras has a hungry eye that has taken her around the world to capture her images. Her particular passion is hand-painted black-and-white photography, with subjects ranging from landscapes to noir-style portraits. Images are printed on black-and-white photographic paper and then hand-colored using a combination of oil paints, chalks, pastels, watercolors, dyes, and/or pencils (no digital manipulation).

Her early career in the motion picture, television and print industries included work on movies, television shows, fashion shoots and wildlife documentaries. (She met her husband on a movie set!) Credits include stints with National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet, ABC, BBC, “The Today Show,” “America's Most Wanted,” “Saturday Night! Live,” films with Academy Award winners, and more.

Toni's award-winning photography has been published internationally, commissioned by individuals, government agencies and private museums, exhibited in galleries and other public venues around the world, and appeared in movies and books. Her love for the ocean ultimately drew her to work in marine and nature conservation. Now she has come full circle, combining her love of nature and her passion for art.

In her own words:

When I am first composing and then later painting one of my photographs, I am transported to another world where anything is possible. I sometimes stay true to the actual color of the subject, while other times I take a large artistic leap, with fantastical or moody colors to portray something ethereal. 

I hope my artwork using this unique technique captures your heart and mind as it has done mine. Please contact me with any inquiries, or just to say hi!