Mike with Nikon D300 in 2008

My true passion in photography is the beauty and majesty of wild places. On weekends and vacations I have participated in a broad range of outdoor sports including mountaineering, skiing, hiking and kayaking to name a few. This has allowed me the privilege of photographing in many truly spectacular natural environments. My goal is to capture the interplay of light in nature and I love saturated colors in scenes ranging from moody intimate landscapes to sweeping scenic vistas. I try to find unique images of light on the land that convey my feeling for the beauty of the place. Most of my favorite photos were taken during "magic hour" at sunrise and sunset. Since switching to digital my range of subject mater has expanded to include a wide range of natural and man made objects both outdoors and in the studio. In all of my work I have maintained the same love of strong graphic elements and saturated colors.

I am completely self taught as a photographer although I have been strongly influenced by the work of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, David Muench, and Galen Rowell. My style is some combination of what I have learned from their work plus my own personal experience and vision.

Mike at White Sands with Zone VI 4x5 in 1994

I got my first 35 mm camera in high school over thirty years ago and have been an avid photographer ever since. I have shot with many types of cameras over the years from 4x5 view cameras to inexpensive point & shoots. In 2005 I bought ny first digital SLR and have been shooting almost exclusively digital ever since.

I have a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois and a MS in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico. I currently live near Seattle, Washington with my wife, Sandy, and our two cats. Since grad school my 'regular job' has been working as an engineer or engineering manager for a number of companies in the Seattle area.

Mike in booth at Edmonds Art Fair

My photography career has so far been strictly a part time business. I sold my first photographs to a national magazine over thirty years ago and I have sold prints at galleries and art fairs in the Puget Sound region for more than fifteen years. I have also won awards in several local photography shows. My primary concentration has been wilderness and garden photography. Since switching to digital I have expanded my portfolio to include a wide range of natural and man made subjects. My current catalog includes over 5,000 images from the western United States and Canada with the majority being from the Pacific Northwest. Most of my photographs are now either digital originals or digital scans from 35 mm transparencies.