MEET MICHAEL
I didn't initially set out to be a portrait photographer—although I've always made portraits.
I was an English major in college and a journalist thereafter. But my father had a darkroom in the house I grew up in, and he taught me early on how to develop negatives and print photographs. I've always loved the magic of it.
ABOUT MY STYLE
People always ask me, "What's the difference between a portrait and just a great snapshot?" The answer is something I've come to understand more fully over time.
A snapshot captures a moment in time. It anchors a person in a place. They are fun to look at and they bring back memories about that time and place.
A portrait, on the other hand, is more mysterious. It's more like a painting in that you can look at it longer. It draws you in and you can see something different each time you view it.
Portraits don't happen by accident.
I'm not hoping to get lucky and capture a split-second moment. Preparation, experience, and patience--along with creating a relationship during our time together--enables me to capture more than someone's likeness. I work to capture the individual's truth.
No matter the subject, the process is the same. We get to know each other. I discover the story inside the person. Everything I do is aimed at creating the kind of portrait that someone will want to look at forever.
PORTRAITS OF PETS & THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM
I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Let me know what you are thinking about and I will be happy to get back to you. If you leave a phone number I will try and call you. So if you put 973-783-3618 in your 'good list' I will call you back.