about

Hello.
My name is Michael. Thanks for checking out my work and reading my thoughts….
I am a freelance photographer, filmmaker, music producer/engineer, and creative consultant.

Born in Chicago and now living on the West Coast in magical Topanga CA, I’m grateful for my midwestern roots and sunny future.
Though most of my work is now based in Southern California, I’m very open to freelancing anywhere there are good people to meet and compelling stories to tell.

My visual work always seems to circle back to photographing architecture and landscapes, but I am currently a bit more focused on video and drone projects, experimental portraiture, personal art projects, and commissioned pieces.

When I’m not “working”/creating, I’m usually hiking, camping, meditating, and missing a Malamute friend in Chicago. I am often listening to mood or location based playlists on repeat but have a wide range of tastes, especially when it comes to work projects; I don’t have to love each thing as it begins to evolve, I just need it to reach its full potential.
Sometimes that requires that I’m very involved in the cultivation process, and others it just means staying out of the way and providing the garden space for an artist to help themself grow.

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ARchive of artwork/personal projects

i produce a lot of work for clients, and some for myself. I am often finding odd moments and dark scenes, using roughed up negatives, amplifying digital errors and analog anomalies; aLL while attempting to tell stories through silent songs.

Limited edition prints are available for hundreds of images from the last 15 years.

thanks for checking out my work!

view full archives

connections through pixels and waveforms

Much of my music production and video work involves painstakingly building something over a period of time, while my photography and visual artwork is often rooted in improvisation and reaction.
But for every project It’s typically important to get to know clients/places/songs/subjects/ideas in advance. Sometimes improvising without prep is the right choice, but Investing time in the right amount of preparation and pre-production typically leads to higher quality and more authentic photos/music/art/assets. Artistic trust is a two way street that often needs more than a day to be built.

let's connect

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Internal Roadmaps

Though I have said goodbye to some past clients and styles of work, and my home town, I am grateful for each life event and each person and each moment I encountered. Those warm experiences and fun challenges have shaped who I am and how i approach new projects and adventures.

There are so many old and new stories that humans have to tell, and I love getting to spend all my time helping to translate them into meaningful images and other works of art.

When creating very personal projects, it can be difficult to choose a creative media maker to collaborate with. if you think I may be a good fit for your project/idea, let’s meet up and share plans and ideas.

project inquiries