It started with a dog
I'm Mike, when my dog was getting older, I became obsessed with getting photos of him that were true to life. I spent years tuning the tones and colours, as well as investing in equipment that goes well beyond the industry standards.
I was laughed at by other photographers who considered this all to be ridiculous over-investments to capture "just a dog", but I understood the importance of what I was doing. I wanted to be transported back to exactly those moments with him.
ABOUT ME
MY GOAL
Why I do this
I lost my boy Kane in July 2024. I know how important memories are. It wasn't until 2025 that I turned this passion into something bigger. There's not a day that passes without missing him, but I have no regrets. I'm left with endless albums of the highest-quality photos, and that's something I'll never take for granted.
MY PHILOSOPHY
Social Media can be a circus. The photography industry can also be performative because of it. Where photographers feel the pressure to chase algorithms and trends to be relevant. Social media personalities felt inauthentic to me, so I decided not to chase the algorithms but instead chase photography that's evergreen. Where the guiding principle remembering something honestly, rather than dressing it up.
Radical authenticity
MY BACKGROUND
My background
With over 22 years behind the camera and receiving advanced training in both photography and cinematography through Shane Hurlbut’s Filmmakers Academy, Profoto's Academy & workshops, as well as Edinburgh’s colleges and universities, I’ve learned to meet the high standards of film on carefully controlled sets, without losing sight of practicality.
I learned to balance the standards set by film, with the whirlwind of novel environments in photography.
Every environment in photography is unique and it requires training that allows the photographer to think on their feet to calculate where the best photographs can be made. A great photo is the culmination of managing lighting, poses and composition, and knowing which combination of hundreds of different factors in each of those areas work well in what conditions. No shoot is the same, but a great photographer will always be able to turn the unique into something beautiful and memorable.
