Expert Profiles

Michael Hill

Portrait, Urban, B&W Photographer

Michael Hill's photography feels effortless, as dreams are effortless, transporting us back to a time when the visions of our youth were not so broken. His evocative work draws heavily on his roots, shot mostly on trips back to his hometown of New Orleans. His subject matter leans toward the derelict and abandoned and focuses on the darker, more destructive side of the human landscape, yet his style is crisp and clear. The juxtaposition of subject to style creates the first pull of tension when viewing his work. Color choices create the second.

Hill works first with a black and white or monochromatic palette, accentuating the abandoned or broken nature of much of what he shoots, whether man made structures or natural environments. Then within that desaturated world, he often places color back into the landscape. Not everywhere but in selective moments, in selected objects. The end result creates a moment of clarity within the broader sense of isolation. In many ways, Hill’s images are like memories. It's as if he is looking back on a past that is long forgotten, to a moment in which one object, or one feeling stood out above all others.

Mike’s work has been featured in numerous international magazines, galleries and exhibitions all over the globe.

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All images © Michael Hill