Consequences of Fatali incident in Large Format Posted May 5, 2001 I am not a photographer so I cannot comment on Michael�s �technical� abilities. But I am a close friend and I can comment on Michael the man and I do know how Michael makes his photographs, having been in the field with him many times. Michael does NOT use artificial light, he has always said he doesn�t have to, that there is nothing that can improve what God has created. Michael packs an 80-90lb. pack into the most remote places, then he waits, sometimes days, or he returns over and over and over again. He is intimate with the places he photographs, he knows them through all the seasons, he loves them deeply. And that is what he is trying to portray, the magnificence of the land and how it touches his soul. Yes, Michael �runs� a business, but he doesn�t care about the money, what he does care about is sharing his passion. This is not just hype, this is the absolute truth. I worked for Michael last fall in his gallery in Springdale and even I was amazed at the impact his photographs had on the people who walked into his gallery. Because of the proximity to Zion Nat�l Park, people from all over the world visited the gallery, many had heard of Michael, but I would say most just discovered him for the first time. No one was untouched. All you have to do is stand in front of one of his images and you can see his soul. He has nothing to hide. He writes what he feels- no, he is not an accomplished author, he never went to school to learn to write, all he can do is express what is in his heart. He is totally honest, totally real, he doesn�t know how to be any other way. The incident at Arches has devastated him. He is the last person who would intentionally damage the land, the mission of his life is to preserve and protect and to share. From the very beginning he has taken total responsibility for his actions, he has spent hours with the NPS answering questions, trying to work with them to rectify what happened. I don�t understand all this negative energy that is directed at him, especially by people who don�t know him. Why is it that some people need to tear others down to feel good about themselves. Michael has never attacked another photographer, never criticized their work, and especially never attacked them personally. All he wants to do is let his work speak for him, and it does, straight to your heart if you�re willing to listen.
Consequences of Fatali incident
in Large Format
Posted
I am not a photographer so I cannot comment on Michael�s �technical�
abilities. But I am a close friend and I can comment on Michael the
man and I do know how Michael makes his photographs, having been in
the field with him many times. Michael does NOT use artificial
light, he has always said he doesn�t have to, that there is nothing
that can improve what God has created. Michael packs an 80-90lb.
pack into the most remote places, then he waits, sometimes days, or
he returns over and over and over again. He is intimate with the
places he photographs, he knows them through all the seasons, he
loves them deeply. And that is what he is trying to portray, the
magnificence of the land and how it touches his soul. Yes,
Michael �runs� a business, but he doesn�t care about the money, what
he does care about is sharing his passion. This is not just hype,
this is the absolute truth. I worked for Michael last fall in his
gallery in Springdale and even I was amazed at the impact his
photographs had on the people who walked into his gallery. Because
of the proximity to Zion Nat�l Park, people from all over the world
visited the gallery, many had heard of Michael, but I would say most
just discovered him for the first time. No one was untouched. All
you have to do is stand in front of one of his images and you can see
his soul. He has nothing to hide. He writes what he feels- no, he
is not an accomplished author, he never went to school to learn to
write, all he can do is express what is in his heart. He is totally
honest, totally real, he doesn�t know how to be any other way. The
incident at Arches has devastated him. He is the last person who
would intentionally damage the land, the mission of his life is to
preserve and protect and to share. From the very beginning he has
taken total responsibility for his actions, he has spent hours with
the NPS answering questions, trying to work with them to rectify what
happened. I don�t understand all this negative energy that is
directed at him, especially by people who don�t know him. Why is it
that some people need to tear others down to feel good about
themselves. Michael has never attacked another photographer, never
criticized their work, and especially never attacked them
personally. All he wants to do is let his work speak for him, and it
does, straight to your heart if you�re willing to listen.