Artist Statement

I am intent on documenting all the wildlife I can as I doubt many of these magnificent animals will be here when my grandsons are old enough to appreciate them. That is especially true of those animals that are currently endangered or, like the bison and bald eagle, have been snatched from the brink of extinction. I am particularly alarmed by the 2 billion reduction in the North American bird population since I was a kid. The majority of wildlife worldwide are in a terribly fragile state with climate change, habitat loss, priorities on lumber and mining industries, human negligence, and indifference.

I retired from a private psychotherapy practice in 2006, but have been a passionate photographer since 1969, and attended the Colorado Institute of Art in commercial photography in 1981-82. Now all my attention is on photography, and even with decades of experience, I continue to learn and grow as an artist. My focus is not only on wildlife but also on indigenous people around the world. I am not only collecting images but amazing experiences and stories that hopefully will remain alive after I am gone.

Plans for New Work

Before the Pandemic I was traveling Internationally 3-4 times a year. At 75 years old I am acutely aware of my window of opportunity closing. I have been vaccinated and have trips planned all the way through 2022. To keep up my skills I am shooting a lot of local birds, getting some of my best shots at my backyard bird feeder.

Planned Exhibitions

I am doing a joint project with Beatriz Bearden, a painter in Spain who is painting half a dozen of my photographs of Buddhist monastic life in S.E. Asia. We plan to do a joint exhibition of this work in Catalonia. 

I am also the featured photographer for Shizen photo magazine, July 2021.

News of Interest

Although I have kept my current website under the domain name of DenverPhotography.com, I moved from Colorado to Whidbey Island in Washington state in October 2020. I now live on two acres surrounded by woods, and regularly being visited by deer. I have a small pond inhabited by ducks and noisy frogs. I have two busy bird feeders, including year around hummingbirds. I plan to build a photo studio on the property for when I become less ambulatory as I age, and stop traveling.

See more of Michael’s work and get in touch with him, by clicking on the links below:

Website: http://DenverPhotography.com

Flickr: @holtby

Instagram: @Denver_Mike