Michael has deeply and obsessively explored, hiked, climbed, and photographed the deserts of California and the American Southwest for over 25 years, seeking nature’s wisdom, transcendental experiences, and utter silence. He believes that the best work always begins with inspiration, good ideas, and devoted intention. He will discuss his decades of photographic work on American deserts and will detail how thematic work and projects have been transformative to his artistic experience. During the second half of his presentation, Michael will demonstrate how he takes his images from RAW files to fine art prints and will provide practical suggestions to apply in your workflow.

BIO: Michael E. Gordon is an award-winning photographic artist best known for his black and white images from California’s deserts which, said Broughton Quarterly, portray “stunning ethereal beauty from terrain where others see only a bleak landscape.” A lifelong student of nature and wilderness adventurer, Michael’s intimate relationship with the natural world results in quiet images of depth and discovery. His relationship with and photography of America’s deserts spans more than 25 years.

Michael's work has been widely published, exhibited, and collected and can be found in the private collections of the United States Embassy, Kaiser Permanente; Milken Family Foundation; The Wilderness Society, and many others. His photographs and articles have been in LensWork, Outdoor Photographer, B+W Photography (UK); Elements; Medium Format; On Landscape (UK); View Camera; Rangefinder; Broughton Quarterly; Arte Fotográfico, Backpacker; and many more. His work has been awarded by the International Photography Awards, Prix de la Photographie Paris, and Black White Spider Awards.

Michael lives in Southern California with his wife Shauna.