Michael is a Michigan native that wanted nothing more than any other kid experiencing a disconnect from midwestern civilization - AN ESCAPE. During his early teenage years, he identified with everything that emulated West Coast culture: Fashion, skating, surfing, music, and mentality. Football games, The Boy Scouts, and sitting around idly in his friends’ basement throughout the blistering cold months of winter never did it for him - until he took his first photography class sophomore year of high school.
At 15 years-old in, Michael officially started his career in photography. His first digital camera was a Nikon D3100, a gift for his intro to photography class. After school, he would wander the backyard capturing a mélange of still life and landscape. Homework was replaced by his dedicated critiques of each image in the camera’s library. This newfound passion gradually pushed the budding creative out of his introverted shell - he found purpose and power behind the lens.
Michael graduated his 15-year tenure at The Detroit Country Day College Prep Schools and was ready for life's next chapter on the West Coast. He had his cameras and equipment packed before anything else while anticipating his flight out to California to attend Chapman University in the Fall of 14'. His dream had come true, and the journey to the West Coast was only beginning.
As Michael was kicking off his collegiate career, he also founded his own clothing brand, MCII CLOTHING, while simultaneously improving his skills as a street photographer. Along with being recruited for various projects by friends and colleagues, he practiced his passion for shooting his own content and products for the brand. Everything was led by Michael from creation to direction to delivery. His work attracted the attention of artists, shops, collectives, and brands like Delicious Vinyl, 23FIFTN, House of the Arts, Asa Butterfield, Bloody Gums, Think Tank Gallery, Superchief Gallery, Virgil Normal, Arcana Book of the Arts, and many more. He grew a following for his photos and products from his room in Orange, CA, to greater LA, to over 20 international countries and cities.
