Mike MacDonald is making a name for himself, not by traveling and recording the world's most exotic places, but by creating stunning images of the natural beauty near his Chicago area home. Mike is capable of finding a wealth of beauty in the simplest and most everyday of subjects without having to travel to every corner of the earth.
With degrees in mathematics and physics combined with careers as a scientific programmer, professional comedian, and entrepreneur, Mike brings an uncommon assortment of left and right brain functions to his photography.
His first submission ever landed his images and story in the prestigious national magazine, Outdoor Photographer. Since that time, Mike's work has been published extensively, including Petersen's Photographic and, from cover to cover, in Chicago Wilderness Magazine. In 1999, the book American Vision featured Mike as one of America's top new nature and wildlife photographers.
Though he has a very lively and entertaining personality, Mike exhibits extraordinary patience and tenacity when creating his images. Spending several uneventful hours in his wildlife blind kneeling waste-deep in water or waiting an hour-and-a-half for a cloud to pass perfectly into position are quite common experiences.
This patience, hard work, and attention to detail and simplicity is revealed in photographs that are often compared to paintings. Just as paintings depict a perfect moment from the heart and imagination of the artist, a Mike MacDonald photograph communicates the perfection and emotion of a real life moment in time.
With zen-like simplicity, Mike's images speak passionately for his love of the natural world.