About The Artist Michael is originally from upstate New York where he was born and raised. As a child, he first became interested in photography from his father's photos of Fort Ontario, taken with the family Polaroid Land camera. This is where he learned about photographic composition. Michael has studied photography formally at Syracuse University and UC Berkeley. He credits his mentors Stephan Shaner, Jerry Ott and Wayne Miller for their wealth of knowledge and support. Inspired by a trip to Yosemite in 2004, a lifelong dream was fulfilled when he moved to California in 2005. Michael currently  resides in Benicia, California. From The Artist When I was a child, I remember looking at two enormous family photo albums. The first one was my parents' photographic history of black and white photos. Toward the end of the second album, there were pictures of my sisters and me. Somehow, I remember feeling cheated because most of the photos of me were in color and not in that magical black and white. Unfortunately, many old family photos have become lost or damaged and perhaps their history or memories along with them. With the help of today’s technology, however, many of these prints can be restored along with their meaning and memories. I have personally restored photos and find it challenging but extremely rewarding and gratifying.   It is possible that the photographs that I create may have great significance and historic meaning for families and future generations. Now how cool is that! This awareness causes me to continuously strive for perfection and to increase my skills as a photographer. I always try to visualize an image in my mind before I pick up the camera. Capturing the "vision" is often difficult when working in an uncontrolled environment. When I am able to create an image that I first saw in my mind, I'm filled with a great sense of accomplishment. I find this process a constant challenge because my self-expectations are always increasing. The most important picture anyone can create is their own self image. What you create on the inside you will attract on the outside. - Michael Malerba