Edward:  Hello Michael, welcome to Connex247 family! Tell us about your hometown and heritage

Michael: I was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, on the island of St. Thomas.  When I was 9 years old my family and I moved to Milwaukee. Although I only lived in St Thomas for the first 9 years of my life I distinctly remember, as I now look back, one of the most influential parts of my life: the annual Carnival. 

Masses of costumed people (including myself) would decorate floats and themselves with elaborate color.  I can hardly remember much more than that, but as I look over my artwork and style of photography, I see resemblance of that colorful childhood spend participating in the Carnival.

Edward:  How, why and when did you get started in Photography?

Michael:  As a child, I was very interested in painting, drawing and photography.  At the age of 16, I started photographing models for the local agency: Jennifer’s Talent.  After high school I tried attended MIAD, however I never felt that form of art genuinely fit me quite like photography did.

Edward:  Tell us about your experience  working with modeling agencies

Michael:  I learned that every agency has a different opinion and sometimes they don’t even know what they want but they know the general direction that they want to go in. Agencies will let you know when you have it.

Edward:   What do you look most when selecting models to shoot?

Michael:  Good bone structure and a face that shows character. A combination of: good looks and a distinctive unparalleled trait something that is unique.  A good attitude, open mind, patients and a willingness to learn.

Edward:  Helping models with their careers, how do you feel about that?

Michael: To me helping prospective models is just me, helping people find their identity.  Getting them to do and be what they’ve always wanted to do.

Edward:  Special moment when you’ve felt that you just captured a picture perfect…. Share this passion with us. How does this special moment happen?

Michael:  Discovering a new face, and after looking at the proofs of our very first shoot, I saw one shoot that I just FELT. Trying to recreate that same shoot and not being able to do so, that was a special moment the shoot that can never be recreated.

Edward:  Do you believe that in society we live “image worth more than a thousands words”?

Michael: I feel that with every picture that you observe, we bring to it what we are experiencing in our own life.  If you just broke up with you boyfriend/girlfriend, and you look a photograph of a girl sitting alone and looking somber, you would think that she is upset about a breakup, just like you are.  However I feel truly great photography tells you what words to think and feel, you need not even guess.  So yes and no, a picture can be worth more that a thousand words, but it need not be.

Edward:  5 fantastic places around the world for a shooting, which ones would you choose and why?

Michael:  Italy, there is just great architecture, and the canals evoke intense mood. Miami, for the art deco, beaches and it’s all around multitude of options.  Milwaukee, of course, the city has really been growing into it’s own over that last few years. With its continuous new developments shooting on the same street more than once never looks the same! We have it all, the beach, the city and rustic farmland that can make a shoot look like you’ve traveled across the country to complete. Bangkok, I just have this thing about the oriental look, I can’t really describe why. Virgin Islands, the water is radiantly blue and the sand is a snow white, the contrast alone is beautiful.

Edward:  If a model wants to work with you, how do they get in touch? And what advice would you give to models and to the aspiring ones?

Michael:  I can be contacted at the following websites:
 http://www.figureinform.com
 http://modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=375245
 http://www.myspace.com/80006516

Talk with many agencies, LISTEN to them carefully because they know what the clients want and will pay for. Models come and go however the clients do not. You as the model are expendable, so don’t screw up with that client, the agency will drop you before any client!

Edward:  What message would you like to leave my Connex247 readers from all around the world?  And what are your future plans?

Michael:  Find and follow your roots, just I like I did: the Carnival still inspires me and my work.  The modeling industry is a genuinely a hard industry to get into, there is no manual!

The best friend you can have in this industry is a photographer, work with that photographer, they know what the clients want and will pay for.