Photographer's Profile

Mike DeCesare

ProPhotoNorthwest, United States

"Photography is my first language, and I speak softly with color, light and tone. I alone capture and develop every digital negative, taking precaution to do-no-harm and leave-no-trace in the environment." Mike DeCesare fuses a formal academic training from the New York Institute of Photography with his passion and respect for nature, to produce work that interprets a world where nature and people interact and co-exist, to produce emotional connections that live within and project outside the borders of a framed world. His work is inspired by the words of the Native American Chief Seattle: “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” Mike’s love for photography dates back to childhood, when he would take pictures with a fixed-lens camera, develop the film, and print with a traditional enlarger. When technology matured sufficiently, Mike transitioned to digital photography. Mike's work has been honored many times, including in 2022: Light, Space & Time Gallery, 1st Place Photography and 1st Place Overall for "Storm at Sea." 2021: August, “Glacier National Park”, Judges Award and cash prize at Art on the Green, in Coeur ‘d Alene, Idaho; October, “Valley of the Rocks”, Certificate of Excellence by the Circle Arts Foundation, Lyon, France; and November, “Kootenai Falls”, Nominee Award, 16th Annual International Black & White Spider Awards. Mike lives in Spokane, Washington, but travels and images principally throughout the West.