Me today
A very very young version of me 1984
Photo courtsey Dennis "the menace "Goddard 1985
THE PERSONA BEHIND THE LENS:
Introduction
Mike was South African photojournalist/photographer covering news events conflict during South Africa,s turbelant times .Mike now lives in the U.K. Although he no longer covers news events his passion for photography has never waved and is still out there taking pictures. " I dont take sides I take pictures"
My real love of photography started when I was still at school. My mum had a Ziess ion 35mm flim camera and and being creative it was not long before I browed the camera and was taking pictures . Untill she got so fed up and me continually using the camera and pestering her for a camera I got given my first camera a Olympus OM10.35mm flim camera and a 50mm lens the pictures where horrible to start with but seemed to get very much better later on. Then I got my big break.
My professional photographic career really started when I worked as a news paper photographer for a newspaper group in South Africa, in the early eighties and then as a freelance photographer up untill the mid nineties. I remember my first pro camera a Nikon FE 35mm flim camera three lenses 28 mm prime,50mm prime and a 70-200mm a flash gun and a horrible camera box bag made of cardboard and canvas so I went out and bought a new bag with some of my first wages and promply returned the old box bag .I later on used a Nikon f3,I still use Nikon camera,s to this day. I use a Nikon D810 my workhorse and aD700 as my 2nd or backup camera with a 24mm1.8 prime, 35mm prime1.18, 50mm1.8 prime lens and a 70-200mm 2.8 zoom lens. A lot of my images are shot with the 35mm , 24mm and a 50mm prime lenses.
Over the years I have developed a creative, inquisitive and instinctive style of photography. Having shot News , Social events, conflict,sport and a lot of other photographs has taught me to adapt to the situation in front of my lens and having over 4 decade,s of photographic experience as a working as a professional photographer I have never stoped learning and continue to develop my craft and skills as a photographer.
I no longer take news images,But urban photography intriques me to shoot images of the world around me. I am still out there continuing to take pictures often of a society in flux .
Based in Liverpool and beyond
Some of the publications I have submitted images to
Nas pers newspaper group, R.S.A.Die Volksblad,Bloemnuus;Rapport,Beeld, Other news outlets,The Natal Mercruy,Daily news,The Natal Wittness,Liverpool Echo,
Magazine,s Scope ,WI monthly,Huisgenoot.
Photo stock agencies Alamy,Shuttercock
Publications
CALENDARS
The best of 2026
Urban scapes 2027 released October ,November 2026