Mike creates images that celebrate the myriad forms of nature -- from landsapes to the human form -- and that include abstracts and cityscapes. He has a penchant for "black and white in color"... images that are mostly black and white yet splashed with color. His passion for photography started when he borrowed his father's camera in 1954, a passion that still burns strong today.

Early on, Mike was influenced by the work of Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams and Ernst Haas. A more recent influence: Ruth Bernhard.

Mike's photographic studies have included master classes from Kim Weston (Edward's grandson) and from the Navajo photographer Leroy DeJolie.

Influential books:
1) Time Life Libary of Photography series.
2) Aperture Masters of Photograpy series

A Brit by birth, Mike moved to New York before gravitating to and settling in Berkeley California . He is fortunate to have travelled in Europe, Japan, China, Africa, Canada and the USA. He combines photography with two other interests: hiking and backpacking.

Some of his favorite places are Tuscanny, New York city, San Francisco, the California coast, the Sierra Nevada, the Southwest Slot Canyons, and the red rock country of southern Utah.

He shoots mostly with Nikon equipment.  For film he favors a Nikon EM SLR 35mm camera, and in the digital world he uses a Nikon D700.   Mike has also worked with a Hasselblad ... a wonderful camera but a trifle heavy and bulky for field trips.

When it comes to printing, Mike uses an Epson Stylus Photo R2400 printer with its archival Ultrachrome pigment inks. He prints on the highest quality archival fine art Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Paper.  Why Hahnemuhle? Because they have been perfecting their photographic paper since 1584

Mike shooting in Zion Narrows 2010

Mike Slack
shooting in Zion
(photo by Art Shwartz)

Mike Slack
checking a proof sheet

Searching for beauty in Tuscany