Brian Michaels – Los Angeles, California – Past Contributing Photographer

BRIAN MICHAELS – Past Contributing Photographer

Brian Michaels is an attorney who picked up his passion for photography when he began obsessively traveling the world in the late ’90s while working as a prosecutor (and later as a defense attorney for the Los Angeles Police Department). His lifelong interest in world history and politics took him on a quest to see the places that fascinated him as a child. He has now travelled to over 50 countries and five continents.

Brian Michaels’ interest in photography began as a teen, but instead of following an artist’s path, he entered the legal world in his early 20s. In his mid 30s, he began traveling, and on the road he earnestly began studying photography. Much of his early work was in black and white infrared film (now extinct), as the digital camera has slowly and steadily been pushing niche film out of the market.

While he still owns a film camera, he now shoots exclusively with Canon and Sony digital cameras. In addition to shooting with “big cameras” and fast lenses, pocket cameras, prosumer cameras, and even the iPhone are an integral part of his arsenal. If you’re at a concert and happen to see a guy with a Canon 7D in one hand , a Sony NEX Camera in the other, and iPhone strapped to his side, that’s probably him.

Michaels is a newcomer to the music photography world, but hardly to the music scene in Los Angeles. Michaels grew up in West Hollywood in the ’70s and began attending live shows in 1978 (at 13). Growing up just a few miles from the Sunset Strip in the ’70s was a magical experience and Michaels’ passion for rock existed since his early teens.

Just in the last few years, Brian Michaels has amassed a substantial music photography portfolio which includes Van Halen, The Beach Boys,the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Patti Smith, Bryan Ferry, Jane’s Addiction, Heart, Robert Plant, Ben Harper, Eddie Vedder, and many more. He has become a fixture  at many of Southern California’s historic concert venues and clubs, shooting everything from indie bands to the top acts in rock and roll.

Brian currently practices criminal defense from 9-5. You can find him after hours working the music scene with his cameras. You can find Brian on the net, website link below.

 WEBSITE