- Technical Director
- mike@sakasphoto.com
- http://sakasphoto.com/
I am a freelance photographer and I live with my wife Michele, a teacher, in Hong Kong. I love to try almost anything especially if it’s outdoorsy, travel or adventure related. I really enjoy mountain bike riding and rock climbing, snowboarding, scuba diving, white water rafting and surfing. I have been lucky to have a few small adventures, meeting new people and trying new things out along the way; I am not particularly adventurous in my eating habits but during my adventures, I have tried things like pig brains, rat, snake whiskey, and bugs to name a few!
I grew up in a small family and moved a lot as a kid going from place to place. My brother and I changed towns and schools numerous times before we finished our eighth year. When I graduated from twelfth grade I left of University to study Aviation and Theology. During my university years I spent a lot of time engaged in local community projects and through a string of teaching experiences found myself working as a graphic designer for a small community organization back in Denver, Colorado. Most of my design work was based on photography and I wanted to learn to be a better shooter so I found a local professional and began assisting for him. After a few extremely educational years I moved to Santa Fe, NM to work for the Photography Workshop there and that’s when my real education began. I was fortunate enough to work with some amazing photographers during my time there and have since worked for many more on amazing projects. I continued to shoot projects on my own while learning and began working for magazines before I moved overseas. Since I’ve been living overseas my work has changed and I’m now more focused on documentary photography.
Photography for me is about the human experience. Whether fashion, sport, or documentary; photography allows a viewer to experience and reflect upon intimate moments that often pass by far too quickly or subtly to notice. A photograph can shorten the distance between a viewer and a subject and allow the viewer to revel in an experience otherwise fleeting. To this end, I seek out, honor, and celebrate those beautiful instants that often transpire beneath our notice. It’s also a way that I can pay homage to the people that inspire me. Photographing someone can be a very intimate experience and it’s often like a blind date, or at least a set-up. For me, the really cool part is that I get to speed date some of the most awesome people on the planet! I’m honored to be able to work with the people I’ve met, to see and bear witness to the events that I have, and I look forward to more.