“My photography takes me all over the world, it’s amazing. I am truly living my dream.”
Working nomad photographer Michelle describes herself as “a nomad by heart.” She says:
I was an adventurous and creative/artistic spirit who was confined by my conservative small New England town upbringing,” she says. “My subscription to National Geographic had me longing for exposure to other cultures and ethnicities–geography, food, personalities, temperatures, climates.
Michelle found photography before she found the nomadic lifestyle. She took a photography class in her last year of university to fulfill a graduation requirement, fell in love with photography, and spent the entire semester in the darkroom.
I asked my folks for a top of the line camera for graduation. They got me the camera I desired and said ‘Now go out and make some money with this. We’re not paying for any more school!’ So I graduated, dreamt of going here and there but I was always broke. Worked temp jobs for some income.
Here’s where Michelle’s story gets really interesting. On Oct 10, 2003, she was in a near-fatal car crash. She spent 5 months in a wheelchair later and went through intensive physical therapy to walk again.
My dreams and travel and photography were perpetually on the forefront on my brain,” Michelle says. “I started writing my bucket list and vowed that as soon as I’m walking and using my shooting arm again, I’m going to live my life and do everything I’ve ever wanted to do.
And she did.
Michelle says:
I have moved to and lived in Hawaii to fulfill my fantasy of living on Gilligan’s Island and because of Magnum P.I. I’ve been to Vietnam (shot a wedding in exchange for travel expenses), been to Australia (flown to Oz twice–once by a bride whose wedding I shot in Hawaii, she worked for Hawaiian Air and included plane tickets in my contract).
Another time I was flown out by a surf magazine photo editor who I connected with while living in Hawaii working for the Triple Crown of Surfing, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Italy, Kenya, Tanzania (Africa trip sponsored by Canon & Kodak, I sold images to Simon & Schuster and they used my images of tribes and wild animals to illustrate words for their McMillan’s Dictionary for Children).
I’ve been also to Greece, Switzerland, England, Germany, Isla Mujeres, Mexico–an acquaintance was sponsoring a yacht race for some employees and I let him know this needed to be visually documented–so he flew me there to spend 4 days on the yacht and this island making documentary images of the experience!
Many of Michelle’s gigs arise organically from connections, friendships, conversations. When you do what you love, without fear, you naturally attract positive people and positive situations into your life.
“I choose to experience the world instead of buying expensive cars,” Michelle says.
What will you choose?
I want to help you find your calm center and experience travel with courage, curiosity and compassion.
[...] Social networks Itinerant photographer Michelle was flown out to Italy in late 2009 to Isola d’Elba to shoot lifestyle shots for a privately owned B&B, all expenses paid. In Italy, she says, “I travelled around visiting several Tricca relatives who found me on Facebook–they all took me in and showed me around and cooked for me.” (Read about Michelle’s life as a travel photographer here.) [...]