(North Yorkshire, England, June 2006)

Michael Hudson- Biography

"Like a fine piece of music has the power to move our emotions and alter our mood, a finely crafted print can have the same effect. I try in my photography to move people emotionally and inspire with wonder and beauty. Sometimes that effect comes about through a large print of an epic scene, but more often than not, a small image of a rose, or a single tree can be just as magical. Photography literally means "light drawing" and without the right light, a print can fall short of its potential. I've been known to walk endlessly for hours, not eat all day, or to return to a scene year after year to capture it in the best light.

"I'm not trying to make any grand statement with my photos, but if there's a theme that runs through my photographs, it's the theme of Beauty. My photographs try to be uplifting and highlight some of the beauty found round the world, particularly when mixed with the rich history that I have explored in my treks around the British Isles. If you can find a photograph here that causes you to stop and reflect on the simple beauty of the place, then I have been successful. If I inspire you to visit a place, then my prints have been al the more successful.

"I got my start in the world of professional photography when I photographed Princess Diana and the British Royal Family during the late 1980's. That experience taught me how to think fast, work in difficult situations, compose quickly, and above all, to be patient.

"The photographs in these galleries were taken over a period of more than fifteen years. In the past, I would use the finest grained and sharpest film I could find in order to capture each blade of grass and every branch of every tree. Today, detail is still important, but I'm more interested in capturing emotions or feelings, rather than all the details in a scene. Ansel Adams was a master of exposure and printmaking, but sometimes his prints lack any depth of feeling. If photographers like Adams were past photographic role models, now I often look to Impressionist painters such as Monet and Renoir and photographers like Robert Farber for my inspiration. In 1997 I went into a bookstore looking for inspiration and found Farber's, By the Sea, a book full of beautiful grainy colour pictures. A couple of weeks later I was on my way to England with two dozen rolls of Kodak T-Max 3200 film, known for its graininess.

"I was born in Australia and grew up in Australia, the United States, and England. Since 1985, I have been living near Chicago, with regular trips back to England."

Michael Hudson is married to Wendy and is the father of four young children.

Michael Hudson in his darkroom.