Mike Byrne
Mike has worked as an independent photographer and filmmaker for over 20 years. Although he is now based in Victoria, BC, Mike grew up in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, hiking and skiing, and along the way photographing the famous landscapes and wildlife of the Banff-Canmore-Lake Louise area. Little did he appreciate how lucky he was to grow up in such an incredible place!
Nor did he think he would spend his life making photographs and films. Mike’s work has taken him through much of Europe, to Africa, South America, and to 47 American states and all 10 Canadian provinces. He has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, watched a sunset from the Acropolis, dodged howler monkeys in Brazil, explored the Ngorongoro Crater, and marched with soldiers in American Civil War re-enactments.
Mike working in the cross-country mixed zone, Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
When he is not making images of nature and wildlife, Mike is busy photographing a variety of sports. He is the official photographer for several sports teams and for a series of international triathlons. In 2010 he was selected to work at the Olympic games — he was based in Whistler and was assigned to work at the cross-country skiing venue.
Though Mike usually works outdoors, he operates a small studio as he loves to dabble in portraiture. There is something very special in capturing a person’s character in a single image, where posture, expression, perspective and the fall of light are so critical.
Mike is frequently asked for advice about cameras, lenses, and photography techniques. He will always try to answer these questions (time and work schedule permitting) and finds that he really enjoys helping people obtain their best possible images. He is a huge believer in hands-on learning and if you take one of his courses you will find the majority of time is spent making photographs, fine-tuning techniques, and critiquing images.
