Photographer and Visual Artist Mike Goldsmith

I grew up in Suburban Maryland just outside Washington DC. I cannot remember a time when I was not interested in and influenced by art. Growing up in the shadow of the Nations Capitol with the many art venues of the Smithsonian Institute that would influence my artistic development. It was there I started to learn about the many types of art that would influence my understanding of of the world.

I picked up a camera for the first time in the eighth-grade. It was then I quickly discovered it’s value as a creative tool and means of expression. As I continued to learn I was influenced by the likes of Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus,Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. Through the study of their work and style I learned that there was no “One right way”. That every “way”, was valid and that through the camera I was free to capture, interpret, and share the truth of life, the beauty and ugliness as it unfolded in front of me. I could use the camera to share an experience, tell a story, and make a lasting impression.