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About Mike Kelley

Michael Kelley (mpkelley.com) is a Los Angeles-based architectural and fine art photographer with a background in digital art and sculpture. Using his backgrounds in the arts, he creates images that are surreal and otherworldly, yet lifelike and believable. A frequent traveler, Michael's personal work focuses on the built environment of unique

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Popular Articles from Mike Kelley
Pentax Vs. Afghanistan: One US Soldier Puts His Camera's Weather Sealing To The Test
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Alex Jansen, who is currently on a deployment in Afghanistan, recently created this video showing off the weather and dust sealing capabilities of his Pentax K-5 and K-7 cameras. I know that even though my Canon 1D claims to be 'weather and dust resistant' it would be a cold day in hell before I ever voluntarily did something like this to my camera (and lenses!). Alex is clearly confident

[Journalism] World Press Photo's 2012 Multimedia Contest Winner
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Remember the World Press Photo contest winners from earlier this year? Well, World Press Photo recently introduced (just last year, actually) a similar contest for multimedia and video entries. The winner is a stark, harrowing, and sobering documentary view into the Kommandokorps in South Africa, an apartheid-era relic that still lingers in the country.

[Op-Ed] The Cameras of Tomorrow: Apps For DSLRs
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What if, much like the smartphones that we use on a daily basis, our cameras were equipped to support aftermarket applications which added functionality and never-before seen levels of customization? Check out the full post to read more and have your say.
Creating Compelling B&W Aerial Images in Backlit Situations
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For a bit over a year now, I have been taking regular flights over the city of Los Angeles, photographing the city from a helicopter. I get a lot of questions about how I'm editing the images to get the look and feel that I am, and the answer is actually quite simple. Using only carefully considered exposures and Lightroom adjustments, I've come up with a consistent and somewhat unique look for the project.

It's A Wrap! Check Out All Of The Submissions From Our April POTD Contest!
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We received over 1000 submissions from our readers to our new POTD contest, and yes, we looked at every single one of them. There were some brilliant entries and it was incredibly tough to select the top 30 for the month of April, but they've all been chosen, and you can check out the gallery here

Right Place, Right Time: Capturing A Gorgeous Murmuration In The South Of France
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About a year ago I posted a short and sweet little film about the phenomenon known as a murmuration, which is when an enormous flock of starlings gather together in one location and create a breathtaking visual feast. Filmmaker Neels Castillon was out preparing to shoot recently in Marseille, France, when a murmuration took place right above his head and he was able to capture the entire thing in beautiful high definition.

Behind The Scenes: Creating The Highest Resolution Photo Ever Taken Of Machu Picchu
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Jeff Cremer recently traveled to Machu Picchu with the goal of creating the highest resolution image ever taken of one of the most incredible places on Earth. Using a Gigapan robotic head, Jeff swept a Canon 100-400mm lens back and forth over the scene, taking hundreds of photos, which resulted in one incredible image. He even had a close call with the law,

The Making Of 'Paris In Motion:' How To Make a Hyperlapse
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We were all stunned by Mayeul Akpovi's 'Paris In Motion' timelapse a few months ago. A spectacle of incredible timelapse techniques, the video was awesome and had many of us trying to figure out how he did it. Well, Mayeul has come clean, and let us in on the little secret. Check out the surprisingly simple technique in this short video, which was just recently released.

Ken Block Turns San Francisco Into His Urban Rally Course And Captures It All In Stunning Fashion
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Ken Block, owner of DC Shoes and action sports mogul is well known for his incredible skill in a rally car. He's also been known to make some incredible videos, such as his original Gymkhana piece. For this installment, Gymkhana 5, Ken decided that he wanted to take over San Francisco: and that is just what he did. He also made sure that it was captured to perfection: I can't imagine that any less than one hundred cameras were used in the making of this piece.

[BTSV] The Making Of Canon's 5d Mark III Promo Video, Radball
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You may remember Canon's promo video for the 5d Mark III that I posted a couple of weeks ago, which showcased the, ehem, interesting sport of Radball. Love it or hate it, I think we can at least agree that it was pretty entertaining. Canon recently released a companion to the promo video which goes behind the scenes into the filming of the piece.

[Video] The Fascinating End Of Kodachrome's 75 Year Legacy
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When Dwayne's Photo, based in Parsons, Kansas, ceased processing Kodachrome film, it was the end of an era spanning 75 years. This ten minute mini-documentary by Xander Robin affords us a view into the history of Kodachrome, the process used to develop it, and insight from the employees of Dwayne's who worked with the film regularly. Check out the full post for the video.
Your Most Popular Questions Answered by Architectural Photographer Mike Kelley
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Last week I asked everyone on my Facebook page to 'ask me anything' and said that I'd record and post the answers to all the questions left on the page. We had some fantastic questions, some funny answers, serious answers, and everything in between. For anyone looking for my honest opinions on all things architectural photography, check out this video and enjoy!