PRESS:
The Westerly Sun (pdf)
Feature on Blazing Editions’s website
The New London Day (pdf)

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My mission is to share the wonders of the natural world with others, and to help them see the beauty that surrounds us. My hope is that we might preserve it for future generations.    – Michael Melford

Tree in Snow
Yellowstone National Park
February 2002
Film photography, dye-sublimation on aluminum
Shot on assignment for National Geographic Traveler magazine’s story, Winter Getaways.

Having rented a snowmobile for the day, I rode from Old Faithful Lodge to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, some 44 miles. On the way back, I went through the Hayden Valley and saw this lone tree in the snowy landscape. It was 56 miles back to the lodge, and although I was tired and cold the image of this tree warmed my heart.

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Michael Melford is an award-winning photographer who has completed 18 stories in National Geographic since 2003. MMoA is honored to host a solo exhibition of his latest series in the historic Davis Gallery from October 1 – December 19, 2021.

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Morning Magic
Acadia National Park, Maine
October 2003
Fuji Velvia film, dye-sublimation on aluminum
Shot on a Canon film camera, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ASA 50, on assignment for National Geographic Magazine’s story, Acadia National Park.

I switched to digital in 2003, as the quality of digital cameras was finally equal to film. This was my first assignment for the “Yellow Magazine,” and I asked if I could shoot digital. They had not shot any story at this point in digital format and said they were not comfortable as yet with digital; so whenever possible I shot both film and digital.

On this day I booked a helicopter. We took off in the dark, so I decided to shoot digital since I could easily change the ISO (the sensitivity of the light sensor). Just as we were flying over this ground fog my digital camera stopped working, and so I grabbed the spare camera with film in it. The low sensitivity film I used (ASA 50) was borderline for shooting out of a helicopter at low light, but the images were sharp and the scene stunning.

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Learn more about Michael Melford’s current work at artfultrees.com.
This exhibition is sponsored by Bekim and Heather Veseli and the National Gallery of Fine Art.