Adrian Michael: An eye for stories

Adrian Michael in action Photo Credit: Evan Target

Story by Elisabeth Monaghan

Photos by Adrian Micahel

For a little over a year, Adrian Michael has been a contributor to the Denver VOICE. Specializing in street photography, Michael likes to tell people’s stories from behind a camera lens. “I am a Black artist, and I want to become a storyteller — whether that is through the medium of photography, literature, or filmmaking — those three are my main focuses,” said Michael.

As a high school student, Michael bought a video recorder to explore filmmaking, and that high school hobby sparked what would soon become his outlet for artistic expression?

According to Michael, he did not show his films to anyone else; instead, he made them to see how he could use the medium as a way to tell stories.

“I wanted to see if I could figure out the process, so I made some cheesy films, where I played all of the characters, including the starring role,” he explained. “I set it up and pieced it together to see if I could make it flow.”

As he continued to pursue the art of movie-making, he found out that one of his classmates dabbled in photography. Watching his friend’s process intrigued Michael, and he wanted to learn more.

Photo Credit: Adrian Michael

“I saw how he captured what was going on around us — all of the people within the school, the football team in action, those photos, frame them, and then give them to people. I thought that was an interesting approach to storytelling, which prompted me to get a digital camera and teach myself how to take pictures.” From that point, picture-taking became Michael’s passion.

After graduating from high school, Michael attended Metro State University, where he received a B.S. in business. From there, he got a job working in supply chain management, where he focused his efforts on the 9-to-5world of adulthood. That meant Michael didn’t spend much time pursuing photography, and he sorely missed it.

According to Michael, his life became mundane, and he longed for creative expression, so he returned to photography. While he was happy to reunite with his camera, he decided that after being self-taught, it was time to hone his craft and learn about the art of taking photographs. With that, he went back to school and got an associate degree in photography from the Art Institute of Colorado.

During his studies at the Art Institute, Michael learned a variety of photography styles. Drawn by the bright lights,brilliant colors, and excitement of fashion photography,

Michael thought that was his calling and had visions of becoming the next David LaChapelle. But Michael soon realized that fashion was an especially challenging specialty, so rather than becoming discouraged, he explored other ways to tell people’s stories with photos. It was then he discovered street photography.

By taking photos of people acting naturally without feeling the need to pose or force an awkward smile for the camera, Michael brought out the authenticity of the images.

Depending on the angle, each photo could convey a different version of the story. So now, when witnessing a candid moment, he finds a way to capture it without being intrusive.

Sometimes, it may be humans interacting that inspires him to snap photos, and other times it may be colors, shapes, or patterns that catch his eye — especially if they’re repeating — because they will tell a more compelling story.

It has been a little more than 20 years since Michael first discovered photography. Today, he works full-time as a data analyst, but he remains committed to growing as an artist and sharing the world that his camera lens captures.

Through his photojournalism work for the Denver VOICE, Michael has introduced VOICE readers to people and organizations that they otherwise may never have heard about. His stories are well-received — especially when shared via social media, and the articles and images he’s submitted to the VOICE have garnered attention from our sister publications that are part of the International Network ofStreet Papers. 

Michael may talk about becoming a storyteller as something that will happen down the road, but from the moment he first picked up a camera, he already was one, and with every click, his photographic artistry and skill as a storyteller just get better!

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the July 2022 issue as part of our profiles on Denver artists of color.