Michelle, born and raised in Melbourne, pursued her talent for image making after 2 years of Illustration by graduating RMIT University: Bachelor Applied Science – Photography in 2001. Commencing her career with the team at
Museum Victoria’s Production Studio in 2003. Her background in creative and technical backgrounds is evident in her ability to produce aesthetically powerful images with precision and accuracy. A majority of her studio work featured in the Museum Victoria's 150th anniversary hardback publication,
Treasures of the Museum.
In 2004 a solo trip to
South America transformed her approach to photographing people by using wide & mid-range lenses, creating a close-up, personal, interactive style - where a mutual exchange takes place, allowing the integrity of her subjects to shine through. Michelle refrains from forcing her camera on to people and prefers to build a report with her subjects.
On returning to Australia in 2005 Michelle continued her life’s work dividing her week between documenting specialist clinics and surgery for
Skin & Cancer Foundation whilst enjoying a variety of assignments in
La Trobe University’s Media and Educational Technology department servicing the academic, teaching, public relations and corporate divisions.
Approaching 2006 her affinity with the outdoors and rock-climbing led her to cross paths with
Bambuco, a company that used climbers to build large-scale structures from 9m Chinese bamboo for art festivals in Europe, Asia & Australia. Working as a rigger and aerial photographer she collaborated with extraordinary talent and immersed herself in the arts on an international scale for 3 years.
Her travels have taken her all over the world producing some of the finest representations of landscapes with a technique she describes as moving images: journeys from automobiles in motion. And In 2008 a solo exhibition of the Australian series titled
The Sickness of Long Thinking was a precursor to a forthcoming international series from Africa, South America & Europe and Asia.
Amidst her more specialised work she has freelanced for clients:
City of Melbourne,
The Age,
Arts Victoria,
Melbourne Fringe,
Broadsheet Media,
45 Downstairs,
Insite Arts,
Yspace , Les Arts Sauts (France),
Transvision Arts,
Treehugger,
Transience,
Natimuk Festival,
RMIT University,
Victorian & International Wineries,
Culture Victoria.
Throughout the past 12 months Michelle’s focus has shifted toward working amongst the community developing a project:
Footpath Gallery with St Kilda’s Sacred Heart Mission Women’s House where she teaches participants on a weekly basis to use digital camera’s to record their own stories in the street. The images are printed and pasted by the women directly on to a wall in Grey St, St Kilda.