In the Spotlight - Meet Mike Demeter

All of the artists I've featured in the spotlight have shared beautiful images, but this one today is especially fun to post. I've know Mike since 7th grade, going back to a time when neither of us had any idea what we wanted to do when we grew up. Although,we did know we didn't want to grow up and according to Sheila, we still haven't!

We've kept in touch over the years, seeing each other at annual high school reunions and following each other's lives through social media. During all this time, even though I knew he was a great professional photographer, I never took the time to look at his work.

Recently he posted some images of his mother's 90th birthday. His mom and mine were friends and as we were growing up. Wandering through his Facebook images I got introduced to Mike all over again and loved his work.  I gave him a call and these are some of my favorites from the images he sent. He also gave me a short bio.  

Mike shared two of his favorite quotes by Minor White with me. They tell you so much about who he is as an artist.

 “One should not only photograph things for what they are but for what else they are.”
 
“Photography is a language more universal than words.”

So gang, meet a good friend who goes back to the days when we both probably hoped we'd grow up to be cowboys.  

My name is Mike Demeter.  I am a Northeast Ohio based photographer.  My involvement in photography dates back 40 years when I first saw an 8x10 black and white image come to life in a developing tray. Terms like: Kodachrome, Kodak Vericolor(VPS) , Agfa Portriga Rapid Paper, Acufine Developer, and Kodalith, were some of the tools of the times.
 
I took inspiration from the names:  Weston, Stieglitz, Adams, Cunningham, Callahan, Frank, Strand, Caponigro, Lange, Steichen, and Minor White. The darkroom has evolved to my lightroom.
 
Photography has had numerous technology changes during my involvement. However, the artist behind the lens that breathes his/her unique style into image capture remains the constant.
   
For me, photography has become the conduit for my creativity.
 

Images copyright Mike Demeter. All Rights reserved.