Michael Blotzer – Michael Blotzer Photography
“I became interested in photography in high school,” recalls Michael Blotzer. “We loaded film from a bulk loader, shot photos around campus, processed the pictures chemically in the darkroom, and published them in the school newspaper and yearbook.” “I was very oriented to science,” he says. “Looking back, I wish that I had the opportunity to have more artistic experiences then.”
Blotzer was born in Tokyo – his father serving in the US army. “We lived in several places around the world, ending up in Baltimore from third grade through high school.” He pursued his scientific interests earning degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and enjoyed a successful career in environmental health, and safety at NASA.
“I was always interested in taking photographs, Mike notes. “Living here in Chatham County, gives me a special opportunity to capture nature, especially birds,” he asserts. “It takes me back to my childhood when I spent a lot of time in the woods watching for critters”.
While focusing on digital bird photographs from 2010 to 2013, Mike decided that he needed to improve the quality of his work and upgraded his equipment. Since then, he has been perfecting his skills, concentrating his efforts near home in Chatham. Mike uses very little post exposure processing of his photos. “I want people to experience the natural beauty that I do when I take the images.”
Blotzer concentrates on what he calls bird portraiture. Lately, he began exploring images of reflections on water surfaces. In this work, he exploits both his scientific and aesthetic instincts. “I have taken a large number of photos of water surfaces and reflections altering variables, such as time of day, light conditions, and exploring depth of focus,” he explains. “If I concentrate on the surface itself, the resulting photograph is rather abstract.”
Blotzer shows his work in his home studio in Fearrington Village. You can see his work on his website: https://michaelblotzer.com. His work sells from $5 to $350. Mike makes his debut in the Chatham Studio Tour the first two weeks of December 2019. “I hope that visitors to my studio enjoy seeing what I think is special right here in Chatham.”
Interview by Vidabeth Bensen and Forrest Greenslade
