Hi and welcome. My name is Mike, and photography found its way back into my life after an extremely difficult time for my family.
I first became interested in photography more than 25 years ago. Back then, I had a Sony Cyber-shot, usually set to Auto, and I simply enjoyed taking pictures. I didn't know much about exposure, lenses, RAW files, composition, or any of the things I'm learning today. I just liked capturing what I saw.
Some of those photographs are still online in my old DeviantArt & Photo.net gallery. I've kept them there because they're part of where this started.
https://www.deviantart.com/xeno194/gallery
https://www.photo.net/profile/245364-xeno194/?tab=node_gallery_galleryImages
Then life moved on, and photography mostly disappeared from my life for more than two decades.
Christmas of 2025, my family went through a very serious and difficult time involving my daughter. She is now safe. She is recovering, as am I. It changed my life. The months that followed were incredibly difficult for me, and I struggled to find a way to deal with everything that had happened.
Photography unexpectedly became part of finding my way forward.
A professional bird photographer, fellow radio enthusiast, and friend named Bob Tarte played an important role in that. His kindness and encouragement helped put a camera back into my hands and gave me a reason to get out of the house and start taking pictures again.
At first, it was simply something to do. I could grab the camera, go somewhere, and concentrate on what was in front of me. But it became more than that.
Photography started getting me outside. It got me exploring places I wouldn't normally visit. It gave me reasons to talk to people I otherwise never would have met.
Along the way, I've met so many incredibly kind business owners, photographers, artists, motorcycle owners, car enthusiasts, and strangers who have taken the time to talk with me, encourage me, let me photograph something important to them, or simply show me kindness by saying, "Can I give you a hug?"
Some of these people I've met have become friends.
I'm also learning photography properly for the first time. I'm taking classes on weekends, learning my cameras, learning Lightroom, studying composition and exposure, making mistakes, and trying to get a little better every time I go out. That's part of why this website exists.
I'm not trying to pretend that I'm a professional photographer. I'm learning, experimenting, and seeing where photography takes me.
Lately, I've also found myself becoming interested in documentary and photojournalistic photography using the camera not just to photograph things that catch my eye, but to record some of the people, events, and moments happening in the surrounding community. I'm still learning where that will take me.
I'm documenting the process of healing and, at the same time, documenting a part of my life that I don't want to forget. The photographs here are things that caught my eye: wildlife, cars, motorcycles, aircraft, people, places, and whatever else I happen to find while I'm out with my camera.
This site is also a way for me to share those photographs. The images I make available here can be downloaded as full-size, high-resolution JPEGs. I don't offer my original RAW files, but I want people to be able to enjoy and use the finished photographs.
Photography hasn't changed what happened to my family, and it doesn't erase the difficult days. What it has done is give me a reason to get out, look around, and meet so many wonderful people.
My mom always told me: "Michael, it can't rain every day."
The weather is finally clearing up.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this.
Mike Ladd