Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Lewis.
Mike, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I started making swim photography in the late 70’s as an age group swimmer. We were always trying to get the perfect butterfly shot. The cameras we used then were the typical Kodak point and shoot. We’d shoot through a roll and our parents would drop it off at one of the kiosks in the parking lot of the local shopping center. Most of the time we missed the timing, but every once and a while we’d nail a shot. Once I got to high school the first of a series of classes that set me deeper on the path of photography.
Photography was a hobby I enjoyed a lot, but I didn’t see a path to a professional career. I continued to make photos throughout my undergraduate years at UC San Diego and graduate school in upstate NY.
I enjoyed several years in sports performance administration within the US Olympic Committee and keep my camera with me at several high-profile events. Periodically, I’d get a request for licensing an image for a newsletter or magazine. In the mid-2000’s I decided to get a lot more serious and dove deep into the growing digital photography realm.
In 2011 I committed to going all in and now make my living focused on swimming photography. I’m the chief photographer for SwimSwam.com – the world’s largest site for swimming news and information (we have over 2m unique visitors a month). We also launched a magazine in 2015 that is largely modeled after surfer. Like Surfer mag, we want to reflect the power, beauty and “cool factor” of the swimming culture.
I do a lot of commercial work for the major swimwear brands and do my best to bring a “swimmer’s perspective” to my work.
Although it’s super exciting to work with some of the world’s best swimmers, it’s also fun and interesting when I’m hired to work on a local project with swimmers who are interested in capturing their passion for the sport. I still swim 6x a week and get in a masters meet a couple of times each year. Sometimes I’m asked what I’m training for and I think the best response is: “I’m training for my work.”
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’ve swum competitively since I was 7, so I’ve spent a long time looking at things underwater and around the pool. I try not to over think what’s behind my work. I generally operate from the position of being present to “see” the shot rather than “look” for the shot. Both behind the camera and in post-production, I’m always trying to explore new ways of seeing and portraying the world through my work.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
I think the role of the artist continues to center around portraying a reality that makes us think and question who we are and the what constitutes our realities. To this end, I strive to make images that inspire and excite (to the best of my ability)
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can see my work on my website: www.olavistaphotography.com or follow me on Instagram or Twitter: @mike2swim
Contact Info:
- Website: www.olavistaphotography.com
- Email: mike@olavistaphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike2swim/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mike2Swim
Image Credit:
Mike Lewis
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