Mike Kelley - Architectural Photographer and Educator

I'm a photographer based in Los Angeles, California who specializes in photographing architecture; I also have a mild airplane obsession.

I grew up in Ipswich, Massachusetts: a small coastal town that's one part postcard and one part dramatic Boston movie.  Here I was lucky enough to meet a number of amazing teachers who opened my eyes to the world of art and design; this would alter the path of my life in more ways than I could ever imagine. 

After studying studio art and environmental science at the University of Vermont,  I moved to Lake Tahoe, California, in hopes of becoming a professional snowboarder (graduating right after the '08 recession made this seem like a great idea). A couple of years and too many injuries later, I found myself taking up an offer to photograph a few homes for a client I'd met while recuperating. What started by chance turned out to be the perfect mix of technical challenge and creative outlet, and I decided right there and then that it absolutely must be my career. 

In 2018, I founded the Architectural Photography Almanac, a resource for architecture photographers and those in the architecture industry seeking to learn about the craft and theory of architectural photography.

Advertising clients include:

Tesla Motors

FedEx

Discovery Networks

HGTV

Nest Cameras

Bernhardt Design

Architecture + Design clients include:

Herman Miller

MAD Architects

SPF:a

RIOS

Mark Cavagnero Associates

Pozas Arquitectos

Plus Development

Minotti SpA

Recent Awards + Exhibits:

2021: MUCEM, Marseilles: Civilization, The Way we Live Now, Airportraits

2021: Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design (ArkDes): Stockholm Design Lab, Airportraits

2020: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki: Civilization, The Way we Live Now, Airportraits

2020: Museum of Design, Zurich: Knowledge in Images – Information Design Today, Airportraits

2019: Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing: Civilization, The Way we Live Now, Airportraits

2018: Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, SK: Civilization, The Way we Live Now, Airportraits

2018: Nordic Museum, Seattle: Innovations in Icelandic Design, Architecture of Iceland

2018: AIA LA Honor Award: Architectural Photography, LA Airspace

2018: Auckland Airport, Airportraits, Solo Exhibit, International Terminal

2017: OUE Skyspace, Los Angeles: LA Airspace

2017: SFO Museum: Solo Exhibit, Airportraits

2015: AIA LA: Solo Exhibit, The Architecture of Iceland

2014: A+D Museum: Groundswell