As a kid growing up, I was always fascinated by magic. The personal interaction in a performance intrigued me to become a magician myself. My favorite question to receive was, "How did you do that!?" when something disappeared or when something unexpectedly appeared.
After the first time I opened Photoshop, I knew I had been reintroduced to magic in a new way. Instead of making coins disappear, I remove distractions and blemishes from photos. Instead of pulling a rabbit from a hat, I aim to pull out personality and emotion during a shoot. My attention to detail and imaginative approach to editing enables me to amaze you with things you've already seen. The illusion is telling a visual story that looks better than you remember! With each shoot, my goal is to show people the best version of themselves and the world around them.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, I specialize in high-end lighting to deliver a luxury experience and quality content. I describe my style as editorial lifestyle. Getting my start as a photo retoucher, I shoot for perfection in camera and edit my photos right up to the point of being "too good to be true." With a 10-year background in Marketing, my primary focus is on helping businesses and business owners establish or elevate their brands to the highest level possible. How's that' for levitation?
Notable Subjects Include: Steve Harvey, Derek Jeter, Spike Lee, Common, H.E.R., Reese Whitherspoon, Elly Karamoh, David Chang, Tristan Walker, Danielle Leslie, Andrew Nguyen, Mignon Von, Karen Civil, Maya Elious, Jeremy Anderson, Pinky Cole, Emma Broyles (Miss America 2022), Tina Knowles and Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall.
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"Omggggggg! I’m in love!!!!! Like wow! I can't stop smiling! Hands down one of the best sessions I’ve booked. Not only was he extremely patient and professional, but he also has an amazing eye! The final edits blew me away. Amazing experience."
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"Mike and his work are top tier in every way. The quality of the photos and the experience during the shoot are nothing short of exquisite. What he's done for my brand is amazing and I will continue to choose him again and again. My pics from him look like they belong in a magazine. Speedy customer service and stellar edits. Mike is worth every penny."
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"Where do I start?! I flew from New York to Atlanta to work with Mike because I love his work. And, he surpassed my expectations. I've worked with a lot of photographers, but Mike is TOP 2 — and he isn't number 2!!! During the session, I couldn't believe that I was looking at myself when I saw some of the shots. AND when they were delivered, they didn't even need retouching!"
3 / 25
4 / 25
"My experience with Mike was absolutely amazing. He has a true passion for what he does and he makes the experience memorable. The pictures speak volumes. This is my first of many shoots with him."
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5 / 25
"I shot with Mike while visiting Atlanta from Dubai. He was cool, responsive and walked me through the process with a clear, concise consultation. He was also extremely helpful in finding a location. Highly recommend if you get a chance to work with him!"
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6 / 25
"Mike is the consummate professional!
Always quick to respond, creative, and extremely helpful. My business partner and I had a photo session this week and we already have the images - which are absolutely stunning. Mike was an expert in making us both feel comfortable in front of the camera through his direction. We are both so happy we made the decision to have him take photos for our website launch.
From one small business to another - Thank you!"
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7 / 25
"It was such a pleasure working with Mike! The consultation was super helpful as it disarmed my anxiety and also demonstrated his commitment to ensuring he understood my vision. Booking was seamless and the communication was on point. Mike and was on time and provided an amazing atmosphere. The shoot was a lot of fun and he even provided some tips on relaxing into movements that effortlessly turned into poses. It was a blast! Not to mention, the turnaround on time was impeccable! I highly recommend Mike."
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"I would highly recommend Mike to anyone looking for a talented and professional photographer. Mike is the perfect choice. I was blown away by the attention to detail that Mike provided, ensuring that every shot was just right. His expertise and creativity are truly unparalleled, and I cannot thank him enough for making my photoshoot such a fantastic experience."
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"My wife and I used Mike for our last photo shoot and the final product blew us away! He was able to take all our ideas and piece them together into one structured vision. His input and suggestions were invaluable and you can tell he is passionate about his craft. His standard for the shoot was even higher than ours and even when we liked how a picture turned out- he would say “we can do even better” and sure enough he was right. He went above and beyond our expectations and made the entire shoot enjoyable."
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10 / 25
"Mike is such an awesome photographer!! My husband and I chose to shoot with him for our 1 year anniversary and let’s say he seriously didn’t disappoint. Prior to the shoot he asked us both for our vision and theme for the shoot, and he made it come to life 🤍 over all Mike was very fun, creative, detailed to the T (something a perfectionist would appreciate, like myself) professional & super personable! Mike you’re awesome and we can’t wait to shoot again."
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11 / 25
"Mike truly is THE BEST photographer I have ever worked with! He was personable, professional and punctual throughout the entire process!"
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12 / 25
"Mike D is a true professional when it comes to his craft. As someone who genuinely does not like taking photos, I needed Mike to help me become comfortable with being uncomfortable in front of the camera and he delivered. The shoot itself was fun, engaging, and the time flew by. I appreciate Mike's attention to detail, and for capturing and sharing some behind the scenes content that I wasn't even aware of. Lastly, the photos themselves were nothing short of amazing with most of them not requiring any edits"
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"This experience exceeded my expectations! He was absolutely wonderful to work with. Mike's ideas and location for the shoot were perfect! My daughter loved every minute of the shoot and the images! These memories will last a lifetime! I’ll definitely use him in the future and recommend!"
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14 / 25
"All my years photography and modeling. I never worked with someone who is as talented, professional and passionate as Mike. He is the best photographer in Atlanta."
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15 / 25
"Mike is incredibly talented. For someone who is not good in front of a camera, he has a way of making you feel comfortable and confident. His work exceeded my expectations. Though I only had a few places in mind for my pictures, he was great at picking out other places I didn’t think of. His best quality is that he listens to his clients and doesn’t just do things his way. Also, if you aren’t sure what you are looking for, he asks the right questions and knows the right places around town to help your dream"
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16 / 25
"Mike was incredible! I came across him after being referred by a friend and I’m so glad it did. I used Mike to shoot my recent engagement and he blew it out of the park. He took my ideas and injected his and created some amazing photographs that tell a story.. Thank you so much!"
16 / 25
17 / 25
"I’ve had many photographers over the years. It’s not just about taking good pictures. It’s pulling the personality out of the person…to capture GREAT pictures. It’s a whole vibe! Loved this entire experience with Mike D! Thanks bunches!"
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"Mike is amazing and arguably one of the best photographers in Atlanta. His laid back demeanor makes you comfortable and helps to calm you. Our engagement shoot was phenomenal. Mike is so talented and professional. If I were you, I'd book Mike D. too."
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"Five stars is not enough to describe how extremely happy I am to have found Mike D and for the amazing shoot and photos I have as a result! He is undoubtedly gifted at what he does! His professional, calm, and welcoming demeanor immediately put my anxiety to rest. I completely enjoyed my experience from the initial phone consultation all the way to the final product. I traveled from Chicago to Atlanta just for this shoot and would definitely do it again."
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"I’ve been searching for personable individuals since I moved to ATL 4 years ago. I searched for months to find the perfect photographer to bring my vision to life for my 30th photoshoot. After our consultation call in February, I knew that I had found my person. The entire experience is something to write about from booking, communication, location details, outfits, and the day of; he understood the assignment. I told Mike that I was looking for my lifetime photographer and he has a customer for life."
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"I can’t even begin to describe how amazing Mike is as an artist and a person. I am SO glad we chose him to document our wedding day. From the beginning, he was on time, organized, and so open to our vision for our day. Thank you so much, Mike! We are forever indebted to you."
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"LOVED the experience of taking engagement photos with Mike! He made us feel so comfortable, helped us have fun, and shot the most beautiful photos. I can’t wait for him to shoot our wedding!"
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"MikeD is the best! He's professional and also has a warm, friendly personality which made us feel comfortable being ourselves. With his guidance, we got some great shots that captured our personalities. He accommodated our last-minute changes with patience and our pictures turned out amazing. Best of all, we got our pictures back in a timely manner. We got so many compliments on them when we posted them on our website. We can't wait to see the magic he'll do with our wedding photos."
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"Mike was very easy to work with and made it a fun experience, especially as someone doing a photoshoot for the first time. I believe the quality of his work is amazing and I look forward to working with him again soon."
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"No regrets! Mike exceeded our expectations. He is very talented and phenomenal. Definitely a veteran at his craft. We've worked with other photographers before, but Mike is by far top tier, one of the best when it comes to location, lighting, and direction. It was a very memorable experience and we couldn't be more happy and excited to have worked with him!"
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