10 | UK Enterprise Awards 2022 Over the course of two decades in the photography sphere, Michael J Duke has made a name for himself, resulting in his pieces being featured in exhibitions across the globe. His platform has grown exponentially over the years, and now, he is turning his attention towards aiding others in the industry. Michael J Duke is a photographer in his own right, possessing numerous accolades and recognitions for his work. Indeed, his story begins on his tenth birthday – he was gifted a Kodak Brownie 127 camera, and from there his talents bloomed. It was not until 2000, however, that Michael began to take photography seriously. Whilst it had always been a hobby, his membership with the Tel Aviv Camera Club is what inspired, and subsequently spawned, his photography career. In 2001, the Tel Aviv Camera Club’s chairman, Moshe Taub, landed Michael his first exhibition. This, of course, was to be the first of many. As of 2022, Michael has had his work displayed in many prestigious locations, competitions, and exhibitions, including the Royal Academy of Arts, London, XIII Florence Biennale 2019 and 2021, Italy, and the Phoenix Cinema, London. As his platform expanded over the years, Michael turned his attention to assisting others within the photography field. Starting off within photographic print sales, Michael’s endeavours have grown to include exhibition design and set up. This includes photographic event publicity, which covers contacting and liaising with local press through to writing and editing the Hampstead Photographic Society newsletter, which he originated in 2006. Of course, due to the nature of this evolution, Michael’s work has extended from the local scene to a national scale, and finally to international level. Clients are invited to place their trust in Michael from the word ‘go.’ As his work is publicly and digitally displayed, it is abundantly explicit as to what exactly Michael’s standards are. Moreover, much of his work is portrayed alongside the accolade that it earned, including photographic distinctions from the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique, the Photographic Society of America, and the Global Photographic Union. However, the photography world is constantly changing – for example, social media is now an effective way of getting your work out there. Over Best Photography Exhibition & Business Support Enterprise 2022 the past few years, largely thanks to the ongoing pandemic, the use of social media within the arts has become increasingly prevalent. Apps such as Instagram have made photo sharing incredibly easy and within a few clicks of a button, or taps on a screen, you can create a digital portfolio of your work. ‘As someone who was already using social media,’ Michael comments, ‘I feel lucky not to be lagging behind.’ He describes the platforms as ‘wonderful’ for advertising, and often utilises Facebook, LinkedIn, and his own website to promote his activities. It is Michael’s devotion to remaining on top of the current trends that truly marks him as a professional – one that can be trusted to provide an excellent standard of work, one that possesses an up to date understanding of the industry, and one that truly cares about photography. The Covid-19 pandemic forced many galleries to close their doors and, rather controversially, the arts remained on the backburner in terms of funding. Yet Michael believes in the power and importance of physical art venues, be it galleries or art fairs. As the world returns to a semblance Apr22367 of normality, there is certainly hope for such establishments as they begin to reopen. The pandemic has left an impact on Michael and his business – one that has left him considering how to effectively balance his new-found digital presence with his desire to continue exhibiting pieces in physical locations. During this time, Michael saw an increase in online attention, and he hopes to pursue these contacts further over the next year. ‘I am always considering projects,’ he states, ‘One of the advantages of the internet is getting to know online galleries who run competitions. Before going public with any project, I like to test opinions by entering images from each project into the online galleries. If they do well, then I get into testing local exhibition spaces.’ One of his most recent projects, titled Birds On The Move, is currently circulating amongst these platforms and has been gaining popularity – perhaps the coming year will see Birds On The Move find its home in a physical exhibition. Contact: Michael J Duke Company: MJ Duke Photography Web Address: www.mjduke.co.uk
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