Hi, I’m Michael
I’m a passionate amateur photographer who loves nothing more than grabbing my camera and heading out to capture the world around me. What started as curiosity has grown into a genuine love affair with visual storytelling.
My lens gravitates toward sweeping landscapes that showcase nature’s raw beauty, architectural details that tell stories of the spaces we inhabit, and short film clips that capture fleeting moments in time. There’s something magical about freezing a perfect sunset or finding the right angle that transforms an ordinary building into something extraordinary.
This site is my creative playground—a place where I share the images and films that excite me most. Every photo here represents a moment when I felt truly connected to my craft, whether I was chasing golden hour light across a mountain ridge or discovering unexpected beauty in everyday scenes.
Photography and filmmaking have taught me to slow down and really see the world. It’s amazing how picking up a camera can transform a simple walk into an adventure, turning ordinary moments into something worth preserving.
Welcome to my visual journey. I hope these images inspire you to grab your own camera and start exploring the incredible world around us.
Early on
I have been fascinated by photography as long as I can remember with its ability to move deep emotions. Early on, I fell in love with the idea of creating my own productions, so I set out to learn everything I could about storytelling through photos and filmmaking.
Current
I have been teaching myself photography & filmmaking for many years as a hobbyist and continue to learn every day. I am building my business as a freelance photographer and filmmaker and thoroughly enjoying the journey. View some of my social media posts here.
Swart Photos®
What Drives My Photography
Seeing Stories Everywhere There’s this incredible moment that happens when you’re out with your camera—suddenly the world becomes this endless collection of stories waiting to be told. That weathered fence post isn’t just wood and wire anymore; it’s decades of seasons, storms, and sunsets. The way morning light hits a puddle after rain becomes this fleeting masterpiece that exists for maybe ten minutes before the sun shifts. I’ve become obsessed with capturing these everyday miracles that most people walk right past.
The Hunt for Hidden Details I’ve developed this almost compulsive habit of studying everything through my viewfinder. The peeling paint on an old barn door, the way shadows dance between leaves, how reflections can completely transform a simple glass building into something otherworldly. It’s like being a detective, but instead of solving crimes, I’m solving the puzzle of light, composition, and timing. Sometimes I’ll spend twenty minutes just adjusting my position by inches, waiting for that perfect moment when everything clicks into place.
Pure, Unfiltered Obsession Here’s the thing about photography as a hobby—it completely takes over your life in the best possible way. I find myself waking up at 4 AM just to catch sunrise, or pulling over on random country roads because the light hit a field in a way that made my heart skip. My friends joke that I see the world differently now, and they’re absolutely right. Every drive becomes a scouting mission, every vacation includes extra time built in for “photo stops,” and I genuinely get excited about weather forecasts because storms make for incredible shooting conditions.
This isn’t work for me—it’s pure joy wrapped up in the thrill of discovery.