Michael Park Photography

Michael Park has been making quite the stir in the Gothic photography scene.

His work has a very classic feel to it and brings to mind visions of old horror films. Yet there is a spark of modernism and a flair for the cutting edge that gives his photos a distinct intrigue.

Based in Sarasota, Florida, Michael's love for all things spooky came at an early age.  "My oldest memory I can recall was drawing a haunted house in preschool.  I have always been attracted to Halloween and the things that go bump in the night.  I was really obsessed with darkness growing up watching movies like Hellraiser and reading books about Dracula and Interview with the Vampire.  Making my dark creations is a way I get to bring my visions into reality."

Michael has a diverse artistic background ranging from photography to graphic design and even traditional painting.  Michael explains, "I've been an artist my whole life.  I started with drawing then moved to painting dark scenes such as gothic landscapes and pale sexy women.  I used to sell my painting online and at art shows but without an agent it is very hard to sell work on your own.  I knew I wanted to be a photographer because I used to take photos of models for painting reference.  It was then I discovered that photography was much more rewarding than painting.  In my mind painting was hard and took hours and hours and if you messed up it was not so easy to fix.

"I started working at a photography studio about 3 years ago and just picked it up right away.  Working 9 to 5 job as a photographer shooting High School students mostly; that is where I picked up most of my experience and hands on training that helped me become a better photographer.  I am able to now work on my own projects and stay very busy with side jobs and art shows."

When asked if he ever had a mentor and what continues to drive him as an artist, Michael said "I didn't really have a mentor, I think just my strong passion for art and my artistic eye helps me out tremendously.  My main drive as an artist is being able to share my visions with the world, meeting many interesting people, and the many goals of success I set for myself."

Being so goal oriented is very evident in Michael Park's work.  He is currently working on a photography book with a theme of vampires.  Park hopes to a few coffee table books out in the next five years and also would like to move into album cover and horror movie artwork.

Being located in the famously conservative state of Florida, I asked Michael if he had ever encountered any type of criticism for his artwork, and he said, "Yes Florida is very conservative indeed but I have never had any bad criticism.  My work is very original and dark which is kind of a shock value that people don't get enough of."

Florida has also proven to be a great networking ground for Park when it comes to his famous models.  Park says he met TaraRyze and Angela Ryan "By going to local fetish events and networking on photography websites.  TaraRyze was one of my first models that I had the pleasure to work with.  I met Angela Ryan at one of her Burlesque shows she put on in Tampa, Florida."

So, just how long does it take for Park to create one of his masterpieces?  "Concepts come out of me quite frequently.  It takes me about five hours to make a complete creation after I take a photo.  In a way my ideas do come from my dreams.  Most of my visions come to me while I am awake, I constantly see craziness in my head that I need to get out and use to create pictures.

"Normally I wake up and pray for a rainy day in advance, then get ready to get to work on Photoshop while I listen to random music such as IAMX, Hocico, and Cradle of Filth.  Usually end a day with a good horror movie such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning."

Michael Park on MySpace and darkartdesigns.com.

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