Michael Kadillak was born and raised in Southwest, Montana and became intrinsically connected at an early age with the natural visual beauty that surrounded him. The great expanses of the Rocky Mountains along with the Western culture of agriculture mixed with vast quantities of outdoor recreation solidified his interest in the landscape from a visual perspective.

Although educated in engineering, his interests in the photographic arts were cultivated and refined upon viewing various photographic exhibitions of Edward and Brett Weston, Paul Strand, Imogen Cunningham, Berenice Abbott and Morley Baer as well as others. The prints from these master black and white photographers displayed visual clarity, depth, tonality and emotion that were unlike anything that Michael had seen previously. These artists worked with large format cameras and produced a contact print identical in size to the in-camera negatives. 

Michael works with 8×10”, 8×20” and 11×14” large format view cameras with each photograph identical in size to the corresponding full size negative that these cameras produce. The prints are individually made in a conventional darkroom by Michael on silver emulsion photographic paper and toned for archival preservation. 

Although such cameras and their necessary accessories are inherently large in size, heavy to carry and logistically challenging to employ in the field, the uncompromising pursuit of the highest visual content and tonality possible within the traditional photographic processes is undertaken because Michael feels the end result justifies the means. 

Michael intuitively photographs what visually moves him. Everything and anything of compositional possibility is considered fair game. From a distant landscapes, dilapidated homesteads, waterways, abstracts and inanimate objects expanded to open up their complex stories, the quest to see deeper and with more meaning is what motivates Michael to continue make photographs. Thanks for taking the time to come to my website. I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay!

“Photography Helps People to See”

Berenice Abbott