Artwork by Michael Donald11 Artworks

Background Following university and 18 months living in New York and India, Michael found himself sleeping on a friend's floor and thought he'd better do something that resembled a career. He compiled a portfolio of his photography work and sent it to various magazine publishers. He quickly found he was working as a photographer full time. In 2000, Michael took on a personal project; photographing the residents of a Hoxton block of flats that was due to be demolished. This project won awards all over the world and was widely exhibited.

Since then, Michael has shot commissions for The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Observer, and The Guardian Weekend magazines. His work has been exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery, London. Inspiration Growing up in Belfast during the 1970s meant that Michael was very influenced by photojournalism, particularly that of The Sunday Times. He looked up to Don McCullin, whose work for The Sunday Times Magazine was more gentle and empathetic than others at the time. Other photographers Michael aspires to include William Gedney, Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank.