Meet Michael R. Moore | Photographic-Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael R. Moore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael R., what makes you happy? Why?
Creating adds to my happiness.  It begins with the process of visualization.  This inspires images.  That starts to formulate into energy which excites me.  As the excitement builds, I start pulling the elements together to breathe life into the final photograph.  I also find happiness just walking around and shooting whatever catches my eye and pulls at my heartstrings.  Why does creating add to my happiness?  As shy six-year-old photography entered my life and it was MAGIC!!!  When I saw an image appear in the developer it was magic.  It opened a world of communication for me.  While opening me up to expressing how I saw and felt about my surrounding the world, taking viewers on journeys.  To this day, 47 years later the MAGIC is still alive and living—adding to my happiness.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Some of my Favorite Spots in the city?  I love to take folks to the Los Angeles Theater Center.  The plays that are produced there are always first-rate.  I also love to take my friends to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl.  These venues are the reasons I love Los Angeles.  They were both not only entertainment venues for me, they were lifesavers when I first moved to Los Angeles. They were my first jobs outside of photography. I worked at both 2 1/2 years each. This gave me time to learn and explore the city while getting a priceless cultural education, allowing me to see where I fit in.  Also food.  Delicious food.  I’d take my friends to WoodSpoon in DTLA. Everything I’ve eaten there I love.  Yum!  At my age (been there done that), I prefer to spend time with friends in small gatherings. Dinner parties, good conversations, laughter, glorious foods and drinks, music, and of course dancing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my Favorite Spots in the city. I Love to take folk to the Los Angeles Theater Center. The plays that are produced there are always first-rate. I also love to take my friends to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl. These venues are the reasons I love Los Angeles. They were both are not only entertainment venues for me. They were lifesavers when I first moved to Los Angeles. They were my first jobs outside of photography. I worked at both 2 1/2 years each. Which gave me time to learn and explore the city. While getting a priceless cultural education. Allowing me to see where I fit in. Also Food delicious food I’d take my friends to Woodspoon in DTLA. Everything I’ve eaten there I Love. Yum! At my age (been there done that), I prefer to spend time with friends in small gatherings. Dinner parties, good conversations, laughter, glorious foods and drinks, music, and of course dancing.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mother Barbara Dixon, gave me my first camera at the age of six.  She encouraged me as a teenager to stick to my guns when I entered school and the technical side of photography was kicking my butt.  I’m so thankful for her advice.  I stuck with it and learned the rules. Now, I break them!  When I felt confused, when folks said my photographs were “too artistic,” she encouraged me to stand by my vision(s).   Then there’s my family and extended family.  Their support and love over the decades continue to add fuel to my fire.   My mentors and fellow artists uplift and inspire me with our discussions and the sharing of our journeys.  One mentor, I must name is Ms. Sharon Corgan Leeber. She introduced me to the Art of Photography at El Centro Junior College in Dallas, TX.  Then there are Gordon Parks and Richard Avedon, two photographers/artists that I discovered as a child.  Their photographs changed my world. Gordon Parks was the only other black man aside from Mr. Johnson who took a six-year-old under his wing to introduce me to photography.  Mr. Parks was the first black man whose photographs were in magazines.  There was Richard Avedon, a force to be reckoned with.  I would spend hours going through the pages of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue devouring his photos.  I am thankful that I got to spend an afternoon with him, picking his brain as he was supervising the hanging of his Retrospective exhibition at the Dallas Contemporary Museum. Thanks again Ms. Leeber for the introduction to Avedon and for including me in my first group exhibition.  This led to many more solo and group exhibitions, lectures, and workshops.  Thank you Gayle Brodie, who introduced me to the wonderful Universe of Digital.  I am also thankful to social media that has launched my photography into the world.

Website: iammoore.com
Instagram: @michaelrmoore616/@mrmoore_studios
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/michael-r-moore-29144a10
Twitter: @MichaelMoore616/@MRMSTUDIOS
Facebook: facebook.com/michaelrmoore616
Youtube: youtube.com/c/MichaelRMoore616

Image Credits
Models:  Simba Zindoga, Nadine Simmons, Brianna Michelle, Chidi, Nobi Obiageliaku, Anusionwu, Tory Scroggins