Michael Brewer PHOTOGRAPHY

This is the photographer Michael Brewer's selection of some of his all-time favorite photographs. Enjoy Michael Brewer's top photo portfolio!

Welcome to Michael Brewer's illustration portfolio, with select pieces representing 30 years of professional illustration services. Rights are available for all images. Rights and prints can be purchased all images instantly per mouse-click. Michael is also available for assignment. Click on Contact and send him a message.

Bali is a land of enchantment, perhaps the most spiritual place on Earth. Its exquisite beauty keeps me coming back again and again.

The Hawaiian islands call me back again and again. This is a portfolio of images captured on my various visits to the beautiful islands of Hawaii, like no other place on this Earth.

I visited the beautiful city of Amsterdam at the tail end of Summer 2010. It takes my breath away every time I go there.

I spent a glorious day along West Meadow Beach on the north shore of New York's Long Island.

Mt. Rigi is one of Switzerland's smallest mountains, but is very accessible with cogwheel trains from the shores of Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug. These are images captured on various trips up to the top.

This gallery is a photo story of an adventure I had in November 2010. I sailed with three Balinese friends in an outrigger canoe from the island of Bali to Nusa Penida, an outlying lsland. Come along and be transported to another world.

Golzern, in Canton Uri, high up in the Swiss Alps is a magical place of dramatic views that keeps me coming back again and again.

Born and raised on Long Island, New York City is a Mecca and among the world's great cities. It is also one of my very favorite places to photograph. See what NYC inspired...

I visit Italian-speaking Ticino, south of the Alps in Switzerland, just north of the Italian border, several times a year and never tire of photographing the dramatic landscapes, nature, culture and architecture there.

The iconic Swiss Alps never fail to live up to the greatest expectations and then go far beyond them. They are colossal and amazingly beautiful. I fall in love with the Swiss Alps anew each time I don my hiking boots and hit the trail. You'd yodel too!

After a long, hard Swiss winter, there is no more welcome sight than the returning green fields and the colorful spring flowers. Life is reborn and all is well in the world once more.

I have made my home in Switzerland for over 20 years and never tire of the ever unfolding beauty of this country. Summer brings color, sunshine, warmth, and encourages the most diverse plants and animals to flourish.

Autumn in Switzerland is a wonderful season. If you're in the far south of Ticino then you're still in the Mediterranean influence of warm winds and lots of sun. If you're in the Valais, the southern, partly French speaking/German speaking Canton, then you're still in a warm - late Autumn environment. That is, until you rise to the upper parts of the valley and experience an early winter! If you're in the "Mittelland", then you're likely to experience lovely sunny days interspersed with fog banks! And the northern Jura region also has it's own microclimate - who knows what happens there!

Wintertime in Switzerland is a frozen world of frost, icicles and snow drifts. But even in winter, Switzerland remains a beautiful place

I lived on Long Island the first 17 years of my life. Only after being away from it for decades did I come to appreciate the beauty of the place where I was born. Here's to you LI!

I love zeroing in on the artworks I appreciate most while visiting museums. Photographing them provides a focus that would otherwise be fleeting. It freezes that moment of appreciation.

Impressions of Paris in September 2010. It truly is the City of Lights!

In September 2010, I took a road trip to Paris and beyond with a friend. These are images from our adventures on the first day when we set out from Zurich, Switzerland to Paris, France.

I found Versailles Palace in France to be a challenging place to photograph. The hoards of tourists were wedged shoulder to shoulder in some narrow galleries. I made the best of it, but I offer this in explanation of the many ceiling shots...

The first Gothic cathedral ever built, Chartres Cathedral has stood for over 800 years. With its soaring arches and unmatched stained glass windows, to enter Chartres is to have a spiritual experience.

I have dreamed of visiting Mont-Saint-Michel on the Normandy coast in France since I was a boy daydreaming in French class on Long Island, New York. It seemed such a magical place, other-worldy and sacred. Decades later, I made this dream come true and to my delight, Mont-Saint-Michel proved to be all those things and more.

King Louis IV of France had this country estate built for his son, a place for him to house his mistress and enjoy the countryside. Today it is a free-ranging zoo.

In September 2010, I went on a road trip through Normandy, France. These are impressions taken along the way.

To visit the Milan Dome is to visit an architectural marvel. Milan is the quintessence of all that makes Italy so fantastic.

I visited Antwerp in September 2010 and was surprised and delighted to discover its many charms and beauties. Middleheim Sculpture was a special visual treasure trove.

To travel along the Rhine River valley in Germany is to explore a trail of amazing castles and stunning landscapes

Can anything be more majestic than a mountain? Soaring up to breathtaking heights they inspire awe in anyone who spends time there.

The moments leading up to and just after sunset, the growing light of dawn and the glorious sunrise are the most magical moments of each and every day, a never-ending spectacle that I never cease to appreciate.

The cityscape is image captured of an urban environment, a detail of the city that evokes its essence as a whole, a sense of urban beauty.

Autumn is the stirring season. Nature prepares to rest and plants put on a display of color as if to exit in a blaze of glory.

Whether in an Asian rice paddy, an American seaside, a Western Desert, Down Under or in the Swiss Alps, the landscapes of this Earth present a never-ending visual fascination for me. These are some of my favorite scenes from our beautiful Planet Earth.

A scenic view is one that makes you catch your breath in admiration of just how amazing this world we live in can be. This is a collection of beautiful scenic imagery.

Waterways, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams and waterfalls all have an intrinsic beauty and they are often surrounded by impressive countryside. They have their own ecosystems with a large variety of flora and fauna. And then they are often used as a mode of transport, or for leisure purposes so one sees a plethora of boats, yachts, windsurfers, dinghies, etc.

Waterfalls are powerful natural forces than never fail to impress. The elements of water, air and earth meet gravity and merge for a brief moment in time.

Rainbows appear as pure magic, surely among the most beautiful sights on the planet. They never fail to captivate the eye, to cause awe and wonder with their ethereal grandeur.

The creatures on Planet Earth offer an unending fascination for me as a photographer. I try to capture the essence of what makes an animal unique and beautiful.

There are few things as beautiful and eye catching as the birds of our world. Their endless variety of shapes and colors never ceases to fascinate me.

There are few things in the natural world that equal the beauty and variety of flowers. They are the essence of attraction and desire and draw my camera again and again...

To see and know the Earth's ocean is to know the planet itself. In all its moods, from serenity to fury, the ocean evokes the primeval in us all. The source of all life, its unique beauty and variety make the oceans an ideal photographic subject.

Cold, crisp, contrasting, with splashes of bright color, winter is a frozen frame of essential moments waiting to be captured.

Green is the color of life on this planet, from algae to redwoods, the green, living beings of Earth made life not only possible, but also incredibly beautiful.

The plant world surrounds us, ubiquitous, yet essential for all life on our planet. Plant life offers unparalleled beauty to a lifetime of fascination.

I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. Alfed Joyce Kilmer

Stone carving and statuary are among the longest lasting forms of art, a moment in time, story, an emotion frozen in stone, then weathering the centuries to tell the tale.

Churches and their contents can be very beautiful, atmospheric and peaceful. The religious art in these churches in the form of paintings, tapestries, frescoes, sculptures, statues and stained glass windows can be both uplifting and inspirational.

In the Northern Hemisphere, when spring arrives it is a joyous celebration of life beginning anew, a riot of color and perfume, so full of promise and beauty.

Every place has its claim to fame. This is a collection of world class monuments and landmarks.

Summer is a delight to all the senses and especially to me as a photographer, because there is a feeling of nature at its peak, a sense of urgency, a compulsion to capture the moment.

As conduits from one place to the next, spanning vast spaces, bridges symbolize human achievement and utilitarian beauty.

Doors, gates & portals are transition points, the delineator between inside and out. They have two sides, one to keep us out and the other to beckon us inside. And like the face of a place, they close up, bar the way, or open for us and welcome us home.

Blessed to live in Europe, I like to go castle-hunting. Each with its own story and style, they tell the tale of European history, a tale of power and intrigue, and of a society that is gone, leaving only majestic shells dotting the countryside.

The gravity defying height, the magnitude of their construction and eye-catching beauty draw my eyes and my lens to towers wherever I am. Here is a collection of some of my favorites.

I love old and rustic buildings, places that bear the scars of years, have gone through the wars and survived what nature has thrown at them.

Towns and Villages can be old, new, rustic, traditional, perched on steep mountainsides, in river valleys, on the shores of lakes or seas, in wetlands, deserts, highlands or lowlands. They can have a myriad of local or regional building styles and peculiarities reflecting the surrounding terrain, building materials or culture of the builders. Wherever they are, they have something to say about their inhabitants and history. Fascinating!

Metal is so essentially man-made, soaring to great design height, decaying in rusty grandeur, so solid and yet so vulnerable. This is my metal collection

I love fungi. Like hidden treasures, they need to be sought after and with their fleshy, moist textures, colors and exotic groupings, they compose ephemeral works of natural art.

This is a collection of my impressions of a recent visit to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. They may not be the most famous works of art there, but they are among my favorites.

Here are a selection of textures and patterns from a wide variety of sources. Some are taken from nature: from the bark of trees, leaves, dappled water, others are taken from man-made structures and artifacts: from pieces of metal, weathered wooden doors, steel coils and panels. It's amazing what you can find if you look for it.

I have always been fascinated by architecture and am always on the look out for unique and beautiful architectural details in the places I visit.

Cities and urban areas have an artistic signature that is unique and evokes the essence of that particular place. I like to sniff out these bits of urban grit and capture them with my lens.

This is a collection of images that are especially suited for graphic layouts to convey a mood, an accent or a touch of the exotic and sensuous.

The term outsider art was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972 as an English synonym for art brut (French: "raw art" or "rough art"), a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture; Dubuffet focused particularly on art by insane-asylum inmates. While Dubuffet's term is quite specific, the English term "outsider art" is often applied more broadly, to include certain self-taught or Naïve art makers who were never institutionalized. Typically, those labeled as outsider artists have little or no contact with the mainstream art world or art institutions. In many cases, their work is discovered only after their deaths. Often, outsider art illustrates extreme mental states, unconventional ideas, or elaborate fantasy worlds. Outsider art has emerged as a successful art marketing category (an annual Outsider Art Fair has taken place in New York since 1993). The term is sometimes misapplied as a catch-all marketing label for art created by people outside the mainstream "art world," regardless of their circumstances or the content of their work.

Abstract photography has an artistic touch that verges on painting. I like to play with various levels of abstraction, ranging from patterns and textures, blurs, reflections, night shots to street art. These shots are manipulated in the camera or the conditions and very little with Photoshop.

France is quintessential European culture wrapped in breathtaking landscapes. I often feel as if I am walking and photographing within a painting.

Can there be anything more fascinating on Earth than its people? Each one unique and ever changing providing never ending subject matter to capture in my lens.

My passion for illustrating has its roots in my early days at Cal Arts in Southern California. No subject is safe from my illustrator's eye! I hope you enjoy this selection of my favorite pieces.

From medieval pottery shards to Balinese ceremonial items, there's a world of color, form and fascination in hand made objects.

Capturing the often fleeting images of street art and graffiti is a hobby of mine. It is bold and in your face and there is a sense of urgency rarely found in a museum or gallery.

There is power in stone texture and patterns, a solidity that conveys a sense of permanence.

Famous paintings, cartoons and frescoes are all obvious subjects for a fine art photo but let your imagination run free and sculptures, objects in nature, leather sofas, pieces of colored glass and even objects fished from the slag of a recycling plant are also suitable subjects for the discerning camera.

I am fascinated and drawn to sacred places. You can find them throughout the world. In my photography I try to capture the essential aura of sacredness these places exude.

Beautiful temples are part of what create the magic of Asian countries. The intricate architecture and decoration bedazzle and entrance.

Though they far outnumber us humans, insects go largely unnoticed, that is, until they become a nuisance. Yet, if you take a closer look, this world of creatures is often beautiful and surprising.

This gallery contains a collection of christian art, stained glass windows, mosaics, sculptures and paintings with a Christian subject.

The golden hours of dawn and glorious heavens of sunset and dust are what this gallery is all about. That time when the light is so beautiful that it takes your breath away.

Rivaling the beautiful landscapes of Bali, its mountains, fields and coast are its people. They often seem to glow from within. Perhaps that comes from their culture of spiritual immersion.

Bali's beaches, coasts and seas teem with life and motion, glorious light and surprising encounters. There are few places I'd rather be than on a golden Bali beach.

The architecture of its lavish temples are part of what lend Bali its magical allure and exotic beauty.

Bali is surely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been privileged to photograph, and keeps me coming back for more. It's landscapes define the word 'breathtaking'.

On the eastern side of Bali the sun rises with an unparalleled glory. You have get up early before the dawn to catch those fleeting moments, but if you do, you are rewarded by one of nature's grand spectacles.

While Bali is quite heavily populated, it is still possible to find idyllic landscapes and nature. This is a collection of photos of the natural side of Bali.

This gallery is dedicated to images captured in industrial settings where sometimes unintentional and ironic beauty can be found.

I beg your pardon, but I never promised you a rose garden. Into each life some rain must fall. In this gallery you'll find images to reflect upon and soon discover that solemnity can be beautiful too.

Happiness, joy, cheerfulness: this gallery is dedicated to the uplifted states of mind and places and things that make you feel good just to look at them. Take a look and soon you'll find yourself smile. It's contagious!

There's a romantic in everyone. In this collection I have assembled photographs of the most romantic places I have seen in my world travels. Step inside and take a few moments to fall in love as I did.

Fiery red. It wows you and fills you with energy and vigor, but in its subtler hues, the color red enchants you in beautiful flowers, autumn leaves, barns, arts and crafts. The passionate red in sunrises and sunsets evokes awe in us all. Revel in red.

Warm, glowing orange. It's there in sunsets and sunrises, plants, flowers, glowing fires, party lights, and beautiful, exotic woven baskets and crafts. Feast your eyes on these wonderful shots.

We live on a blue planet: skylines, skies, interiors, objects, oceans, provide a wealth of possibilities for the color blue and all shades therein. So, if you're feeling blue, step inside and browse.

It's a green world. The color green can be found everywhere you look. The endless shades of green in landscapes, plants and oceans, not to mention objects, ensures an interesting and entertaining journey through this gallery.

Gorgeous yellow. Just drink it in - it's like nectar from the gods. Whether it's a New York taxi cab, a shining sun, gorgeous flowers, serene sunrises, or yellow sands reminding you of your last holiday, enjoy the yellow experience.

What a wonderful color purple is. It can be found in stormy skies, sunsets, flowers, glass windows, objects, curtains, lights, reflections on water and even a net full of dried fish!

While I color, I can often also appreciate the starkness and strength of expression in black and white photography. This is a mixture of shots which are black, black and white, grey or predominantly black or white with a dash of other colors.

I've got a peaceful, easy feeling when I am out in the world photographing. I call it being in the zone. And there are some photos that truly reflect this sense of being at one with all that is.

It's amazing how bright, interesting and colorful the color brown can be! A rusty chain, some wood, fungi, glowing metal surfaces, or animals, to name a few can be a brown feast for the eyes.

We all love Christmas time. If we're lucky it's a white Christmas with snow-covered villages and landscapes brightened up with brightly colored Christmas decorations and lighted trees. Christmas garlands and wreaths hang on our doors and in our houses; glowing snowmen light up our gardens with a warming glow. This gallery contains a few chosen photos of all that's best about Christmas. Enjoy!

I had the opportunity to visit this waste recycling plant and, of course, I took my trusty camera along. It's amazing what subjects for photography such an industrial site can provide. Dentures found in waste water, shiny pipes and buildings and glowing balls of bacteria are all fascinating to photograph!

Welcome to Michael Brewer's Photokwips page. Here I combine two things I like, my best photography and my favorite quotes to create inspirational memes. They can all be shared by e-mail, twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and Google1 with a click.

I stopped over in this colorful city on my way to Bali and couldn't resist the photo-opportunities that this vibrant, multicultural city has to offer. From colonial buildings to colorful temples, fish markets to modern marvels of design and architecture, my camera was red hot!

A deep freeze along a river in Switzerland created these phenomenal ice formations. I felt humbled to experience them. Our world is so very, very beautiful.

Under the sea is one place I really like to be. Otherworldly, aqua blue, the fantastic shapes and colors of the brightly colored fish, I always feel like I am swimming through a painting. That painterly sense is what I also try to capture in my underwater photography. I hope to share a sense of what it feels like to be under the sea.

Leipzig is a mixture of ancient and modern. The old town was a leading european city in the middle ages and includes such names as Johann Sebastian Bach, Mendelssohn and Goethe in its list of inhabitants. Later it became an important industrial centre and had the largest cotton mill in Europe. These photos represent this mix, from the buildings in the old town to an industrial power plant.

Ticino, Switzerland is a little-known jewel that I visit regularly. You drive through a 16 km tunnel beneath the Alps to reach Southern Switzerland, where the houses turn to stone and the language to Italian, where palm trees replace pines. It's a special place where I return with my camera again and again.

A "larger than life" gallery! Whether it be flowers, insects, ice formations or even industrial equipment, zooming in on an object opens up new worlds of visual enjoyment. This gallery contains macro shots of plants, flowers, leaves, fungi, spiders, bees, butterflies, ice, and lots, lots more.

I must admit, I have a fascination for graveyards, always have. One reason is because some amazing art can be found there. Here is a collection of my favorite funereal images from around the world. Some may think it morbid. I think of these images as a celebration of the lives of the people portrayed and an honoring of those who cared enough about them to commission such wonderful works of art that I am privileged to bring back to life and share with you.