Michel Hersen’s photography of the Northeast, West, Northwest, and Southwest is inspired by knowledge of Hudson River School painting. His objective is to present the viewer with a tableau permeated by inner light taking advantage of 21st century artistic vision. His photographic art is characterized by a clear compositional framework, luminosity, and coloration. Hersen is a Field Contributor to Nature Photographer and he is a member of the North American Nature Photography Association and the Northwest Outdoor Writer's Association. Eighteen of his Oregon Landscapes were the subject of a one-person exhibition (Michel Hersen: Oregon Landscapes) at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem, Oregon, from August 7, 2010 until October 10, 2010. They now are in the permanent collection of that Museum. His landscape, nature, and wildlife photographs have appeared in Popular Photography, Shutterbug, Nature Photographer, Outdoor Photographer, Pacific Magazine, Camping Life, the Oregonian, the American Psychologist, Brainstorm Northwest Magazine, Cabin Life, Country, Amateur Photographer, Night Sky, Starry Night Times, Pacific Coast Philology, Oregon Lakes & Rivers Magazine, Photographer’s Forum, Portland Business Journal, WildBird Magazine.com, The Garden Path (from the Portland Japanese Garden), Backpacker Magazine, Bird Watching, Exposure, Northwest Outdoor Writers Association, and NANPA Expressions 2012 (the 250 best images from the North American Nature Photography Association Showcase Competition). His work also has been published in the Portland Japanese Garden Calendar, the Oregon Field Guide Calendar (2009), Oregon Bounty Calendar (2013), in commercial postcards, and the Oregon Public Broadcasting Calendar (2012). He has been the winner of numerous photographic competitions, including Oregon Wild in 2008 (First Prize) and 2011 (Honorable Mention), Silver Linings Contest in 2008 (First Prize), Oregon Naturally Contest 2010 (Second Prize), and Washington County Nature & Wildlife Competition 2010 (First Prize). He has exhibited and sold his works at the Grand Works Northwest Art Festival, has exhibited his work at the Cawein Gallery at Pacific University, and sold his work at the Portland Japanese Garden. His photo of the Portland Japanese Garden in Autumn serves as the cover for the Connections Brochure of Providence Home Services of Providence Health & Services and also hangs in Portland City Hall. Several of Hersen’s photographs are in the art collection at Pacific University. Two of Hersen’s photographs were exhibited at the Oregon Salon of Photography at the Oregon State Fair in 2010, two in 2011, and five in 2012. His photos of the Portland Japanese Garden are in collections both in the United States and Japan. He has been Nature's Best Photography Magazine Picture of the Week winner for December, 9-15, 2010, February 26-March 4, 2013, and March 12-18, 2013. This magazine is associated with the Smithsonian. Hersen's shot of a Northern Pintail Taking Off is the Grand Prize Winner of the 2011 Oregon Lakes & Rivers (Live) Bird Hunting Photo Contest. Hersen's photo of the McKenzie River serves as the cover for Lilian Duval's novel: You Never Know." From April 29 ,2011 through the Summer of 2011 Hersen was one of two photographers featured in an exhibition entitled: Beautiful/Gritty: Nature/City, held at International Images Ltd. in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. This exhibition was reviewed in the September 3, 2011 issue of Art News, with the reviewer stating that: "Hersen's images have a sublime quality. . ." (p. 121). Helen Longest-Saccone, Editor-in-Chief of Nature Photographer, has recently described Hersen's photos of Denali National Park as "stunningly beautiful Images." Debi Allen, Deputy Editor of Amateur Photographer, has extolled the "quality of his images." Several of Hersen's shots have served as the Photo of the Week for Oregon Lakes & Rivers Magazine. On July 21, 2011 Hersen gave a presentation at the Maryhill Museum of Art (Goldendale, Washington) entitled: "Make that picture: Don't just take it" at the Summer Art Institute on Earth, Fire, Water, Air: The Elements of Creativity. Hersen is the Third Place Winner in the Landscape Category for the 2011 Catch the Color Wooden Shoe Tulip Photo Contest. Hersen's photos of birds seen at Commonwealth Lake Park in Beaverton, Oregon were the subject of Kyla Merwin Cheney's essay (Captured in Time) in Oregon Lakes & Rivers Magazine (December 19, 2011). From January 11, 2012 through February, 2012 Hersen participated with Les Dougherty and E.J. Baeza in an exhibition at Valley Art Gallery in Forest Grove, Oregon. Hersen's photo of the Maroon Bells at Dawn reached the top 10 in the 2011 Photo of the Year Contest. This photo was exhibited at the Oregon Historical Society in January and February, 2012. On several occasions Hersen's photos have appeared in the Daily Sampler on the website of the North American Nature Photography Association. Two of Hersen's shots of wildlife are in the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge brochure. During April 2012 Hersen had an exhibition of several of his Death Valley series photographs at the Pro Photo Supply Lab Gallery in Portland, Oregon. During August and September of 2012, 14 of Hersen's photos were exhibited at the Geezer Art Gallery of Portland, Oregon. Several of Hersen's landscapes were selected as the winners in the first Nature Photographer's Magazine Contest in 2012. On several occasions Hersen has participated as a judge in photo competitions held in the Northwest. Hersen exhibited one of his photos in the 30th Annual Visual Arts Showcase in Beaverton, Oregon (2012). Hersen is the Third Prize winner of Popular Photography's Photo of the Month, which was published in the March, 2013 issue of the magazine. In 2013 Hersen won both First and Second Prizes for his photographs submitted to the Photography Outdoors competition held by the Northwest Outdoor Writer's Association. Also in 2013 Hersen was one of 40 winners in the Edges of Night competition sponsored by PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury Vermont. His winning photograph of Sunrise at the West Mitten was on exhibition at the Gallery from June 18-July 13, 2013. Examples of Hersen’s work can be seen at Photographybymichel.net He is represented by Danita Delimont Stock Photography of Bellevue, Washington and the Geezer Gallery in Portland, Oregon.