TOKYO-2018 Portfolio / Fine Art

Midwest Memoir Portfolio

  • Prize
    Bronze in Portfolio/Fine Art
  • Photographer
    Michael Knapstein
  • Technical Info
    Taken With Nikon D800e And D850 Cameras And A Variety Of Nikkor And Sigma Art Lenses
  • Photo Date
    2010 - 2018

There is a certain magic to the American Midwest. Honest. Modest. Understated. Sometimes unappreciated. Often overlooked. I created Midwest Memoir as a way to help others see the Midwest in which I was raised. The Midwest that shaped my experiences and my artistic aesthetic. The Midwest as I will always remember it, even though it continues to change and disappear around me. If you pause for a moment, perhaps you’ll feel the humid air of an approaching thunderstorm, or catch the smell of fresh laundry as it dries in the summer breeze. That is my Midwest Memoir.

Michael Knapstein (b.1956) is a fine-art photographer who has earned international recognition for his insightful and nuanced visual exploration of the American Midwest. A Wisconsin native, he now lives in Middleton, Wisconsin with his wife, Annette. Michael earned a degree from the University of Wisconsin's College of Fine Arts and Communication and enjoyed a 30+ year career in the advertising industry. He sold his ad agency and retired in 2010. Since that time, he has rekindled his passion for photography.