My Story
2012 – 2013: Photos
I only discovered my creative side when I was into my thirties. I bought my first iPhone in January 2012, set up my @mike_n5 Instagram account and it all took off from there.
I only discovered my creative side when I was into my thirties. I bought my first iPhone in January 2012, set up my @mike_n5 Instagram account and it all took off from there.
Before this, photography was something I only did when on holiday or on family occasions. Instagram suddenly gave me a reason to take pictures. I tried lots of genres, but architecture was my favourite subject. I loved photographing buildings and empty spaces.
Instagram was very different back then. Before Reels, influencers and ads, it was all about photography and specifically mobile photography. There was a great community of people who met online to share work, ideas and techniques and offline to go on photo walks.
At the end of that first year, I won a national photography award for this image of a station corridor. The following year, I did various series and projects, including taking a photo from all 270 London Underground Stations. It was an obsession that was becoming more than a hobby.
An early edit that won me 2012 Mobile Photographer of the Year
2014 – 2015: Creative Editing
I got into Digital Art when my priorities changed. My daughter was born at the end of 2013 and my Dad became seriously ill six months later. I no longer had the time or energy to do the thing I enjoyed the most, but I did have hundreds of photos on my phone.
At the end of a long day or when sitting around in the hospital ward, I did some experimental editing of my old photos with iPhone apps, distorting, mirroring, blending and learning all sorts of new processes. The little silhouette figure made its first appearance around this time too. I realised there was a lot more you could do besides adding filters. At the time, it was welcome escapism, and I was teaching myself skills I would build on later.
Turning old photos into something new
2016 – 2018: After Photography
When my Dad died, I lost all enthusiasm for photography and felt totally burnt out. I tried to get back into it with a short trip to Berlin, but I was just copying the same shots I’d seen dozens of times on Instagram. I gave up completely for a while, until I started playing with the apps again.
I moved away from editing old photos and started making images from scratch. I realised that I could incorporate all the elements I enjoyed in architectural photography into my art - geometry, patterns, lines, symmetry and perspective, all made using the same photo editing software on my phone and iPad. I got a positive response to these experiments which encouraged me to explore this new direction further.
Making images from scratch
2019 – Now: Finding my Voice
I settled into the style of work I produce now a few years ago and most of the images I share on my site were created from 2019 onwards. 2020 was something of a breakthrough year, when I was featured in designboom magazine. This generated a lot of interest from across the world, and my pictures have been published in various online and print publications. I have also contributed artwork to books, album covers and media outlets.
It’s taken me so long to decide what to do with my art, other than share it on social media. The world of crypto art and NFTs holds little appeal to me. I always assumed that the non-traditional way I make my work would make it unsuitable for high-resolution printing. Every time someone had a suggestion, I would always come up with an excuse or an obstacle.
My work on the cover of Wired Italia magazine, August 2020
Art Prints
So why art prints and why now? The penny has finally dropped that the best way for my work to find a home beyond the phone screen is to make it into a physical object that will last forever. I’ve taken my time to research how to make my pictures look as good as possible on paper and have teamed up with a printing partner that uses the highest quality papers and archival inks. I’ve been blown away by how good the test prints look and I’m so excited to share them with the world.
Printed on Hahnemühle Pearl paper, each edition comes with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity. There will only ever be 20 available in each size. You can shop now and sign up to my mailing list to find out about future releases before anyone else. Browse my collections and If you have a favourite you would like to see as a future limited edition, let me know at mike_n5@outlook.com or send me a message on Instagram.
