Etranger

"Etranger" is a book of 53 black/white and color photographs including urban street scenes, rural landscapes, portraits, abandoned railroad tracks, subways and train stations, and old cars. The images were taken during journeys across America, Spain, and Israel. Mike Spitz´s photos capture solitude in its many forms. Ranging in style from documentary and photo-journalistic to rural and more abstract images, his photography is heavily influenced by the visual landscape of the places where he has lived, including Ohio, New York, New Orleans, Chicago, and Paris. Spitz´s background in film and cinematography enhances his work as a photographer, giving his photos a strong narrative and composition, deep emotion, and a cinematic visual style. The photography of Mike Spitz has been compared to the likes of Henri Cartier Bresson, Walker Evans, and George Tice. "These photographs represent a single voice and vision. The choice of images, composition, character of the objects and subjects show a sensitive, conscious presence that animates the images with their point of view and framing. The objects and people are compellingly alive, even when only parts of bodies are shown. That's what grabs my attention." (Bruce Joel Rubin, screenwriter for movies Ghost, Jacob's Ladder)

Michael Spitz was born in Ohio and attended New York University. After living in New York, he moved to Chicago where he bought his first camera and began taking photographs. He is now based in Los Angeles. In addition to photography, he has written and directed several short films that have screened on television and in film festivals worldwide. ETRANGER is his first published book of photographs.