"Many landscapes have photograhers whose name is synonymous with them. Ansel, of course, has Yosemite. Say Everglades and I immediately think of Clyde Butcher. Say the streets of New York City and I think of Helen Levitt, whom I refer to as the Henri Cartier-Bresson of New York. Michael Gordon is the Mojave Desert. He's open and generous. The Mojave makes you that way. He can be a little prickly, but like a Joshua tree, the bird can nest safely in his friendship. He's stalwart, and for every photograph made there's at least one letter written to a congressman, a presentation given or a protest attended to help preserve his desert home. He's a student of the Mojave, knows every plant on a casual and Latin name basis as well as every layer of geologic and human history. That's a trait I'm envious of. He's a master printer. He likes good tequila. His integrity is above reproach. Michael. Mojave."

Bruce Hucko, Moab Photography Symposium Founder and Owner

Michael E. Gordon is an award-winning fine art landscape photographer best known for his black and white impressions of California's deserts which, said Broughton Quarterly, portrays “stunning ethereal beauty from terrain where others see only a bleak landscape.” A lifelong student of nature and wilderness, Michael’s intimate relationship with the natural world yields quiet images of depth and discovery.

Michael's photographs and articles have been published in and on the covers of numerous magazines, newspapers, and textbooks, such as LensWork; Elements; Medium Format; On Landscape; Outdoor Photographer; SHOTS; Backpacker; B+W Photography (UK); Arte Fotográfico; View Camera magazine; Rangefinder; The Wilderness Society; and many more. His fine art prints are held internationally in the private collections of the United States Embassy, Kaiser Permanente; Milken Family Foundation; The Wilderness Society, and many others. Awards and recognition include International Photography Awards, Prix de la Photographie, Paris, and Black & White Spider Awards.

In 2015, Michael was a featured on-camera Death Valley expert in an NHK Japan full-length documentary film.

Michael's love for and commitment to the preservation of imperiled landscapes in California and the American West reaches beyond his photography. His 20-year service as volunteer ranger in the San Gorgonio Wilderness earned him a President's Gold Volunteer Service award, and he has also served on the Board of Directors for the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy.

His photographs have been instrumental in the campaigns of The Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club, Campaign for America’s Wilderness, and National Parks Conservation Association and have helped to shape wildfire management; public lands policy; renewable energy policy; and Wilderness and National Monument designation and expansion.

Michael leads numerous photo workshops and tours each year for photographers of all skill levels and is a staff instructor for The Los Angeles Center of Photography. He also owns and operates Death Valley Photo Tours and Great Printer Profiles.

Michael prefers to live out of doors but keeps a house in Southern California, with his wife Shauna, and is held hostage by numerous feline companions.