Michael Sweet (photographer)

Michael Sweet
Born (1979-03-23) March 23, 1979
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
Occupation Photographer, Writer, Educator
Nationality Canadian
Alma mater Johns Hopkins University
Genre Street Photography, Poetry, Essay
Notable works The Human Fragment, Michael Sweet's Coney Island
Website
www.michaelsweetphotography.com

Michael Ernest Sweet (born March 23, 1979) is a Canadian photographer, writer and educator.

Early life

Michael Ernest Sweet was born and raised on his family's farm in Martock, Nova Scotia. Michael Sweet taught in public schools in Montreal, Quebec, from 2003 to 2015 and founded Learning for a Cause,[1][2] which earned him two of Canada's highest civilian honors for his contributions to Canadian education, A Prime Minister's Award [3] and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal.[4] Sweet is also a two-time national finalist for The Governor General's Award for Teaching Excellence.[5]

Photography

Sweet is known for his oddly-framed, gritty,[6] low-fi,[7] close-up street photography, as well as for his use of cheap cameras, including disposables.[8][9] He is the author of two street photography monographs, The Human Fragment, which earned him advance praise from noted photographers Jay Maisel and Roger Ballen, as well as the attention of New York arts writer and critic Michael Musto,[10] and Michael Sweet's Coney Island, which features a foreword by Bruce LaBruce, and received advanced praise from Magnum Photos photographer Martin Parr. Sweet's most notable photographic work, grainy close-up black and white shots of Coney Island, earned him a "passing of the torch" in an endorsement from photographer Harold Feinstein,[11] who spent most of his life documenting the famous urban beach. His photography often consists of "human fragments"—partial views of people on the street.[12][13] His works are mainly presented in black and white, with a grainy texture.[14]

Sweet's photography has won international contests and awards including both a portfolio and spotlight prize in Black and White Magazine,[15] a Popular Photography 2013 prize. Sweet has written for the Evergreen Review, Canadian Teacher Magazine, Reed Magazine, English Journal and others.[16][17][18][19] Sweet was a regular blogger for The Huffington Post photography section from 2014 until early 2016. Sweet is currently a judge and member of the curator team for the World Street Photography organization.[20]

Personal life

Sweet is married to poet Matthew Hittinger,[21] they live in New York City.

Books

Other writings

References

  1. ↑ "Montreal Students Get Down to Earth". Canadian Teacher Magazine.
  2. ↑ "Publishing Student Work Validates Young Voices". Montreal Families Magazine.
  3. ↑ "Prime Minister's Awards For Teaching Excellence".
  4. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal Database". The Governor General of Canada.
  5. ↑ "Michael Sweet and Raymond Tomasino Finalists for Governor General's Award for Teaching History".
  6. ↑ "Canadian Street Interview with Michael Sweet".
  7. ↑ "La street photography Lo-Fi de Michael Ernest Sweet". Fisheye Magazine (France).
  8. ↑ "Instinct Interview: Photographer Michael Ernest Sweet". Instinct Magazine.
  9. ↑ "Michael Sweet's Disposable Camera". The Huffington Post.
  10. ↑ "The Sweet & The Tough". Out Magazine.
  11. ↑ "The Human Fragment, Photographs by Michael Ernest Sweet". World in Photo.
  12. ↑ "Michael Ernest Sweet: Attraction to the Human Fragment". Leica Camera AG.
  13. ↑ "Michael Ernest Sweet Discusses The Human Fragment and What He Hates About Digital Photography". The Village Voice.
  14. ↑ "New York Noir: Capturing The City's Grit & Grime". Hyperallergic.
  15. ↑ "B&W 2013 Portfolio Contest Winners". Black and White Magazine.
  16. ↑ "The Evergreen Review, Issue 119". The Evergreen Review.
  17. ↑ "Controversy in the Classroom". Canadian Teacher Magazine.
  18. ↑ "About Reed Magazine". San Jose State University.
  19. ↑ "English Journal, Vol. 98, No. 4". National Council of Teachers of English.
  20. ↑ "World Street Photography Curator Team".
  21. ↑ "Creative Couples: Interview with Michael Sweet & Matthew Hittinger (p. 34-37)" (PDF). Poets & Artists Magazine.

External links

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