Mike Busselle biography

Born in 1935, Michael Busselle has been a professional photographer now for more than 40 years, beginning in his teens as a dye-transfer printer for a top London colour laboratory. This was followed by a spell assisting a leading advertising photographer. He then freelanced for a year or so working mainly on travel assignments for a number of publishers after which he established a studio in London¹s West End working for national advertising and editorial clients on subjects ranging from still life and fashion to industry and nudes.

In 1977 he wrote a best-selling book on photographic technique, MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY - Mitchell Beazley. Selling a million copies world-wide, it helped to establish him as a writer and to follow a new course in his career. He now written and illustrated 46 books including: TAKE BETTER PHOTOGRAPHS - Octopus Books, PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE - Macdonalds, THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PHOTOGRAPHY - Octopus Books, PHOTOGRAPHER¹S QUESTION AND ANSWERS - Collins and THE COMPLETE 35 MM SOURCE BOOK - Mitchell Beazley.

His first travel book was published in 1986, THE WINE LOVER'S GUIDE TO FRANCE - Pavilion Books. It was awarded runner-up in Wine Magazine¹s Book of the Year and was also featured in the Sunday Express magazine. LANDSCAPE IN SPAIN - Pavilion Books, was published in 1988, it was awarded runner-up in the Ortiz Echague competition sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Tourism and was featured in the Sunday Telegraph magazine.

CASTLES IN SPAIN - Pavilion Books, a large-format illustrated guide featuring the Parador hotels, was published in 1989 and was the subject of a six-part serialisation in the Observer magazine. He illustrated Freda White¹s classic guide to south-west France, THREE RIVERS OF FRANCE - Pavilion Books which was also published in 1989 and featured in the Sunday Express magazine.

DISCOVERING THE VILLAGES OF FRANCE - Pavilion Books, was published in 1991 and PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSIGNMENTS - David & Charles, in 1992. THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING - David & Charles, was published in the Spring of 1993 and a collection of landscape photographs, ENGLAND, THE FOUR SEASONS, was published by Pavilion Books in September 1993. DISCOVERING THE COUNTRY VINEYARDS OF FRANCE and FRANCE, THE FOUR SEASONS, were published by Pavilion Books in 1994. PHOTOGRAPHY, HINTS & TIPS was published by Harper Collins in May 95. DISCOVERING SPAIN was published by Pavilion in April 1997 and TO LIVE IN FRANCE was published by Thames & Hudson in the Autumn of 1997.

FRENCH VINEYARDS, a complete illustrated guide, was published by Pavilion in April 98 and was nominated for the Andre Simon Wine Book of the Year Award. He has also written and illusrated eight titles in the BETTER PICTURE GUIDE SERIES, on Travel Photography, Photographing Gardens, Black and White Photography, Landscape Photography, Photographing People, Still Life and Close-Up Photography, Colour Photography and Vacation Photography. These are published by Rotovision with co-editions in eleven languages.

He illustrated a book on the French wine village of PAUILLAC which was published by Mitchell Beazley in October 98 and was given a special award by the Andre Simon Wine and Food Book of the Year. He is currently working on a large-format book on creative photography together with a guide to creative digital photography.

He writes a regular column for Traveller Magazine as well as writing and illustrating features on photography, travel and wine periodically for a number of magazines including, The Sunday Express, Signature, France Magazine, Weekend Telegraph, Observer, Decanter, Wine Magazine, Connoisseur, Photo Answers, Amateur Photographer, British Journal of Photography, Practical Photography, Outdoor Photography, The Photographic Journal, Sovereign and Atlantic Monthly. He has held a number of one-man exhibitions at venues which include the Photographer¹s Gallery, Tapestry and the Ilford Gallery.

A Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, he is also a member of the distinctions panel, gives illustrated talks to camera clubs and presents photo workshops. He runs a one-man photolibrary and is also represented by major photo libraries with his photographs regularly appearing in books, magazines and advertising material throughout the world.