Today we’d like to introduce you to Miki Lansdowne.
Miki, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I fell in love with abandoned structures as a young child. I was only seven years old when my mom gave me a disposable film camera, and I photographed everything around me. It was the country roads of West Virginia that ignited my passion for urban exploration and photography. I loved the old barns and rundown houses. I have lived in several different states throughout my life, which has opened the door to many opportunities. In 2006, I landed my first photography gig with Out On The Rock, photographing events and music around Little Rock, Arkansas. I fell in love with live music photography. In 2007, I started my own photography business in Columbia, South Carolina, called Livewire-Locals. It was a great experience to photograph local and well-known national musicians. In 2009, when the economy crashed, unfortunately, I had to close Livewire-Locals, which allowed me to start a new adventure to become a beauty artist. I never gave up my passion for photography, though.
I got involved in urban exploration about three years later when I met my dear friend Tyrell Anderson. Together we started exploring Gary Indiana, which inspired my first book. Our adventures began attracting other photographers, and before long, we became a group of people now known as the Decay Devils, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the historic preservation of Gary Indiana. It is a real honor for me to be one of the founding members of this amazing group of artists.
My work has been showcased on PBS Artist Showcase across the country, and the interview was nominated for a 2014 Emmy award. I was also honored by Raw Natural Born Artists in Sacramento, California as a photographer of the year and deemed one of Savannah’s South Magazine’s top 10 greatest photographers. My latest journey with the Decay Devils was exploring and photographing Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. I also recently published my first book, Abandoned Gary Indiana Steel Bones. When I am not exploring, my other passions include my 1998 Harley Davidson and working as a beauty artist in Bluffton, South Carolina. I moved to Savannah in November of 2020. I am really enjoying the history and architecture of this beautiful city.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
With everything in life, struggle is always a part of every journey, but without struggle, we would not know what accomplishment feels like. Photography has always been my creative outlet, but in the business of photography, it can be hard to self-promote and set yourself apart from a sea of other photographers. With the increase of social media, it is harder to sell your work when people can view all of your work online for free. It is like a 24-hour art show without having to go anywhere. Being an urban exploration photographer at times is hard to gain access to abandoned places and requires a lot of travel which interferes with new art being produced. It has been increasingly difficult due to covid to have art shows or to promote portrait work in a new city, but I am thankful for opportunities like this one to share my story.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am known for being a Jill of all trades, but I am most known for showing the history of a place that seems to have been forgotten. I bring out the beauty in the midst of decay. I take people places they may never get to experience or may even be afraid to go. I am most proud of my recent journey to Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine and accomplishing my dream of publishing a book. What sets me apart is that I have a natural composition ability. My eyes are always scanning life as if it is through a photographic lens, that’s just how my mind see things.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I also do portrait work. I enjoy collaborating with other artist and I am in the process of trying to put together an exhibit and release some of my work around Savannah.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: mikilansdowne.com
- Instagram: @mikilansdowne @ thesilentpoetstudio
