Well suffice it to say that life, as we sometimes call the day to day chaos, is now slowing down and I finally have some time to dedicate to this site. Many have asked about the business site, the name, and my intentions in the field.  The short version is this:  The Memories by Michael Photography Inc. brand (doing business as Mike Hucal Photography etc) is now officially closed and dissolved.  This was a tuff decision but one that was necessary for the time of life I was in.  Photography for me had been a passion to capture those unique moments that were otherwise lost in the world we live in because of this thing called time.  That passion started to disappear when the day-to-day operations of the business, and family matters took over.  I had always promised myself when the time came that I no longer could deliver 100%, I would walk away.  

Sometimes by walking away from ones dreams, we are then able to realize the full potential of what that dreams truly is.  When we take the time to clear our minds we realize what really fueled the passion.  For me, that passion was capturing and documenting life.  There is something about looking at an image after capture and realizing that image, caught in a matter of a split second, tells a story that could be a chapter long in a book.

In our world, now filled with technology in phones, tablets, and consumer grade cameras, (all capable of capturing amazing images) I feel that photographer is becoming extinct.  To back up that statement you first have to understand what a "photographer" is to me.  A photographer is an artist first.  He or she is one who can invasion what the final artwork may be, then use the camera to capture the moment.  Of course it goes without saying that post production work comes into play.  However, there needs to be a talent for using the camera without the computer to "fix" the image.

Second, a photographer is one who is professional.  How you treat others, your team, and the craft itself, determines the true professional character of a photographer.  While this post could go on for awhile of what my definition of a real photographer is, let me not take your mind away from what I am trying to say, as my definition is not by any means the only definition.  What I am trying to say in a nutshell is this; photography is an art and a way to capture and document life.  When blended together and used as both, it is sure to be something that will give your life meaning, as I know it did for me.  However, when used this way and for the good of others, it is a way that will give the world meaning.  It is and can be a way to help people look back and with no words mentioned, bring a series of emotions to the viewer.  It does this because every image tells a story.  Every image inspires emotion.  It is my goal to use this site to help inspire others to reach beyond the text books, and document their life one image at a time.  In doing so, I too can learn from those I interact with and perhaps together we can make sure that the photography we create today will not be scattered along the waist yards in the form of crashed hard drives.  Welcome and stay tuned for what I pray will be another fun journey as I embrace the return of my original passion-Artistically Capturing Today's Moment's for Tomorrow's Memories.