Meet the artist at Paterson Photography Fine Art
The Story Behind Paterson Photography Fine Art
Hi, I’m Mike Paterson—the artist behind Paterson Photography Fine Art. My journey with photography started long before I ever thought of it as a career. In fact, my fascination with images goes back as far as I can remember. I was always drawn to great photographs, wondering about the people behind the camera. They seemed so lucky—able to spend their days outdoors, capturing moments most of us could only dream of.
The Early Years
The first time I picked up a camera I was about 15 or 16 years old. At the time, photography was on the edge of transformation. Technology was improving quickly, making photography more accessible to everyday people. I was captivated. Those first images I took may not compare to what’s possible today, but at the time they felt like magic.
My First Camera
The very first camera I remember owning was a Kodak 126. It was simple, easy to use, and perfect for someone just starting out. But it didn’t take long before I felt its limitations. I wanted to learn more, to push boundaries, and to capture images the way I saw them in my mind.
What surprised me was how much misleading information was out there. This was well before the internet, yet finding accurate advice about cameras and photography wasn’t easy. It took years of research, trial, and error before I felt confident enough to invest in better equipment and eventually start my photography business.
The Photograph That Changed Everything
There’s one image that stands out as the true beginning of my journey as a lifelong photographer. It was taken during a winter ski trip in the Lethbridge river bottom. I had snapped countless pictures before that day, but this particular shot was different. It was the photograph that shifted me from being an occasional hobbyist to realizing photography was more than a pastime—it was my passion, and it would become my life’s work.
“I always had a love for the outdoors. Nature and wildlife photography was a way for me to capture what I found and to share it with others”.
Mike Paterson
After living in Waterton I moved to a ranch outside the park for a short time. This allowed me to continue enjoying my love of nature and photography. A couple years later and I found myself moving to Calgary. Working with a photography company and living only minutes from the mountains. A perfect time!
“My time in Calgary allowed me to escape to the mountains weekly if not daily. To explore and take images of the magnificent scenery I found. From Kananaskis to Banff and up the ice field parkway to Jasper”
Return to Lethbridge
Returning to Photography
After moving back to Lethbridge, I continued to enjoy the outdoors and my photography. But life was busy. With a growing family and a thriving photography business, my time behind the camera for personal projects became limited. As I often say, “When you work six days a week taking pictures for clients, a day off was a day away from the camera with the family.”
Now, more than 38 years later, I’m back outside with my camera every chance I get. There’s something incredible about standing in creation and capturing the beauty God has placed all around us. Being able to share that beauty with others through my images feels like both a gift and a calling.
The Artist: Awards & Experience
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to wear many hats in the photography world. I worked for The Lethbridge Herald for many years and have had my work published in publications like Reader’s Digest, Alberta Report, The Calgary Sun, and countless other magazines and newspapers.
Photography has given me the opportunity to connect with people, tell stories, and capture moments that might otherwise have been lost to time. Along the way, I’ve been honored with awards and recognition—but at the heart of it, my passion has always been about the image itself and what it can mean to someone else.
The Print Artist: Experience in Printing
Photography doesn’t end with pressing the shutter. Early on, I realized that printing was just as much an art as capturing the photo itself. I’ve run E-6 (slide) labs, negative and print labs, enlargement labs, and digital labs.
This experience gave me the ability to fine-tune my shooting techniques, knowing exactly how the final print would turn out. I was making large prints from 35mm negatives at a time when it was almost unheard of—pushing the limits of the medium by finding ways to reduce grain and maintain sharpness.
Along the way, I studied with some of the industry’s best and had access to representatives from Kodak, Fuji, Nikon, Canon, Epson, Konica, Adobe, and more. Staying connected with these leaders helped me remain at the forefront of new technology and methods in photography and printing.
Paterson Photography Fine Art Prints
Today, many of my fine art prints can be found in private collections around the world. Each piece I create carries with it a story—of time, place, and memory. When someone purchases a print, it’s not just an image leaving my studio. It feels like a part of me is going with it.
For some photographers, a print may just be another sale. For me, it’s deeply personal. Every photograph I release is tied to an experience I had outdoors—the crisp air of a mountain morning, the stillness of a lake at dawn, or the colors of autumn dancing in the river valley. Sharing those moments through fine art prints allows others to experience them too, even if they weren’t there.