Over the past 25 years Michael Miller has built an expansive portfolio. Includes over 500 major label album covers,
the most iconic supermodels of the 90's and some of the biggest names in Rap, Rock and Jazz.
Miller was born and raised in Los Angeles and recalls the only radio station that came in clear where he lived during his teenage years was AM 1580 KDAY. As a Santa Monica High School student in the midst of the punk, surf and skate scene, he was listening to RUN DMC, Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick.
Miller graduated from U.C.L.A. with a B.A. in Film, Theater and Television and after college, he took a trip with friends to explore Paris where he met then boxer turned top agent Rene Bosne, who in time became Miller's roommate in Paris and introduced Miller to his first camera. Miller began landing jobs shooting models for John Casablanca and later relocated to Barcelona, Spain where he began to build an impressive portfolio shooting for major campaigns as Cacharel Paris.
Influenced by the techniques of Peter Lindberg, Paulo Roversi and Javier Vallhonrat. Miller developed a method of cross processing film and using different chemical baths for black and white photgraphs. He was on to something that was still undiscovered in the United States, sharing his method with fellow photographers such as Anton Corbijn.
Homesick, Miller returned to his Los Angeles, stomping grounds in 1988 and was immediately picked up by Herb Ritts agency Visages, shooting three advertisements in American Vogue in the first month. His recognition for technique and style in fashion photgraphy gained him attention in the music industry. By the end of 1988, he had photographed his first rapper Arabian Prince.
Impressed with his major campaign for Stussy, DJ Muggs (7A3, Cypress Hill) asked Miller to photograph the demo for a new project titled Cypress Hill that led Miller to becoming a heavily sought after photographer for the hip hop community.
Miller continues shooting for advertisement campaigns, major publications, celebrities and musicians. He currently resides with his wife and two daughters in Los Angeles. His inaugural show, West Coast Hip Hop, A History in Pictures displayed 43 photos, majority of which have never been shown to the public.