A Heartfelt Thanks

Photograph by Isabella Lee 2012

It was four years ago on the first of March at 11pm at night that I officially registered Michael J. Lee Photography LLC with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Then shortly before midnight, I made my website live. The following morning I mailed 250 letters to every Architect, Designer and Builder I could think of. The next week, I had coffee with Kyle Hoepner of New England Home and subsequently met with Gail Ravgiala and Jenna Talbot at Design New England's offices. One of my first shoots was for Michael Carter, a project in Nantucket, that would later grace the pages of Design New England and be featured in a book. 


The thing is, along the way, something happened. Something I never expected...


Twenty years ago and on my second day working for Celeste Cooper (we don't talk about the first day), I was asked to substitute a pale pink silk that was discontinued. After almost 2 hours in the building, and almost in tears. Their came from out of the blue someone who would later become one of my most trusted friends, to help me. That person lead me to the back of a silk moire, in the exact pale pink I was looking for... 


Well sixteen years later and four more years after that, the absolute number one source of referrals for me has been, time and time again all the friends whom I've known and trusted at the Boston Design Center. I guess in the end it was the friends whom, well I thought of as friends (not business referrals) that surprised me the most. It has been those friends that have made this career shift the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and I am eternally grateful to all of YOU!


I've been labeled as a Designer's photographer, a title I warmly except as it is when working with Designers' that I feel most at home. And it is those Designers' who have supported me that I must whole heartedly thank for their trust, support and inspiration. Working over the past four years in New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island) has given me a deeper and more humble role in documenting the highest level of good design this country has to offer and I am so privileged to be a small part of this New England Design Community!


The above photograph was taken by my 5 year old daughter Isabella, who has taken an expressed interest in what I do. After recently photographing a teenagers bedroom by Designer Ana Donohue, I let Isabella watch me process the file (as I knew she would enjoy the room). Than 6 weeks later when the image appeared in the Globe Magazine (full page), I was looking through the magazine at breakfast and Isabella said "is your photos in their Daddy..." I let her look through the magazine and when she got to that shot, she looked up at me and said "I remember that, that is so cool, all her friends are going to love seeing her, Daddy!"


Warm Regards, 


Michael