Michael McDermot is one of the Prescott Area Artists whose work is on display in the Fine Art Photography exhibit through Jan. 24 in the Main Gallery at ‘Tis Art, 105 S. Cortez Street Prescott.

McDermot has traveled to over 40 countries on personal and business trips, always exploring and capturing images of the local culture and scenery. He plans to visit more new countries each year.

McDermot started taking photographs as a teenager.

“I’ve been taking pictures, basically, since I was 16 when I got sent to Spain as an exchange student and I was told I had to give a slide show when I got home,” McDermot said. “All throughout my life I’ve been taking pictures but really got real serious about it after I got used to digital photography, probably around 2007.”

It wasn’t until he retired from a management position in Houston, Texas, that he was able to focus on being a photographer.

“I’m 68 years old and I moved here after being fortunate enough to retire early from my IT management job in Houston,” McDermot said. “I retired in 2013, moved here in 2014, and started this small business in 2016. I’ve always traveled and I’ve been to over 45 countries. My National Park count now is 32. There are 63 national parks, so I’m still working on that. So it’s the travel combined with the photography that kind of makes me tick.”

The exhibition at ‘Tis Art requires a different kind of work than the photos he takes for greeting cards and calendars.

“The things that I sell and do are a lot of local landscapes and Arizona stuff and greeting cards that are like birds and hummingbirds and a lot of landscapes and things like that but with ‘Tis, it’s Fine Art,” McDermot said. “When I travel, when I do my photography, I’m always looking for that shot that is more of a fine art aspect than a straight shot of an animal or a landscape or something like that.”

McDermot explained that the differences between the two styles are subtle.

“Fine Art is a different category for me,” McDermot said. “It’s something special. It’s high quality. It’s kind of subject driven, which is something someone would consider Fine Art. Usually, they hang what I bring them and this time it’s going to be two nature shots and one macro close-up shot of an abalone shell.”

Before McDermot started working with digital photography, there were more technical challenges.

“It was very complicated to get everything right with all the settings and types of film and stuff like that,” McDermot said. “Digital has made it technically easier with some practice and some familiarity with your equipment.”

For more information about Michael McDermot’s work, visit www.fotosalongtheway.com.

Jesse Bertel is a reporter/videographer for the Prescott News Network. Follow him on Twitter @ JesseBertel, email him at jbertel@prescottaz.com, or call 928-445-3333, ext. 2043.