Michael C. Snell is a photographer, a graphic designer and a bit of a nerd when it comes to Macintosh computers. He received his first camera at age 7 and had his first image published at 11. Photography remained mainly a hobby during his 14-year stint as an art director with award-winning advertising agencies located in Topeka, Kansas.
After working on accounts as varied as tourism, pet food, banking and children's meal packaging, Michael struck out on his own in 1997 to pursue book design and joined his wife, Sally, as a full-time partner Shade of the Cottonwood. He had also amassed a collection of stock photography relating to the travel industry and began marketing images to publishers and ad agencies.
Michael enjoys the different challenges provided by designing book covers and interiors. He relishes in the details of an interior project; working to provide an elegant, highly-readable page. Covers allow Michael the opportunity to draw on his years in marketing to create a design that is attention-grabbing and communicates the desired message.
Oh, and those Macintoshes? After struggling through Pascal programming in college, Michael now loves getting his hands dirty with every new hardware and software release. His preferred programs are currently Adobe InDesign for print work (after many long years as a Quark-aholic) and GoLive for web sites. Michael also spent a year teaching Photoshop courses at Washburn University.

Michael getting his hands, er, feet dirty as he chalks a prehistoric indian intaglio prior to aerial photography. (photo by Steve Mulligan)

Kansas Impressions, a book of Kansas photography shot by Michael and Steve Mulligan, was published in November of 2006. The book is available through Amazon.com or at your local bookstore.