INFO

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In London. Photo by James McNaught.

Born and raised in the Skagit Valley, a farming community in Washington State, Michael Christopher Brown (MCB) is a photographer, filmmaker and artist. He has been widely published internationally and is a frequent contributor to publications such as National Geographic Magazine, where has worked as a photographer since 2004. 

A former photographer at Magnum Photos, Brown became known for his pioneering use of the iPhone as a primary reporting device in conflict zones, documenting some of the most pressing humanitarian crises of our time. His seminal documentation of the Libyan Revolution, a road trip through a war zone integrating imagery, texts, and audio from his phone, led to the short film and monograph Libyan Sugar, which won the Paris Photo First Book Award and the International Center of Photography Infinity Award for Artist’s Book. 

After witnessing friends and colleagues die during several near death experiences on frontlines, including his own kidnapping and multiple shrapnel injuries, Brown’s photography became more dynamic, emotional and personal: “Before I was used by photography, now I use photography.” 

On assignment, Brown excels at providing unconventional solutions in challenging situations and locations, having spent 20 years working across six continents including conflict areas in the Middle East and Central Africa, mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where he was based for several years. His passion for utilizing natural light follows from his press background and unique ability to quickly deliver strong images in a variety of situations.

Brown was the main character and a cameraman for the Michael Mann directed HBO documentary Witness: Libya. His work was also featured in several other conflict based documentaries including Hondros, Which way is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington, The Prosecutors and This is Congo. 

In 2023, Brown released the novel and controversial AI reportage illustration work 90 Miles. He lives in Los Angeles with his five year old daughter, Poppy.

Download Artist C.V.

Download Giulia Cassoro’s thesis on MCB for the Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania

 



In Tanzania with Jane Goodall. Photo by Paul Tullis.

 

CLIENTS


AARP, AGA KHAN MUSEUM, AL JAZEERA, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, BLOOMBERG, BRIGITTE MAGAZINE, CSIS, CHOPARD, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, DER SPIEGEL, ECONOMIST, ESPN, EXXON MOBIL, FACEBOOK, FINANCIAL TIMES, FOREIGN POLICY, FORTUNE, FT WEEKEND MAGAZINE, FRONT LINE DEFENDERS, GEO, GETTY IMAGES, HARPER'S, HARVARD PUBLIC HEALTH, HBO, HEMISPHERES, HYPERICE, IISS, ISHKAR, LAND ROVER, LE MONDE, LIVE NATION, MENS JOURNAL, MONOCLE, MSNBC, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, NEWSWEEK, NIKE, OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK, PDN, PIPETTE, POLKA, SAVE THE CHILDREN, SMITHSONIAN, SMITH & NEPHEW, SONY, STANFORD MEDICINE X, TECNO MOBILE, THE ATLANTIC, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, THE NEW REPUBLIC, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, THE NEW YORK TIMES STYLE MAGAZINE, TIME, UNITED NATIONS, U.S. ARMY , U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, VANITY FAIR, VENTIQUATTRO MAGAZINE, VICE, VOGUE, WALL STREET JOURNAL, WIRED

 
 

In the Skagit Valley. Photo by Lauryn Gerstle

 

SELECT COMMISSIONS

AL JAZEERA - Hear the human story

BLOOMBERG - Virunga National Park

GENTLEMEN’S JOURNAL - Chopard

LAND ROVER - Ultimate Vistas

LE MONDE - Election Portraits

LE MONDE - Bruce’s Beach

MSNBC – Hell And High Water

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Microdosing Psychedelics

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Psilocybe Mushrooms

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Circling Alaska

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Congo

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Congo Psychiatric Hospital 

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Northern Giant

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Coronavirus + Skid Row

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Tanganyika

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - The Redwoods

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Congo + Cannabis 

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Young, Angry & Wired

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Fungi

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Supershrooms

NEWSWEEK – Congo

SMITHSONIAN - Cuba

SMITHSONIAN - Kashgar

SMITHSONIAN - Libya

SONY - A Different Great Divide

THE ATLANTIC - China Makes, The World Takes

THE ATLANTIC - Mr. Zhang Builds his Dream Town

THE ATLANTIC - Made in China

THE NEW REPUBLIC - Cairo

THE NEW REPUBLIC - Central African Republic

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE - Jane Goodall

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE - Jeffrey Wright

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE - Havana

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE - African Front

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE - The Deported

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE - Kenya ICC

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE - Madot

THE NEW YORK TIMES T MAGAZINE - Nebraska

THE NEW YORK TIMES T MAGAZINE - Andrea Fraser

TIME - China’s High-Speed Rail

TIME - Hurricane Sandy

TIME - Ordos

TIME - An iPhone in the DRC

VOGUE - Reggae Revival

 
 

In Congo (D.R.C.). Photo by Michael McCabe.

 
 
 

In Alaska. Photo by Roman Dial.


SELECT PRESS

ABC NEWS - Libyan Sugar

ALESSIA GLAVIANO - Interview

ARTRIBUNE - MCB Italian Retrospective

AVAUNT MAGAZINE - Goma Airport

AVAUNT MAGAZINE - Interview

A SMALL VOICE PODCAST - MCB

BBC PODCAST - Congolese Soldier

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY - Libyan Sugar

CAPTURE QUEUE - MCB

CBS - Skid Row

CNN - Libyan Sugar

CYBERDOGZ PODCAST - The Art of War

DECOUVRIR LA VIE - MCB

DER TAGESSPIEGEL - MCB

DIGITAL PHOTO PRO - MCB

EL PAIS - Yo Soy Fidel

EXIBART - MCB Italian Retrospective

EYE OF PHOTOGRAPHY - Yo Soy Fidel

FILMMAKER’S PODCAST - Photographing Protests

FOAM MAGAZINE - Libyan Sugar

FONDAZIONE OELLE - MCB Italian Retrospective

FOREIGN POLICY - Night Creatures

FSTOPPERS - Congo

FOTO.NO – Sidi Bilal

GRRYO - MCB

GUARDIAN - The Airport

GUP - MCB

HARPER’S MAGAZINE - Sirocco

HBO - MCB

HOUSTON CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPY - Libyan Sugar

HUCK - Yo Soy Fidel

HUNGRY EYE - MCB

JETSET - MCB

LEFT FIELD PROJECT - MCB

LENSCULTURE - Afghanistan

LENSCULTURE - Libyan Sugar

LENSCULTURE - Yo Soy Fidel

MELODIE & RHYTHMUS - Skid Row

MEN’S JOURNAL - Libyan Sugar

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ITALY - MCB

PDN - Yo Soy Fidel

PHOTO BRIGADE - Behind the Lens with MCB

PHOTOGRAPH MAGAZINE - Libyan Sugar

PHOTOGRAPH MAGAZINE - Libyan Sugar #2

PH MUSEUM - MCB

RENCONTRES ARLES - Yo Soy Fidel

REPORTAGE - MCB

REVUE 21 - Kivu, Mined Land

RUSSIA TODAY - SAKHALIN

SAVE THE CHILDREN - Jordan Workshop

SICILIAN POST - MCB

SMITHSONIAN - Goma Airport

THE NEW YORK TIMES - Frontline Operations in Africa

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE - Best Books

TIME - Best Photo Books

TIME - Libyan Sugar

TIME - The War in Libya

VANITY FAIR - Libyan Sugar

VANTAGE - MCB

VICE - MCB

VICE - MCB #2

VISUAL JOURNALISTS - MCB

VISUAL REVOLUTIONARY PODCAST - Part 1

VISUAL REVOLUTIONARY PODCAST - Part 2

VOICES OF PHOTOGRAPHY - MCB

WASHINGTON POST - Libyan Sugar

WASHINGTON POST - Yo Soy Fidel

 

In Kabul. Photo by Jared Moossy.