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Michael Friedel was born 1935 and has worked as a professional photographer and photo-journalist since 1954. After winning the Photokina prize in Cologne in 1954, his career quickly took off. His front-cover pictures of Sophia Loren in 1955 and Elvis Presley in 1966, were published in STERN magazine and DER SPIEGEL respectively.
Michael's father, a Munich lawyer, wanted him to take up a "serious" career and was at first unhappy about his choice. But later he was very proud of his son's achievements.
After gathering seven years experience as a staff photographer for STERN magazine in Hamburg, from 1962 to 1968, Michael returned to freelance work and contributed photos to STERN, GEO and other major international magazines.
He has travelled to most countries around the world, producing feature stories with social, political, or scientific themes, and, in many cases, promoting tourism.
Since his marriage in 1968 to Marion, a journalist and writer from Hamburg, the Friedel team has produced 18 different books, mostly for their own publishing company "MM Photodrucke", as well as for various large publishing houses. "MM" stands for "Marion and Michael".
MM publishing focuses on major tourist destinations like the Maldives, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the Seychelles and Mauritius. The books are updated regularly and published in different languages. They are mostly sold in the destinations themselves, and have been reprinted many times.
Michael's photos have been exhibited in over 20 cities and countries including Berlin, Cologne, Hong Kong, Perpignan, Mexico and the Maldives, and Michael has been honoured by the Presidents of Mexico and the Maldives. The Maldive government also issued a series of four postage stamps based on his photographs.
Member of ASMP, USA; BFF, Freelens, DGPh, Germany
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