Mike Kirschner is a celebrated photographer whose work features prominently in the San Francisco Bay Times. Known for capturing vibrant moments at Pride events, his impactful imagery earned him the Visions of Pride Award for his photo of Billy Porter. Kirschner's journey began in 1983 with a Minolta XG-M camera given by his parents. After some time away from photography, he rediscovered his passion in 2011, transitioning to Pentax cameras and lenses. Kirschner continues to document the LGBTQ+ community, reflecting his deep commitment to photography and storytelling through images.
"I take a camera wherever I go," Kirschner says. "I started shooting in 1983 when my parents gave me a Minolta XG-M along with some of my grandfather's Minolta MC lenses for my birthday."
"I spent lots of time shooting, developing, and printing at the Harvey Milk Photo Center in San Francisco. I lost interest at some point along the way caused, in part, by what I saw as Minolta's decision to obsolete all my lenses!"
"But then got so frustrated in 2011 when my Panasonic point-n-shoot demonstrated its profound inadequacy to shoot an important show at a nightclub in San Francisco."
"I did some research and decided on the Pentax universe. I've been acquiring M42 and K-mount and other cameras and lenses ever since, and getting back to what I once loved and again love: photography."
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