Mike Page's first experience of photography came when he joined his school's Photography Club in 1954.
When he learned to fly ten years later he was able to extend his skills into aerial photography, recording on film changes both industrial and natural in his native Norfolk landscape, always with Canon cameras and lenses. More recently Mike has concentrated solely on digital photography, having started with an EOS D30, progressing to an EOS D60 and then an EOS 5D which is still in use today along with an EOS 1D MkII.
His photographic library now contains around 35,000 images.
In 2005 publishers Halsgrove brought out a book of his aerial photographs of the Norfolk Broads with interpretive texts by journalist Pauline Young. 'Broads Eye View' very quickly sold out the first edition and has gone to reprint with over 3,000 copies sold to date and demand continuing.
In June 2006, again with Pauline Young's texts, Halsgrove published a second book of Mike's aerial pictures (approximately 150 of them), this time of the Norfolk Coastline. Sales topped 1000 copies in the first three weeks.
From his collection of photographs taken over a number of years together with recent ones, Mike has been able to record dramatic coastal erosion, coastal drift and the differing characteristics of the whole stretch of the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline starting at Felixstowe in the south and ending at Kings Lynn. In this latest book he has photographed historic buildings, villages, windfarms, monastic ruins, new housing developments, cliff falls, harbours, windmills, beaches, sand dunes, industrial scenes and nature reserves of which there is an unbroken chain along much of the North Norfolk Coast. He particularly enjoys capturing changing cloud formations and the effects of wind upon wave patterns in sand at various states of the tide also the extraordinary colours and textures of saltmarshes, the last natural wildernesses.
Because aerial photography can be used for such as variety of purposes Mike's images have been used by many organisations, the news media and schools. Using a small video camera attached to the aircraft he has produced in addition three video films and DVDs of the Suffolk and Norfolk coastline with all profits from the sales donated to the RNLI and to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
To date in excess of £45,000 has been presented to these and other charities from film sales and all royalties from the sales of the books will go straight to local charities.
'Suffolk Coast from the air', 'Broads Eye View' and 'Norfolk Coast from the air' are all published by Halsgrove price £14.99 and are available direct from them by mail order by telephone 01823 653777.
Also available from most bookshops. The 'East Anglia from the Air' DVD is also available from Halsgrove.
