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MEET THE ARTIST

MICHAEL BELK

I’m an entrepreneur, photographer, and storyteller on a mission to bring Jesus to life—showing his relevance from a fresh and inviting view—so you may come to know Him better, just as I have.

How does an award-winning fashion photographer end up creating photographs of Jesus?

I got my start in fashion working in fine men’s clothing stores in high school and college. By age 23, I landed a prestigious job with a leading men’s clothing brand. Then I discovered photography, and a new passion was born.

What if I could combine my eye for photography with my knowledge of fashion to create “visual sales portfolios” for fashion brands? So throwing caution to the wind at age 28, I left my lucrative job to chase my dream of becoming a fashion photographer in the fashion capital of New York City.


It wasn’t easy, but I persevered, and it paid off! Over time, sales portfolios evolved into my own advertising and marketing agency for brands like J. Crew, Nautica, Talbots, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, and many more. For more than 30 years, my images appeared in Vogue, Elle, GQ, Vanity Fair, and a host of other publications as I traveled to beautiful and exotic locations in America and beyond. I was on top of my game, living the high life, and the fast-paced, jet-setting lifestyle was addictive.

“The year I made the most and had the most was also the year I was most miserable. My journey detoured into a wilderness of despair.”

Despite my success, something was missing. The year I made the most and had the most was also the year I was most miserable. My journey detoured into a wilderness of despair.

A wise person once said, “God has this annoying habit of stepping into our lives, even when we have pulled in the welcome mat and bolted the door.”

You see, I grew up in a loving family where church was part of our life, but I wasn’t a follower of Jesus. In fact, I didn’t know much about Him.

I had been doing life on my own terms all this time until God met me in my wilderness and brought His Son Jesus with Him. It was a meeting that changed my life forever!

In 2008, sensing God’s prompting and with my wife’s blessings, I traded my glamorous globe-trotting lifestyle of success for a “mission of significance”—bringing Jesus Christ to life through the lens of my camera. My vision was to show 1st century Jesus interacting with 21st century people from all walks of life, sharing the lessons and life instructions He came to give us. The result is the compelling collection of fine art photography known as Journeys with the Messiah. Read more about the Journeys with the Messiah project here.

I invite you to come with me behind the scenes for a sneak peek into this enormous undertaking. It has truly been the most difficult, yet most rewarding journey of my life.
I believe it can change yours.