| By his own account, Michael Belk has lived a | | | | produced for others and asked him to |
| blessed life. As a worldly fashion photographer, he | | | | “pitch” the advertising for one of their |
| has been one of the best. His work has appeared | | | | larger divisions. He won the account, and Michael |
| in Vogue, Elle, GQ and Vanity Fair. And his clients | | | | Belk & Company’s business jumped 400 |
| have been a constellation unto themselves: | | | | percent. “We were cooking! Print campaigns, |
| Nautica, J.Crew, Polo and Christian Dior - to | | | | television commercials and, along with a string of |
| namedrop a few. But that’s just a portion of | | | | other accounts, I didn’t feel at home if not on |
| what he has accomplished in his life time. | | | | an airplane or in a hotel.” |
| Combining his gift for photography with a natural | | | | At 42, his life had great excitement, huge |
| sales sense, he’s created advertising | | | | success, but very little substance. “Outwardly, |
| campaigns for many well-known names in the | | | | my life was full. Inside, I was running on |
| clothing industry. For 30-plus years, he has been | | | | empty.” Physically and emotionally, he ran out |
| the man behind the camera, the creative director | | | | of steam. “You can red-line your engine only |
| and the account executive - a one-stop shop for | | | | so many times and mine had flamed out.” |
| fashion advertising. | | | | Michael found himself in a very dark place. “I |
| “It has been intense,” he says, “but it | | | | kept thinking that I could get myself out of this |
| has been a whole lot of fun... not as much about | | | | abyss, but it just wasn’t happening.” Lying |
| work as it has been about playing at something I | | | | awake one night, completely unsure of his fate, |
| love - traveling the world and working with many | | | | Michael had a visitor. |
| of the great models and crews in our industry." | | | | “You think back over these things and |
| Not bad for a self-taught photographer who | | | | wonder if they really happened, but I distinctly |
| never picked-up a camera until he was 20. Born in | | | | remember the absolute presence of God in my |
| Orlando and growing up in Ocala, Michael had a | | | | room. He asked me if I wanted to keep doing |
| different life envisioned for himself when | | | | things my way or maybe try them His way. I |
| photography snagged his soul. “Working in | | | | knew that I couldn’t get out of this on my |
| retail clothing in high school and college, I was | | | | own, and realized that it was time to try His |
| interested in the clothing industry and had no clue | | | | way.” From that moment, Michael says, his life |
| about photography.” | | | | began to change. “It was still a difficult time. |
| But somewhere around his 20th birthday, he and | | | | God had no intention of fixing it all at once.” |
| his brother hired a photographer friend to | | | | Over the next months (and years), incredible |
| photograph them as a gift for their mother. | | | | people came into his life, Michael says, all bringing |
| Michael had definite ideas and directed the “on | | | | information that would reshape his life into |
| location” photo shoot. “I was fascinated | | | | “the one God had intended for me all |
| with the whole process. I bought a 35mm camera | | | | along.” |
| and began shooting pictures of just about | | | | In 1993, he decided to take a break. He closed his |
| everything.” | | | | business, remaining a consultant on two accounts, |
| Every life has definitive milestones. One of | | | | began building his English-style country home on |
| Michael’s came with only one semester | | | | 80 acres in North Georgia and started working on |
| remaining in college, when he heard about an | | | | an idea for a book. “I had this idea for |
| opening for a sales position with Gant Shirtmakers. | | | | creating a book that could be used as a |
| Gant was the clothing phenomena of the ’60s | | | | marketing tool for a large company.” He |
| and this would be a job for a seasoned veteran, | | | | began writing and calling for appointments with |
| not a 22-year-old novice. Yet, Michael arranged an | | | | industry giants. Finally, Reebok, Kodak and |
| interview and somehow convinced Gant to take a | | | | Champion Sportswear agreed to see him. |
| chance on him. A few weeks later, he was | | | | “Reebok liked the concept, Kodak was |
| traveling as a sales executive. But, he notes, | | | | indifferent and, to my overwhelming surprise, |
| “I always had my camera on the front seat | | | | Champion agreed to back the idea.” |
| next to me.” | | | | Champion, as part of Sara Lee, would be an |
| Three years later, while attending a Gant sales | | | | Olympic sponsor that year and saw great |
| meeting, Michael was unimpressed with the | | | | potential in Michael’s book, which would be |
| advertising agency presentation. “I just | | | | exclusive to them. The book, “Beyond the |
| didn’t feel that the agency understood who | | | | Sport, The Victory Within,” told inspirational |
| we were.” Back home in Florida, he | | | | stories of America’s Winter Olympians, |
| photographed a friend wearing Gant samples and | | | | featuring greats such as Peggy Fleming, Scott |
| created images he felt portrayed the look Gant | | | | Hamilton and Eric Heiden. Michael not only created |
| needed. Then, he took the images to New York | | | | the photographs, he wrote it as well. Twenty-five |
| and presented them to Gant’s management | | | | thousand copies were sold. |
| and design staff. They loved the look, moved | | | | Yet, if he thought the publication of the book had |
| their account to a new agency and created a | | | | overwhelmed him, it was nothing compared to |
| new campaign titled, “The Gant Attitude.” | | | | being reunited with his college-sweetheart that |
| Having his “style” validated, Michael began | | | | same year. “It had to be divine |
| photographing his entire sample line, using his | | | | intervention,” he said. “She was 400 miles |
| friends as models. In a makeshift darkroom, he | | | | away and I had not seen her in over 21 |
| created a book of 8 x 10 photographs to use as | | | | years.” When they met in Pensacola, Florida in |
| a visual aid when presenting the line to retail | | | | April, it was love at second sight. They knew at |
| clients. “The response to this presentation | | | | once what their future held and they were |
| was so strong, I began exploring the idea of | | | | married five months later. “Since Cheryl and I |
| creating these ’look books’ for other | | | | married, both of us have grown exponentially in |
| companies for their salesmen.” His business | | | | our relationship with the Lord. He is the center of |
| plan showed so much promise that he resigned | | | | our lives and the One who has blessed us so. " |
| from Gant and headed for New York in August | | | | Michael and Cheryl spent a year building their |
| 1976. | | | | North Georgia home. But, after four years of |
| It was nip and tuck for the first year until he | | | | living in a remote area, they sold the farm and |
| landed an account whose order exceeded the | | | | returned to their beloved North Florida. Her two |
| average order by seven times. As his business | | | | children, who Michael considers as his own, are |
| and his reputation grew, Michael was asked if he | | | | grown and married, and Michael loves being the |
| could create printed brochures in addition to the | | | | grandfather of four little boys. |
| “look books.” Eventually, this led to | | | | These days, although Michael’s life has taken |
| creating advertising campaigns. “I would start | | | | a much more contemplative turn, his schedule is |
| a company out on ’look books’ and end | | | | just as hectic as usual, having spent the past one |
| up being their ad agency.” | | | | and a half years creating Journeys With the |
| In 1989, he moved his company to Atlanta for | | | | Messiah. “Although Journeys is in its infancy, I |
| the unexpected next milestone. “We were | | | | plan for it to occupy much of the coming years. |
| about a $2 million company, doing great work for | | | | There are so many directions it can go.” He |
| several small accounts.” Russell Athletic, an | | | | looks back on his life as an incredible journey - |
| industry giant, purchased one of those accounts. | | | | one full of lessons learned. |
| The executives at Russell liked the work Michael | | | | |
