Mike Kelley

What Mike Kelley does

Mike Kelley is a sole-practitioner architectural photographer based in Los Angeles, operating internationally across more than sixteen countries on six continents. He serves a client base of major global architecture firms and individual property owners, delivering commissioned photography for residential, commercial, hospitality, aviation, and cultural projects. Notable signature work includes the "Airportraits" series of oblique aerial airport imagery, which has become a defining element of his portfolio.

The business runs on three revenue streams: (1) project-based commissioned architectural photography billed to firms and owners; (2) authored and co-authored photography books published with partners such as Viewpoint Collection and VistaJet (e.g., "A View From The Top," "The Art of Flying," "Pan Am Flies Again" with Anthony Toth, "Still Lives," and "Bernardo Pozas – Veinticinco," the last released in 2025); and (3) direct-to-consumer fine-art print sales through mikekelley.art. Personal projects, including "Still Lives" produced during the COVID-19 period, sit alongside commercial commissions and contribute to brand and catalogue development.

Operationally, the practice is structured as a sole proprietorship with no disclosed employees, funding, or external investment. Go-to-market is relationship-driven, built on portfolio reputation, repeat engagements with architecture firms, publisher partnerships for books, and a direct e-commerce channel for prints. The model prioritizes artistic differentiation and brand positioning over scale.

Name

Mike Kelley

Legal name

Mike Kelley

Website

https://mpkelley.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mike Kelley is a Los Angeles-based sole-practitioner architectural photographer serving global architecture firms via commissioned photography, published monographs, and fine-art print sales, with projects spanning 16+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Photography Services

NAICS

Commercial Photography (541922), Photographic Services (54192)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Photography & Still Production (Stills, Product, Lifestyle) (MPAAAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing (MPAJAAAF)

Keywords

• Architectural photography
• Commercial photography services
• Photography books
• Fine art prints
• Aviation photography

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Architectural Photography: Primary revenue stream from commissioned photography work for architectural firms, developers, and property owners. Clients include major firms worldwide requiring professional documentation of their built works.
2. Book Sales and Publishing: Revenue from published photography books including sole-authored works (A View From The Top, New Architecture Los Angeles, LA Airspace, Bernardo Pozas - Veinticinco) and contributor roles in architectural and photography publications sold through Amazon, Rizzoli, Assouline, Oro Editions, and Distanz.
3. Fine Art Print Sales: Sales of limited edition prints from personal projects and commissioned work through the online print shop at mikekelley.art
4. Exclusive Photography Contracts: Exclusive photographer engagements for specific book projects and development collections, such as A View From The Top and New Architecture Los Angeles

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mike Kelley is an individual architectural photographer providing commissioned photography services for residential, commercial, and institutional buildings to architecture firms, developers, and luxury property owners. The practice also produces published photography books, personal photographic projects (including aviation, helicopter, and aerospace subjects), and limited edition fine art prints sold through a direct e-commerce print shop.

Product overview

Mike Kelley offers architectural photography services as a single unified offering, providing professional photography for residential, commercial, and institutional architecture projects. His portfolio includes commissioned work for major architectural firms (Arquitectonica, SAOTA, Snøhetta, Morphosis, Gensler, SOM, WHY, Perkins+Will, Bernardo Pozas) and personal photography projects. The personal projects include the Airportraits composite series, LA Airspace helicopter photography, Life Cycles aircraft documentation, Kirkja Iceland architecture, Still Lives pandemic collaboration, 777 wildfire aircraft series, Classified NASA SLS documentation, Pan Am Flies Again recreation series, and Final Approach aviation work. He has published multiple photography books including A View From The Top, New Architecture Los Angeles, LA Airspace, and Bernardo Pozas - Veinticinco, and contributed photography to books including Photoviz, Villa Aurora, Civilization: The Way We Live Now, and Arquitectonica. A print shop is available at http://mikekelley.art for purchasing prints.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Photography Services
• A View From The Top
• New Architecture Los Angeles
• LA Airspace
• Bernardo Pozas - Veinticinco
• Fine Art Prints
• Photography Booking Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Collaborated on countless book projects and served as exclusive photographer for major architectural publications

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Flying Food GroupminorOthers · 1 January 2014Catering partner for Pan Am Flies Again photoshoot, providing authentic period-appropriate airline food service including caviar, roasts, and full dinner service matching historical Pan Am menus.
• Viewpoint CollectionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive photographer for the Viewpoint Collection, one of the most ambitious residential development projects in history featuring incredible homes across the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Work from this partnership resulted in the book 'A View From The Top'.
• Anthony TothflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with aviation historian Anthony Toth to create the 'Pan Am Flies Again' photo series documenting Toth's recreated Pan Am 747-200 interior. The project resulted in a permanent installation at Air Hollywood as the Pan Am Experience restaurant.
• Scott HargiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with fellow architectural photographer Scott Hargis on 'Still Lives' project documenting architecture of shelter-in-place during COVID-19 pandemic through remote video call photoshoots.
• VistaJetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with VistaJet for 'The Art of Flying' book project, curating a cultural history of air travel from mid-20th century to present with over seven decades of imagery.
• Villa AuroraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed architectural photography for the Villa Aurora book project documenting the former home of Marta and Lion Feuchtwanger in Pacific Palisades, featuring photography alongside Todd Gray's recent photo series.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tim Griffith: Seattle-based architectural photographer shooting starchitect and institutional work across the US and Asia. Comparable in client tier (large firms and developers) and publication record (Architectural Record, Azure).
• Iwan Baan: Amsterdam-based architectural photographer with an international reputation for shooting starchitect projects and publications. Directly comparable to Mike Kelley in target clients (Morphosis, SANAA, OMA tier firms) and editorial reach (Domus, Wallpaper*, Architectural Record).
• Hélène Binet: French-born, London-based architectural photographer celebrated for analogue black-and-white work on major institutional buildings. Overlaps with Kelley on global cultural-institution commissions (e.g., Louvre Abu Dhabi equivalents) and on art-book publishing with houses like Steidl.
• Hisao Suzuki: Japan-based architectural photographer whose work for Tadao Ando, Fumihiko Maki, and SANAA has produced multiple architecture monographs. Comparable in editorial prestige and museum-grade still photography of cultural buildings.
• James Florio: New York architectural and interiors photographer working with leading US architecture firms. Directly comparable in commercial scope (luxury residential, hospitality, cultural) and reliance on portfolio-driven inbound.
• Thomas Mayer: German architectural photographer known for landscape-context architectural shots across Europe. Comparable in shooting style (architectural sensitivity, environmental context) and international commission profile.
• Richard Bryant: London-based architectural photographer with a multi-decade body of work for Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, and other major firms. Overlaps with Kelley on high-end architectural commissions and exhibition-calibre print work.
• Scott Hargis: Architectural and interior photographer based in Northern California; explicit collaborator with Kelley on the 'Still Lives' pandemic series. Directly comparable in subject matter (residential and small commercial architecture) and target buyer (architects, developers, publishers).

Emerging players

• Brandon Shigeta: Los Angeles-based architectural photographer building a roster of high-end residential and hospitality clients. Partial overlap in geography and segment; positioned as an emerging alternative for developers who might otherwise hire Kelley.
• Marc Goodwin: London-based architectural photographer with growing international commissions. Emerging alternative to top-tier independents for mid-to-large architecture firms; comparable in subject and book-publishing output.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mike-kelley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mike Kelley