Work samples
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Parade Day (documentary)
Parade Day is a 40-minute documentary about The Mayor’s Christmas Parade which takes place in Baltimore each December. The video is a trailer to the film.
PLOT: After 50 years of producing the Mayor’s Christmas Parade in Baltimore, Tom Kerr passes the baton to a new committee. The parade which takes place in the quirky neighborhood of Hampden has a new team with big ambitions and plenty of chaos in pulling it all together in time for the 51st year. The 40-minute documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep the tradition going.
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SPIRITUAL WARRIORS: Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riot
SPIRITUAL WARRIORS: Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riot is a 25-minute documentary that looks at key figures in the Independent Charismatic Christian Sector who were influential in promoting Donald Trump as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. The film focuses on the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a concept and set of Independent Charismatic leadership networks developed by C. Peter Wagner, a respected seminary professor who became quite radical at the end of his life. Included in the documentary is an interview with a religious studies scholar, Matthew D. Taylor, who has extensively studied the NAR movement. Throughout the movie are clips from Christian leaders, mentored by Wagner, who identify as prophets and apostles who espouse the core concepts of the NAR such as Dominion Theology, the 7 Mountain Mandate, and Strategic Spiritual Warfare. Scenes from the January 6th Capitol Riot show the activities of these leaders performing their spiritual battle as well
About Michael
At age 10, Michael Ivan Schwartz captured his mother’s expression as she walked into their kitchen for her surprise 50th birthday party. This literal Kodak moment instigated a love for authentic images. Moving from film photography to digital to video, Michael Ivan’s process remains the same, that of a fly in the room.
Whether it’s a formal video interview or a spontaneous street photograph, Michael Ivan sets his subject at ease with his relaxed style and personable interaction. Using… more
TATT2U
The series TATT2U is a visual exploration of the profound connection between body art and personal identity. Tattoos, often deeply symbolic, serve as living testimonies of experiences, memories, beliefs, and transformations. In this series, I invite viewers into the intimate worlds of individuals who carry their stories, hopes, and struggles on their skin, framing their tattoos within spaces that reflect the broader narrative of their lives.
Each photograph in TATT2U captures a subject not just posing with their tattoo, but engaging with the environment that has shaped them. The backdrop serves as an extension of their personal history—be it a metaphorical space, a physical environment, or a memory preserved in time. The series seeks to amplify the complexity of the human experience, highlighting how tattoos are not isolated markings but intricate parts of a larger, ongoing story.
Through these portraits, I aim to shift the narrative surrounding tattoos—often viewed as mere decoration or rebellion—toward an understanding of them as potent symbols of identity, culture, and personal transformation. The contrast between the raw, permanent nature of ink on skin and the mutable, ever-evolving nature of human existence is central to this project, encouraging reflection on the ways in which we define ourselves and our stories.
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Coquí -
EscapeAvailable for PurchaseAvailable for purchase. Cost is variable based on size of print, matting, and frame. Reach out to Michael Ivan Schwartz to discuss at [email protected]
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Mirror Mirror on the WallAvailable for PurchaseAvailable for purchase. Cost is variable based on size of print, matting, and frame. Reach out to Michael Ivan Schwartz to discuss at [email protected]
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Heads UpAvailable for PurchaseAvailable for purchase. Cost is variable based on size of print, matting, and frame. Reach out to Michael Ivan Schwartz to discuss at [email protected]
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Stay TrueAvailable for PurchaseAvailable for purchase. Cost is variable based on size of print, matting, and frame. Reach out to Michael Ivan Schwartz to discuss at [email protected]
Art of Dance
Recently I was asked what my top 3 attributes I was looking for in a romantic partner. One of the first things that popped out of my mouth was, “She must dance.” My photography is often made in musical settings. I love catching people in performance mode. Sometimes this is a musician sharing their art. However, my favorite is to capture the audience responding to the music surrounding them.
The Art of Dance series was born from observing people letting their bodies move to the beat. The images caught digitally through my lens were edited in Adobe Lightroom. I then brought them into Adobe Photoshop to craft them into a painterly style. I remove the background and let the figures pop against an imagined canvas. As someone who has zero skill with a brush it’s a fantastic joy for me to digitally manipulate my photographs to look like paintings.
These artist renderings were originally captured in my travels to Okinawa, Japan and Havana, Cuba as well as in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, USA.