June 2016 Moscow, Russia

Moscow International Foto Awards 2016
A photograph from the series ‘Pool of Life’, ‘Am I Alone?’ received an honorable mention in the Moscow International Photo Awards (MIFA) and was projected on a screen from 20th July to 7th August in the Nakashirke Gallery in Moscow. Read more here.

June 2016 Malaga, Andalucia, Spain

Apertura Escuela de Fotografia
At the opening of the Escuela de Fotografia in Malaga, Michelle delivered a talk on Travel and Hotel Photography; it’s always a pleasure for her to share stories of being on the road.

June 2016 UK

Summer trip to England for the Queen’s Birthday
After living for so many years in Spain, it’s always an experience to see the British pomp and ceremony, and I’m sure Martin Parr would have been having a field day after seeing some of the street parties. England has so many iconic images, from the washing drying on the lines, to the milk bottles on the doorsteps. Everything can be captured on camera. Michelle was also in England during the referendum for Brexit (Referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union). In Spain Michelle hadn’t met one British person who wanted the U.K. to leave Europe, however when she got to England she couldn’t believe how many shop windows, railway stations, bus stops and billboards were encouraging the public to leave. As Michelle has been living in Spain for over 15 years, unfortunately she wasn’t eligible to cast a vote.

June 2016 Romania

Michelle has said on many occasions that there is nothing like the unrepeatable experience of visiting a country for the first time – the initial impressions and sensations which are imprinted forever in your memory.

The journey started in Bucharest, where she stayed in the 102-year-old Athenee Palace Hotel, where dignitaries, spies, celebrities and royals have all passed by.

Michelle was able to photograph the hotel’s ballroom, stained-glass windows, the legendary Athenee Café and much, much more. After Bucharest, Michelle traveled to the province of Bucovina, close to the border with Moldova. Among many memorable experiences on this trip, she stayed on a farm with organic produce – milk, cheese and homemade yogurt from the family’s own cows, salads from the vegetable garden, outdoor barbeques, and refreshing herbal drinks from the region.

The journey continued to the medieval town of Sighisoara, situated on the Tarnava Mare river in the historic region of Transylvania. Apart from having a very interesting connection with Dracula, this town is a photographer’s paradise – the main citadel is breathtaking. Here the locals tell you all about the prince of Transylvania, and are very proud that the town is listed as UNESCO World Heritage.

It’s no wonder that Prince Charles is investing in so much rural land, along with farmhouses, to help protect the unique way of life in this beautiful country. Along the way, in many areas you can still see families working the land with horses and carts. Michelle was fascinated with the traditional haystacks, the handpainted eggs, and the Orthodox Christian churches.

The grand finale of the trip was a return to the Athenee Palace in Bucharest, where Michelle flew out on a Sunday just after their legendary brunch. She strongly recommends that anybody travelling to Bucharest should try to book their flights on a Sunday afternoon, to savour the same experience – including taking the hotel limo to the airport!

June 2016 Andalucia, Spain

Telegraph supplement
Cover photograph of the Telegraph travel section and various additional photographs within the Telegraph supplement on Luxury Andalucia.