Photography

Michael Lyman has been involved with photography since high school, as a member of the photography club, and has been around the world photographing places and events. Are you looking for a photographer to cover your event? Let’s talk!

Photo Essay: Saving A Sailor’s Home

When Tropical Storm Debby blew through Florida in 2012, a sail boat called the Promise was driven onto the beach in a small seaside town called Gulfport, its keel buried in sand. The boat is owned by a former Navy SEAL who is retired and has been living on it; he has no other home to go to. Gulfport gave him an ultimatum: it would chop up the boat and haul it away as scrap unless a way was found to move it.
So Steve Smith, a marine line-rigger, organized volunteers to push the boat off of the sand and anchor it in deeper water. I spent the whole day in the water with my Nikon D90, photographing the salvage operation, and captured some amazing images of total strangers coming together to help a veteran, bonding with one another in the process.

Fireworks On the Beach

What’s more tropical than watching fireworks on the beach? Mike Lyman captured the festivities and the fireworks themselves, documenting a truly Florida-style July 4th celebration

Weird Al Concert – Behind the Scenes

As a member of the 501st Legion, Mike Lyman photographed members in their Star Wars costumes as they appeared with Weird Al Yankovic during his Star Wars parody song The Saga Begins (see the music video HERE). He was backstage beside the sound board to capture the event, a vantage point few people see!

Superheroes Night

Costumed superheroes descended on Threshers Field in Clearwater to brighten the lives of kids and their families, followed by fireworks right after the game. The interactions with the kids just makes everything seem all right.

Deconstructing Roxy

Roxy is an enormous Rancor monster featured in the Star Wars film Return Of the Jedi (see the video clip HERE). Some Star Wars fans created a nearly life-size recreation of Roxy that travels to comic-cons and events and raises money for charity (read more about Roxy HERE). During Megacon in Orlando in 2013 I was lucky enough to be part of Roxy’s handlers, manning the 501st Legion booth where Roxy attracted lots of people – including some celebrities – who wanted pictures. When the con was over, it was time to take Roxy apart so she could be safely transported back home. This is how it is done.