About me

Michael Bonfigli is a Washington DC based photojournalist with over 20 years of experience photographing a wide range of topics around the world for magazines and NGO's.

Raised by Argentine parents in a small town in Vermont, Michael's interest in Photography and Latin American culture began with a family trip to Buenos Aires when he was a young boy. Michael was drawn to both the intensity of life in Buenos Aires and his Uncle’s own photographs of the area.

After studying Art History and Politics at the University of Vermont and the University of Barcelona during college, Michael joined the Peace Corps to work with the Miskito Indians in the Northern Coast of Honduras. It was there that he started photographing what has become a long term project exploring the ways the Miskito people react to their ever changing environment and outside influences. After the Peace Corps, he received a Masters degree in education at Indiana University where he was influenced by his classmate, Magnum photographer, Chien Chi Chang. After teaching in a few high schools and at the University of Maryland for several years Michael finally decided on a career as a photographer. His first freelance work was with the Washington Post where he often photographed celebrities for the Style Section. Michael is presently working on photographing different neighborhoods in Washington DC. Mt. Pleasant Street represents his first project working strictly with the plastic toy camera called Holga. He has since photographed with his Holga in Nicaragua, Northern California and Colombia.

Michael lives in Mt. Pleasant a neighborhood in NW Washington, DC with his 6 year old son, Luca.

client list:

Christian Science Monitor

Italy's Sette Magazine

Visions Magazine, China

Epoca Magazine, Brazil

Die Weltwoche, Zurich

Washingtonian Magazine

The Washington Post

Discovery Communications

Outside Magazine

The Seattle Times

Consumer Health Foundation

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (CNHED)

Michael is available for assignments and commisions. Please contact him at 202.262.8282 or email: photo@michaelbonfigli.com