By Ted Mulcahey • Photos by Michael Holtby

Michael Holtby is more than a photographer. His artistry, deep reflection, and unwavering dedication to perfecting every shot has been shaped by eight decades of life experience. 

The Whidbey Island Vietnam Veterans project is what happens when his talent merges with the compassion and empathy that life has taught him. In the mid-sixties, he was a supervisor at Echo Glenn Children’s Center, the early seventies the director of an inpatient psychiatric program in Pueblo, Colorado, followed by 37 years in the practice of psychotherapy. All are the ingredients that have contributed to his chosen vocation—photography. Balancing his private practice with two years at the Colorado Institute of Art and a continued passion for camera work, his constant study of the medium has enabled him to develop the skills needed to achieve national and international recognition.