Winner of numerous gold and silver medals and several best-in-show recognitions for travel photography and writing. Bronze medal winner in 2024 in the prestigious International Photography Competition for wildlife photography. Winner of the "Excellence in Journalism" award from IFWTWA in 2023. Member of the NATJA Advisory Board. 

My travels have taken me to all seven continents.

My stories and photographs appear in HI Travel Tales, an award-winning travel blog I operate in partnership with my wife, Therese Iknoian. They are also featured in Medium, TravelWorld International, PhotoWILD, and other publications. 

My specialty areas and primary interests include local culture and history, street art, farm-to-fork and local breweries/distilleries, adventure, natural wonders, and wildlife. Set me loose in a destination, and my stories and photography will connect readers to a place in such a way they will want to embark on journeys of discovery.

My photographs appear on our HI Travel Tales website, in ebooks and other publications, and in Getty Stock. They are also available for sale and for licensing (private and commercial) through Michael Hodgson Photography, my professional gallery. 

Prior to focusing primarily on travel writing and photography, I was a highly acclaimed outdoor writer. My stories and columns appeared in Outside, Backpacker, Men's Journal, Men's Health, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, The Christian Science Monitor, San Jose Mercury News, Portland Oregonian, Salt Lake Tribune, Adventure West Magazine, and others. My published books (some of which are actually still in print) include No Shit There I Was, Compass & Map Navigator, Facing The Extreme, and Camping For Dummies.