Venice Black & White: How a Neighborhood Became a Zine. The Art & Process
Step inside the fog of Venice with photographer and director Mike Marshall as he shares the story behind his debut zine, Venice Black and White. In this candid artist talk, Mike pulls back the curtain on his creative process—from chasing the perfect marine-layer morning to designing and printing the final book—and offers a no-nonsense take on finding the motivation to, well, just do the damn thing.
Mike Marshall
Mike Marshall is a fine art photographer and commercial director based in Venice, California, where he has lived for over twenty-three years. Venice B&W is his visual love letter to the place he calls home—an intimate portrait of the neighborhood stripped to its quiet, elemental beauty.
Shot during October and November 2024, these black-and-white images were captured on mornings when the marine layer was at its thickest, muffling sound and softening edges. Marshall invites the viewer to step into this fog-bound world, to wander empty streets and hidden corners where time feels suspended. For those who live here, the scenes are instantly familiar; for visitors, they reveal a Venice rarely seen—one of solitude, stillness, and whispered atmosphere.
