Michael Kahn
Michael Kahn (b. 1960) is an American photographer celebrated for his evocative, sepia-toned images of classic sailboats, coastal landscapes, and nature. A lifelong resident of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Kahn combines a passion for sailing with traditional darkroom craftsmanship to create richly atmospheric photographs that honor maritime history and environmental beauty.
Growing up vacationing along the coasts of Maine and Topsail Island, North Carolina, Kahn developed an early love for the sea and sailing. After high school, he apprenticed at a portrait studio where he gained hands-on experience with medium-format Hasselblad cameras and learned the art of black-and-white printmaking. He eventually branched into commercial photography but maintained a lifelong dedication to real film and darkroom methods.
In 1990, Kahn published a book of black-and-white images of Pennsylvania’s Brandywine River. In 1995, while photographing a foggy Adirondack lake, he captured his first iconic sailing image, marking the start of his distinguished nautical series. Working with a 1950s medium-format camera, he uses silver gelatin processes and a sepia toning technique of his own invention, producing warm, handcrafted prints in limited editions.
Kahn’s work ranges from grand tall ships and classic yachts to small crafts and serene seascapes. His photographs have appeared in National Geographic, Architectural Digest, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Coastal Living, and Classic Boat. His visuals also feature in corporate collections and commercial campaigns for McGraw Hill, MBNA Bank, Pottery Barn, Ralph Lauren (London), and as set pieces in films by MGM and Warner Brothers.
Kahn’s latest publication, The Spirit of Sailing: A Celebration of Sea and Sail, surveys his lifelong nautical imagery. He also authored earlier works on sailing and coastal themes. He continues to live and work in Unionville, Pennsylvania, where he remains committed to traditional photographic practice and to visually preserving the elegance of sail and sea.
Photography & Works
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Michael Kahn
American Beauty Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Aquinnah Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Autumn Visit Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Becoming Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Cambria on the Solent Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Connie Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Early Morning Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Elena Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Endeavour Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Figure in Woods Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Glacial Erratic Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Island Beach Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Journey Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Layers Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Mariette Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Mediterranean Sunset Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Morning Reflections Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Nantucket Winds Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Off Season Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
On the Mooring Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Over the Dunes Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Point Lobos Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Quansoo Add to cart -
Michael Kahn
Reeds Add to cart