Photographer Biographies
Robert Carson, Fargo, N.D.
Robert Carson is better known around MeritCare for the diagnostic images he produces of internal body structures than for the shots of old buildings, landscapes and other natural subjects he takes in his spare time. But the long-time MeritCare employee's photography is quickly, if quietly, gaining notoriety in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Robert, a Fargo native, has been an ultrasonographer in the MeritCare Health System for more than 28 years. For the past 16, he's turned his professional eye for detail to developing his skills in still photography. His close-up color photograph of a bleeding heart is among a collection of images in the Lower Level Corridor. "I like to photograph for the particular mood the image evokes when shown," says Robert, who works strictly in a digital format. "Having grown up in Fargo and visiting the old St. Luke's as a patient, and having worked at MeritCare for so many years, it's very exciting to see one of my photos displayed here."
Robert's work can be viewed in various coffee shops in the community. He and his wife, Candace, live in Fargo.
Mike Finneseth, Fargo, N.D.
Mike Finneseth's family knows no vacation is complete without a photographic detour. Family hiking trips to scenic wonders such as Glacier National Park, Olympic National Park and the Grand Tetons often include detours for capturing breathtaking images of mountain ranges or desert rock formations.
Mike's original full-color photographs splash color and life onto the walls of the Lower Level Corridor that connects to the hospital. His close-ups of flowers and plants native to our region are accompanied by words - such as comfort and happiness – that describe their meaning. "This was an experiment to capture flowers and plants from a different perspective," Mike says. "It reveals different aspects of the beauty of nature - not just colors but textures, too - which I hope opens up a whole new world that people might not have realized was around them."
Mike started shooting photographs more than 20 years ago, and in 2001 turned his hobby into what is nearly a second full-time profession. When he's not teaching biology and chemistry at Fargo North High School, he's out searching for landscapes and vivid florals to capture on film. Mike displays and sells his work at street fairs, galleries and local businesses. To learn new techniques and apply them to perfecting his work, the Minot, N.D. native has attended numerous photography workshops through the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Missoula, Mont.
Mike resides in Fargo with his wife and three sons.
Mike Smith, Fargo, N.D.
Our new artwork collection would not be complete without the work of one of our own. Mike Smith, the MeritCare Health System photographer for the past 24 years, has shot everything from surgical procedures to medical specimens to MeritCare staff, facilities and patients. For this project, Mike turned his lens to less clinical material, providing color photos of a geranium and a hydrangea that hang in the Lower-Level Corridor.
"Color, lighting, and design are the three elements I look for when shooting pictures," Mike says. "I think a good photograph, whether it's black and white or color, is one that is simple, has a strong design element and compels viewers to take their time looking at it."
Mike started with the system when we were still known as St. Luke's Hospital. A self-taught photographer, he's been a reliable mainstay for our marketing materials for nearly two-and-a-half decades, providing exceptional photos for everything from newsletters and brochures to annual reports to medical books. He and his wife, Linda, have three grown children and reside in Fargo.