Ann Mitchell was born in New York City and was raised in Southern California. She received her BFA in Photography from Art Center College of Design in 1984. She worked as an award-winning advertising and editorial photographer for over a decade, then left to pursue her own imagery, concentrating on urban landscapes and structures. In 1997, she completed her MFA from Claremont Graduate University and is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Long Beach City College, where she has also served as Department Head.

Mitchell’s photographs have been included in a large number of solo and group exhibitions in the western United States. She has also served as curator for several exhibitions. Her work has been reproduced in a number of publications, including View Camera Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, Victoria Magazine and Home Magazine. Mitchell continues to teach and pursue projects related to California lifestyles and architectural history. This fall, Balcony Press will publish a monograph of her work, Austin Val Verde: Impressions of a Montecito Masterpiece.

Artist’s Statement
"This image is of the columns at Austin Val Verde that are in front of the house and lead to the swimming pool. In the morning, the sun streams through the trees and flowers of the adjacent staircase and pond. The image is from a two-year project that followed the transformation of the estate into a cultural arts center, and was taken with a vintage large format camera."