Black Gold was an investigation into the billion-dollar hair industry that resulted in human rights advocates calling for global regulations of the trade. Working with investigative journalist Olivia Carville, Mike embarked on a two-week journey into rural China, the world's biggest exporter of human hair, to find the woman behind the hair and expose the secrets behind this trade.
The editorial project (which can be viewed here) won several awards. At the 2017 Canon Media Awards, it was named Best News Story, Best Photo Essay and Best Feature Video.
BuzzFeed listed Black Gold in its 12 Incredible Photo Stories You Absolutely Can’t Miss
It was named the overall winner of the Most Visually Compelling category of the inaugural Shorthand Awards, chosen from more than 100 entries worldwide.
