Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Mark.
Hi Joel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a boy growing up in Chicago, I loved playing with my chemistry set and even set up a lab in my parent’s basement. But I also loved taking pictures so right next to my downstairs lab I built a darkroom – where I could use more chemistry! I ended up majoring in chemistry, ultimately with a postgraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University.
I moved to Southern California in 1974 and was lucky to have been able to turn my passion for photography into a profession. So long, Joel Mark, the chemist. I specialized in architectural, editorial and corporate photography.
Finding it hard not to put the camera down after an assignment, I began to photograph what was all around me. I saw beauty in what was often overlooked.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I work as a commercial photographer, I consider myself a situational extrovert. Meaning I can get the job done. But when it comes to my personal work, I am more of an introvert. I have never been good at marketing myself. It has taken years for me to be confident in my craft, to own my talent. In that sense, I am a late bloomer so I suppose a big challenge would be all the catching up I need to do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The discipline and technical requirements necessary for commercial photography – particularly when shooting architecture – has become integral in how I approach and experiment with fine art. The composition, the layering, and of course, the color and textures. In turn, this creative process has also been helpful with my commercial work. It becomes a circle of how I see what’s on the other side of the lens.
What’s next?
To keep working!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joelmark.com
- Instagram: joelh.mark
- Linkedin: joel@joelmark.com
Image Credits
Personal Photo: Ken Pivak All Additional Photos: © Joel H. Mark
