500 Words of Less...

Mom & dad met @ a ski club. Got married. Baby Mark came along... born, skied, walked. Started on the slopes @ age two. Bromley Mtn (VT) was home base. Cover boy for ski area brochure at age 4... say cheese! Won a backwards race at age 5 on the famous Lords Prayer trail. Skiing, tree swinging & whistling while eating peanut butter were course obstacles (trophy available upon request!). Discovered the will to ski is greater than common sense... frostbitten later that same year (this family trait continues today... now frostbitten 5x... can you say 'slow learner'?). Shuffled off to Buffalo for some edumacation and then traveled west (go west young man!) to discover “Water In High Place” (i.e. Lake Tahoe). Managed to ski on 3 continents along the way and hope to add #4 in the in the near future (i.e. South America).

Taking pictures has been the link to all things good. This started with dad. He was a journalist with lots of cameras. Mark borrowed them... a lot... and started exploring the outdoors. This thirst for learning continues today.

Worked for Mountain Stock Film & Photography in CA and later emigrated back to the Empire State. Worked for Gannett News in the NYC region and a local portrait studio. Spent as much time getting the smell of chemicals off my hands as I did shooting assignments.

Photojournalism was a calling, but I could sense a change in the air. Migrated to finance. Got my MBA and then obtained the CFP designation. After a stint in commercial lending, I set up shop as a sole proprietor. Today, one occupation 'finances' the other (get it?). Seems to be a photo industry trend. Camera of choice? Never really mattered to me... Pentax, Nikon, Canon... and an iPhone. Don't find myself brand loyal as the photographer makes the image, not the camera. Tend to shoot sports & action. Really like tennis, lacrosse & football (Go Army!). Find the action challenging & the anticipation stimulating. It's my drug of choice.

Make my bed in Rockland County, New York with a wonderful lady of 18 years. Erin go bragh. Two boys. No pets. Life is good.

And, so it begins, a collection of photography related thoughts... “Reflexions on Life.”