Mark's love of photography began when he received a Sears 35mm SLR camera as a freshman in high school. A few years later, he learned how to scuba dive and became an avid underwater photographer. He spent many years traveling to some of the world’s most exotic locales. His passion eventually led to him to open a camera store and one-hour photo lab where he enjoyed teaching his customers the art of photography. He sold the business after 17 years of operation and drifted away from serious photography as the digital age began to take over. Years later, Mark saw some beautiful Milky Way photos on the internet, sparking his interest again. He borrowed a friend’s DSLR camera, loaded up his dog, and headed out to Big Bend National Park to shoot the Milky Way for the first time. When that first shot popped up on the camera display, he was hooked and his passion was renewed.