While attending the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Mark met Helmut Newton. Newton took him on as an assistant, and Mark looked to Newton as a ‘photo guru’. When his studies were finished, Mark moved to New York and was hired by Irving Penn as a studio assistant. Mark approached his work as an apprentice, taking everything in, peppering the master with questions. After working for Penn, Mark moved to Milan to launch his own fashion photography career, and he shot regularly for Linea Italia, Donna and Vogue Bellezza. In 1985, Mark settled in Paris to further his career as well as expand his artistic boundaries. Mark continued to work commercially, shooting fashion for French Vogue and Marie Claire, and portraits for In Style, People and Forbes. In 1992, he launched a second series, ‘Artists’ Studios,’ of female nudes in artist ateliers. Most recently Mark has been working on a study of Hawaii, his adopted home. He has photographed Hawaiians at play and in thought, the stunning mountainous landscapes and the flawless beaches. ‘What’s fascinating about Hawaii is all the different mixtures of cultures, the island people,’ says Mark, 'and of course, the light.'
