Mark's father started him on photography at age eight. His first camera was a 35 mm auto camera (GAF); by the age of thirteen Mark had built his own darkroom where he developed and printed black and white film. Inspired by his father, Mark quickly excelled in the Port Colborne and Welland Camera Club by competing in the club's nature (photography) competitions. In 1979 Mark achieved the "Slide of the year" award, the highest award in nature slide competiti...
 

Mark's father started him on photography at age eight. His first camera was a 35 mm auto camera (GAF); by the age of thirteen Mark had built his own darkroom where he developed and printed black and white film. Inspired by his father, Mark quickly excelled in the Port Colborne and Welland Camera Club by competing in the club's nature (photography) competitions. In 1979 Mark achieved the "Slide of the year" award, the highest award in nature slide competitions. Mark's father and fellow members of the Welland and Port Colborne Camera Club inspired him to work harder at his photography and soon he was competing at an international level with the Canadian Artistic Photographic Association (CAPA).