Who is Mark Gardner?

I’m a husband of 13 years, a dad, a friend, a colleague, etc. I’m sure the more people you ask, the more adjectives you’ll find to describe me. I love fishing, poker, baseball, classic cars, motorcycles, and good times with friends and family. I am also a documentary wedding and portrait photographer serving the entire Mid-Atlantic region as well as popular destinations in the US, Caribbean, Mexico, and the world.

My passion for photography began during my Army days as a creative outlet, and also to remember the places I’ve been but might never see again. Somewhere along the way a talent for capturing people and emotions quickly emerged. My life experiences have evolved into an ability to skillfully capture moments and memories in a distinctive style. I strive to create beautiful images that are not only unique and different, but more importantly, real.

With a documentary approach, I’ll capture the emotions and moments of the wedding day as they unfold anticipating what’s about to happen, but your wedding day is more than actively capturing moments; it’s also about the creation of amazing portraits. I'm using the influence of art history tell stories with images. I’ll scout each location for elements that will not only make great scenes, but will allow me to create unique images that characterize individual couples and details their wedding day.  Posing clients quickly, in such a manner that they look great, feel great, and have a blast doing it.

I certainly hope you enjoy your visit. If you surfed from a link posted on another blog, you might want to take an hour or so to check out my NEW website featuring HUGE full screen images from recent weddings and portrait sessions. Please subscribe to our RSS feed, as the latest greatest stuff will make its debut right here first.

Select dates are still available for the Fall/Winter of 2008, 2009 weddings are booking a very rapid pace. Don’t hesitate to contact me about your wedding photography or portraits. You can always drop by the studio to view my work firsthand.

I’m an active member of Professional Photographers of America as well as the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers, and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International.

“Are your images as important to you, as they are to me?”

High School Senior Portrait Information

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Top 10 Myth’s about Senior Portraits by Mark Gardner

10. You have to spend a lot to come here.

NOT TRUE! Although many of our clients love their portraits and do spend a lot on them, we also have clients that spend less.

9. You have to be a “size 4″ to come here.

NOT TRUE! We try to make everyone look their best. If you are concerned about your size, we can bring out other good features like a beautiful face or eyes and hide anything you are uncomfortable with.

8. I have to buy pictures from who my school says.

WRONG! Your school might dictate who you have to get a yearbook shot done by. But today senior portraits are so much more than just a formal yearbook photo. The school should not dictate who you have make your photographs. Pick the photographer whose style you like and buy portraits from whomever you choose. If you don’t like the work of the school photographer, recommend the school choose another photographer!

7.Some pictures look kind of sexy, do I have to do that.

NO! Just be you! Some people are conservative, so we treat them that way. Some people want to look like a super model, so we treat them that way. We judge a lot by the clothing you bring. We want you to look your best, but at the same time, be comfortable and who you are.

6. We charge extra for everything.

NOT TRUE! Special effects and minor retouching are included. A few special things require a small extra charge, but we won’t nickle and dime you with extra fees.

5. We are expensive.

NOT TRUE! If you compare how much is an 8×10, or how much is a set of wallets, you will find that our prices are in line with other studios. Our session fees are very affordable, and have options for every budget. What does often happen is that our clients love our portraits and want to buy them ALL!

4. It takes months to get an appointment.

NOT TRUE! Although the more popular times book further ahead, you might be able to get in reasonably quick. So for these more popular time spots, we suggest booking 5-6 weeks ahead. For normal studio times, you can probably get in with 3-4 weeks notice in summer / early fall, 2 weeks most of the rest of the year.

3. Mark Gardner Photography portraits all look the same.

NO WAY! We do mostly location sessions. Got a cool location in mind, give us a call! We don’t want your portraits to look the same any more than you do. After all, that why people come to us!

2. Getting your picture taken is boring.

WRONG! Mark likes to have fun and is pretty laid back. Everyone has a blast here. It’s much better than standing in line at the school while you wait on the person in front of you.

1. We can make anyone look good.

OK, you got us on that one!