Cool Parent- Mark Rutherford

Photo by Jennifer Sauer

I first met Mark 4 years ago when Chloe did some acting for him in a digital video he was producing and shooting. We recently worked together on some images when I was pregnant with Phoebe. He has two beautiful children that he has raised as a single dad. Read the interview and you will see why he was chosen as our next- Cool Parent.

1. How did you end up becoming a professional photographer and can you show us some of your work?

I literally picked up a camera when I was 5 and by the time I was 9 I had a working darkroom under the stairs in our basement. This was ummm… somewhat before Photoshop. I loved the magical process of seeing images appear apparently out of nowhere on the paper- in fact the process of making photos was more interesting to me than the content of the photography. That has obviously changed over the years but I still love the process and craft.

A photo taken and developed by Mark when he was 9

I continued my interest in photography through my teens and into my twenties before I realized that it might be possible to actually make a living from it. My first work was shooting properties for realtors in my hometown of Detroit. Since then I have shot a wide range of subjects from celebrities to jewelry and beyond.

Neal Schon- Journey Guitarist

2. How has the field changed over the years for you?

Well of course the transition to digital changed everything from the process to the business model. Since I’ve always had a technical bent and keen interest in the process, I made the transition willingly and very early starting around 1992. When I was starting out as an assistant, photography could be a very lucrative profession- very, very in fact. Now as the sheer quantity of digital images floods the market, photography has become more of a commodity which generally puts downward pressure on rates.

I’ve found that diversifying into film/video production as well as the studio rental and post-production services has added stability to my business in these times. Most of my work now is of people for business applications which I love because it involves making connections with strangers very quickly and creating an atmosphere that allows their personality to come through in interesting and sometimes surprising ways.

Mark’s Studio LUX-SF

3. What kind of advice would you have for people who want to become professional photographers or artists of any kind?

Do the work you love and look for career opportunities but have a back-up plan.

I recently taught at the Academy of Art and every one of the students were certain that they would have a career in photography. I didn’t dissuade them but privately I knew that the large majority of them would ultimately find a different path simply because we graduate more visual artists every year than there are jobs in the entire field.

4. You have two teenagers and are a single dad, what is that like for you right now?

I’ve been a single dad since my kids were really small so it feels very natural. My kids and I have been through it all- pre-school, team sports, road trips- you name it and all the normal ups and downs but through it we’ve forged a relationship that is still strong and evolving as they mature. I’ve always loved them but I can honestly say I like them more and more as they grow.

Elsa

Ian- Photo by Elsa

5. What are some fun things you like to do with your children?

One of the best reasons to live in Marin is access to nature so we hike, bike and get outside when ever we can. Recently my daughter and I have been doing yoga together (my son prefers baseball…for now).

But our favorite times have been taking road trips. We travel very well together and had a great time camping in the desert near Moab Utah this summer. When we travel we leave our electronic gadgets home and just unplug which is very therapeutic and highly recommended! Our favorite camp fire activity is playing MadLibs which was fun when they were little but can be beyond hilarious with a couple of teenagers. We’re also Dr Who fanatics.

Elsa doing work in the Studio

6. You told me once that you find out about all the cool music from your kids finding up and coming artists on Youtube, what other things have you learned from your children?

They do keep me up to date on music and media- fortunately we have similar and very eclectic tastes in music. In fact we love going to concerts together- last year included a range from Iggy Pop to Deadmau5 to the Kronos Quartet.

7. What do you love about your children?

Their honesty and compassion. Not to paint a picture of two angels but they both really possess an extraordinary capacity to interact with a wide range of people and situations with an open mindedness and minimal judgement but with enough wisdom to define their own boundaries.

8. You have probably photographed thousands of people if you include all the castings and all the projects over the years… do you have any advice on how someone should pose in a picture to look their best?

Sure- hire me to photograph them!

Seriously though, it’s important to work with someone that you feel comfortable with and who holds your best interest at heart. Beyond that, I most appreciate working with people that can create a character in their mind and have the ability to project that. In general I would advise to avoid “modeling schools” and invest in dance classes and/or try your hand at theater- you may not end up as a world class performer but it will certainly improve your on-camera presence.

Portait work

A shot Mark and I did together. Hair and Make up Peggy Lucas.

9. What are some of your favorite things about living and working in the Bay Area?

There are so many I would run out of disk space on my computer. The one overarching quality I love about our community is the the relatively high degree of acceptance and tolerance we extend to each other compared to most parts of the world I’m familiar with.

10. What are some ways you have found to turn life into play?

I think I’ve probably turned play into life. I still love what I do and continue to learn about all aspects of image making. Another passion is mountain biking and I’m very aware that both of these things were favorites since I was a kid so pretty much nothing has changed since then.

Mountain Biking on Mt. Tamalpais

Fun with Gum and Sexy Feet

Snowboarding at Boreal

You can see Mark’s website HERE

You can see more about HERE

 

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5 responses

  1. Totally agree! Fantastic, engaging artist, and it seems he carries the same qualities into fatherhood and the game of life in general.

    • Stephanie and Amy, Yes, he is a great artist and I really like how he has diversified to stay with the times and evolve.

  2. Fantastic! A very beautiful presentation fill of very beautiful images, thoughts, and feelings. A delight to view. Amazing art, craft, and sentiment. Show the world!

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