About

“Mark Stout is an acclaimed and sought after international fashion and fitness photographer.”
Asian Photography Magazine
December 2008

This blog was initially created to showcase some of my work and models and share interesting highlights from shoots.  It will always contain that element.  However, I have noticed a greater need to help emerging photographers navigate the confusing world of professional photography and to help them attain success without making the mistakes that can destroy their careers in the process.

I hope that in addition to serving to promote my work to a broader audience (yes, I am self-serving too), I can help to create a community for intelligent discussion on the sweeping changes that our industry is faced with and workable solutions to the problems these changes can pose.  The success of a designer, magazine, stock photo agency, ad agency or corporation is as dependent upon the existance of successful photographers and models, as the success of models and photographers is on successful designers, corporations, magazines, stock photo agencies, etc.  That is we thrive only to the degree those we work with also thrive.

A business model has been emerging in all industries where one feels his success comes at the expense of someone else.  A classic example is the rampant offshoring of the early part of this decade where corporations found ways to get work done for pennies on the dollar by moving jobs overseas…. but failed to consider that with each person they laid off, they also lost a customer.  Hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost, hundreds of thousands of customers were lost and the CEOs who were once patting themselves on the back for cutting labor costs so drastically are now in line for government bailouts (and government ownership).  Likewise the demands of the employees can become so great and government regulations so onerous that employers have no choice.  We have all seen examples in the creative arts as well.  The something for nothing model is parasitic and does not work, regardless of who is practicing it.  It eventually consumes the industry that engages in it.

We cannot succeed at the expense of our fellows.  Our success is defendant on the success of those around us.  Some see this and simply operate this way, others only play fair when you demand that they do so.

The business of marketing communications is perhaps the most important industry in America.   I certainly do not know all the answers, but through experience have a fairly broad view of the picture.  So a larger purpose of this blog is to now share the information I have learned in the hope it and the resulting discussion will help the industry in which we all are working thrive and remain the creative force driving the world.

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Mark Stout’s stunning images have received international acclaim and publication. His work has been published on ABC Television, Fox Television, billboard campaigns, Exercise for Men Magazine, Men’s Exercise, Asian Photography Magazine, Display Magazine, Fantastics Magazine, Bello Magazine, reFresh Magazine, DNA Magazine Online, as well as numerous newspapers, leading blogs, CD Jackets, book covers and billboards.He has worked with and photographed high profile celebrities including Sally Kirkland, Morgan Freeman, Vincent De Paul, Pat Benatar, America, and more.