Tampa Photography Blog

One of the highest compliments I receive is being asked to photograph an assignment for a friend and colleague.

I met Mark Kohler while working at the Shreveport Times in Louisiana. Mark is a strange, interesting and incredibly smart man. His views may not always be favorable but they are well thought out, strong and bold.

He's currently teaching at Penn State University and has published his first book, Exiled in America: A Gen-X Journalist's View on Politics, Culture, Religion and Social Control in the 21st Century. He asked me to photograph the cover for him and it is an honor that he trusts me with his work.

Clients and friends always ask me “behind the scenes” questions about where I shot something or how I shot it. Mark called me with an idea he wanted to convey and let me run with it. Believe it or not, this cover was shot with my husband as the model (thank you Justin) on railroad tracks on US 41 in Lutz, Florida. We waited until sunset and used different angles, compositions and lighting techniques to produce the cover you see here. This was Mark’s favorite image as he felt this best represented his ideas in the book.

Mark describes his book as “A visceral response to Tea Baggers and right-wing radicals. All the evidence you will ever need to beat back the willfully ignorant intent on driving this country off a cliff.”

If this peaks your interest, please check out his book on Amazon. He’s a fantastic writer—you won’t be disappointed.