Mark Surls

Photo by Kristina McGowan

Photography has defined Mark’s life in many ways. His earliest outings occurred with his brother and father. These consisted of him carrying a camera bag full of every lens his dad had generously supplied him with and a slow hike, usually to a waterfall or a beautiful North Georgia mountaintop. Summer days were often spent at the camera shop his father worked at, checking out the dark room or listening to customers stories of their latest outings. Many evenings were passed, sawing and nailing scrap wood together in his dad’s furniture workshop. Adolescence consisted of weekends at camera shows assisting his dad and making enough money to buy another antique movie camera.

After his father’s premature passing, Mark drifted away from photography and it wasn’t until his early 30’s that he brought the camera back into the center of his life. Since then, hours upon hours of his life have been either behind the lens or editing at the computer with the room lit by a red light as an homage to the dark room.

All along, a strong appreciation of the outdoors was instilled in him. Mark has gone beyond wildlife photography and now advocates for the animals he loves so dearly. He has lobbied government officials and pressed corporations to treat our wildlife ethically and humanely. Currently, he is working to stop the use of rodenticides in his community and protecting Colorado’s wild cats.