My friend Mark Potter, finally got his book published! It’s a beautiful heart felt story to read and the photos are just beautiful!
The following text is from Amazon along with the link to order:
Sunrise: A Photographic Journey of Comfort, Healing, and Inspiration Hardcover Author: Mark Potter, 208 pages
“The heartrending story behind Mark Potter’s marvelous photographs gives them a healing and hope-filled force. This book is more than a memorial to his remarkable wife; it lights a path forward for everyone who has experienced the darkest weight of grief and it reminds us to cherish every sunrise.” ––Carl Hiaasen
“With a moonless sky this early morning, it is eerily dark out here, and I can feel the weight of the hot and humid South Florida air. As I head toward the sound of the rolling ocean surf ahead of me, the soft beach sand shifts beneath my feet, making it hard for me to walk while balancing my two cameras and a heavy tripod. Even though I go out like this virtually every morning, it never gets old, and once again I am starting to get excited. I can even feel my breathing increase as I approach the shoreline. These are all welcome signs that I’m fully alive right now and am engaged in what I call “magic time.” It’s that ungodly hour of the day when most normal people are still safely at home, asleep in their comfortable beds––blissfully unaware that they are on the verge of missing out on one of the best lightshows on all of planet earth: The tropical sunrise!” ––Mark Potter
It is the unvarnished truth that all of Mark Potter’s bright and colorful sunrise photographs began from tragedy and grief, and were taken in memory of his wife who died from cancer. But as miracles sometimes have it, the images turned out to be the exact opposite of the way they began. They are upbeat and exciting, but also comforting and calming while capturing the natural world of Florida as it awakens to each new day with not only sunrises, but also seascapes, wildlife, marine life, flora, and fauna.
About the Author Mark Potter is a 41-year veteran of television news and was an on-air correspondent for ABC News, CNN and NBC News. During his career, he traveled extensively and won national awards for his investigative reporting of narcotics trafficking, migrant smuggling and civil rights. Potter now devotes his retirement to photographing the Florida outdoors, turning his cameras toward beautiful sunrises, landscapes, wildlife and sunsets. He is a longtime resident of South Florida.
<—— Special Print Pricing —–> . Shipping and Taxes not included . Prints (glossy or lustre, just a print, no frame): 8 X 12 – $25.00 12 X 18 – $45.00 20 X 30 – $90.00
Canvas Gallery Wrap – ready to hang 16 X 24 – $115.00 30 X 45 – Professionally Printed on High Quality Canvas & stretched over a handcrafted wood frame – $550.00
The sun just rose above the horizon at the Deering Estate on this day – the Fall Equinox, when the sun rises in the middle of the boat basin. Creating an incredible sunrise photograph
Looking for wall art for your home or office? Lee Smith Photography can offer you a wide range of images in almost any size needed. Visit us on line at https://www.leesmithphotos.com/
I have selected my top images for my 2020 Photo Calendar and will be sending the calendar off to be printed. there will be a limited supply so I am offering an opportunity for people to take advantage of a pre-order special. Click on the link below to order:
The calendar size is 11″ x 8.5″ which is printed on premium glossy card stock.
The price is $20.00 for one calendar and shipped domestically through USPS for $3.00 (in the Continental US only). If you order 2 or more calendars, I am offering free shipping in the Continental US.
This special price is only for a limited time so order today!
Let me know if you have any questions – Thank you!
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Lee, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far. I was born and raised in Miami, FL. I enjoyed the outdoors starting at a young age. My photography career began when I was about ten years old with a little Kodak Instamatic camera. I would take that thing with me everywhere I went but could only take a few photos because the cost to buy and develop film, but I had fun, and my parents and sister enjoyed my photos.
I became a bit more serious with my photography after I graduated High School. In 1974, I would carry a camera when my friends were carrying surfboards to the beach. I would photograph the beach life from the shoreline as they surfed. Made loads for friends and had a great deal of fun. A few years ago, I posted some of those photos on Facebook, and my old friends went crazy looking at the old memories when times were so much simpler.
There was a break in my photography efforts due to work and education. It wasn’t until my marriage that I started shooting again. We would go out to different events, hang with friends and eventually honeymoon in Costa Rica. I would shoot when I wasn’t working. We eventually started our family having two children, and my photography was focused on my wife & kids. I spent a great deal of time capturing my kids growing up from behind the lens and have so many wonderful shots. It wasn’t until 2005 that I started shooting digitally with an inexpensive Canon A620 flip screen that changed my views on photography.
Today, I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark 4 with a select group of quality lens. After my kids moved out, I focus on landscape photography, capturing the Florida sunrises, wildlife, and trips with my wife out west.
Can you give our readers some background on your art? What I create. I really enjoy a beautiful sunrise. I try to visit different places to capture how the morning light evolves into a day with the changing colors of the morning.
I also enjoy capturing the night skies, cityscapes, and the moon on occasion. How do I create my work? I use a Canon EOS 5D Mark 4 and a Sony A6500 to capture images and timelapses. I use Adobe Photoshop to process the images to get them looking like what I saw.
Why? I enjoy making capturing images and producing something that makes people smile and to bring a little happiness back into this world.
What’s the message or inspiration? My message is to enjoy this beautiful world we live in. To treat it with respect, because mankind is destroying this planet at a rapid pace. The images I capture of places may one day become only a memory of what once stood in that spot.
What do you hope people take away from it? I hope my photos inspire us to recognize that we all have a responsibility to protect the places we live in. We are all shepherds of this earth. We need to do our best to clean up after ourselves and not pollute the environment. Mankind has done terrible things to this world. It is up to us and future generations to protect this planet.
What should we know about your artwork? I love what I do, and I spend an enormous amount of time capturing my images. I hope my images inspire people to slow down, take a deep breath and to enjoy the moment.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives? Yes, it can be lonely being a landscape photographer, but I think that can be part of the allure of being a photographer.
I have found that it’s easy to meet up with other photographers by simply introducing yourself and find out where others may be on a weekend shoot on social media like Facebook & Instagram, Or just go to the places people post images and you will find people there on the weekends photographing something – Landscapes, wildlife, sports, and events.
Now landscape photography is much different than photographing a wedding, an event, portraits, sporting events, real estate or any other photographic avenues. The best thing about photography is that you can pick and choose what you wish to do and what you like to photograph. Photography is a passion. It can display your character or even your soul. The main thing is to have fun and enjoy the time you are out with your camera.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support? I have several Social Media accounts that people can follow me on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LeeSmithPhotos/
Currently, I only have my artwork for sale on my website https://www.leesmithphotos.com/. I am looking into several galleries to start showing my work.
A long exposure for capturing the cloud movement at Sunny Isles Fishing Pier – Sunny Isles, Florida Offering South Florida Landscape Photography for your home or office. We also provide Event, Portrait, & Product Photography Services Photography by Lee Smith – http://www.leesmithphotos.com
A trip to Pine Glades Lake in the Everglades National Park at sunset
We had a photo session out in the Everglades last night and the sunset was spectacular! We knew the mosquitoes were going to be intense so tried the Thermacell product – once it started up – it worked like a champ! I also had netting on and that really worked too. The colors and hues were just incredible and that reflection from the still water just enhanced the whole image! Everglades National Park, Canon 5DM4, 16-35mm F/2.8L USM II
