Who am I?
With almost 20 years of experience in publishing, advertising, marketing, and branding, I’ve designed creative assets for a wide range of clients, working with teams large and small. I take pride in staying abreast of the general design, advertising, photography, videography, architecture, web design, and user experience landscapes. My cosmopolitan life experience and sharp eye have helped me to bring an empathetic and holistic approach to solving today’s design challenges.
I currently live in Alexandria, VA where I am the creative director for Active Interest Media's Home Group. There, reporting to the Editor-in-Chief, I am responsible for designing Log & Timber Home Living magazine as well as overseeing and designing all creative marketing for the brand. This includes developing house ads, advertorials, media kits, show promotions, e-newsletters, website design, social media graphics, web banners, flyers, lead generation, direct mail and other advertising promotional collateral for the sales team and other external clients. I also travel around the country photographing log & timber homes for the magazine (www.thelogphotog.com) as well as develop, run, and produce their YouTube channel.
I also run a small photography business, Human Arts Photography, that specializes in portrait and lifestyle photography for commercial and editorial needs. Some notable clients include Sufferfest Beer Company, SketchUp, Pretrial Justice Institute, Boulder Lifestyle, Yoga Journal, and Log & Timber Home Living.
In my free time you'll find me hiking up a mountain, brewing beer, camping, playing kickball, or taking pictures of things.
Please feel free to email me with any thoughts or proposals at msorensondesign@gmail.com. I always look forward to a good design challenge.
To get a more in-depth look at my photography work and services, please visit:
humanartsphotography.com
Download a PDF of my resume.
Personal Skills
Keen Communicator
Empathetic
Team Player
Dependable
Self-starter
Deadline Terminator
Pixel Perfecter
Tech Disciple
Media Consumer
Craft Beer Brewer
Technical Skills
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Bridge
Adobe Acrobat Pro
Adobe Dreamweaver
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe XD
Technical Skills Cont.
InSite
InVision
WordPress
HTML & XML
CSS & JavaScript
Trimble SketchUp
Microsoft Office 365
Photography
Videography
What people are saying…
I am writing this to let you know what an amazing employee Mark Sorenson is. The word "amazing" is so overused these days, but in this case, it's completely accurate. You may be familiar with his strong print design, photography (and photo editing) and digital talents, but he is so much more than a portfolio. What his portfolio can't show is his work ethic, willingness to do whatever it takes to get a job done and how well he gets along with everyone.
Mark does whatever it takes to get a job done (late nights, weekends), and not just done on time, but done right. And done well. He is a mentor and teacher. He is the unofficial techie in our team; we rely on him to answer questions on all things "computer" — and he does so, willingly, thoroughly and patiently.
He really does bring everything to the table: talent, critical thinking/quick learning, desire to make sure everyone is pleased with his work, and the best personality you could ask for.
I know this sounds like his mother wrote this gushing letter, but in the 25+ years of my career, I have never had the pleasure of working with a more capable and enjoyable employee.
— Edie Mann (Creative Director)
While working alongside Mark at the Home Group Division of Active Interest Media, I was constantly amazed by Mark's ability to meet tight deadlines without sacrificing the beauty of his designs. He is an expert in InDesign and understands all facets of the production process. Mark is also a great leader, who treats all coworkers with respect and kindness. He never hesitates to help answer a design question, or even step up to take on extra work when needed. He has a passion for photography, and is constantly researching and testing out new techniques to improve his skill. I enjoyed working with Mark and appreciated the enthusiasm he brought to the job daily.
— Samantha Trueheart (Content Strategist)
I am so lucky to be able to work with Mark, a skilled and knowledgeable Art Director and a reliable member of the Home Group. Throughout my time with the Home Group, I have had the pleasure of working with Mark on several projects that involve his expertise on graphic design of client advertorial and content marketing campaigns. Mark is a creative, result oriented, and technically sound employee. I can consistently expect positive energy and feedback when working on a project with Mark. Mark's talent and devotion as Art Director makes him extremely valuable to our team, and I can confidently say that these characteristics will carry over to any other company. He will be a great asset to the next team he joins.
— Taylor Jackson (Marketing Manager)
I'm a writer by trade, so being on camera makes me nervous, but Mark's care, vision and attention to detail put me at ease from the get go. His talent for getting people to relax and be themselves shows in his work—I couldn't be more thrilled with the entire experience, and end result. As a compassionate, true artist, he translated the feeling behind the photos I desired throughout a holistic photo shoot experience, start to finish: from prompting my spirit and brand ethos to shine through, to rounds of selections and polishing the final product. His communication, supportive nature and prompt turn-around time can't be rivaled. Mark has an eye for light, background, color, editing and personality unlike any photographer I've worked with (and that's saying a lot!). I would highly recommend Mark for any photo shoot, from highlighting the beauty of architecture and culture, to capturing the essence of humanity on camera. His photos breathed new life into my business and I'm so thrilled to have had the pleasure to work with him. I certainly will again.
— Patty Hodapp (Journalist & Media Business Owner)
I loved working with Mark and highly recommend him - his enthusiasm for photography is definitely evident! I was new to being the subject of a photographer, and he made me feel so comfortable in front of the camera with some needed and clear guidance/ideas on how to pose etc. I love how the photos came out - very professional, natural, and he captured my personality and humor perfectly in the shots! I’ve gotten many compliments on them and am using the photos/headshots in all my social media.
— Anna Baldwin (Web Developer)
Mark creates a relaxing, professional and fun atmosphere for his clients, making being in front of the camera an ease. (Which is saying something for this awkward girl!) During our session, he showed that he had taken my vision seriously and ensured the shots we got matched what I was looking for. Not only was the end product perfect, but I had a great time as well! Thank you Mark, looking forward to the next one!
— Michelle White (Marketing Director)
I am absolutely thrilled with the photos that Mark took of me for my website. It's clear that he is dedicated to delivering a high-quality product and giving the customer exactly what they want. Before we even did our photo shoot, Mark talked to me about what kind of images I needed for the website: vertical, horizontal, shots with space around them so that text could be overlayed, etc. Then, on the day of our shoot, he listened to my suggestions, but was also able to make on-the-fly suggestions about locations that he thought would make beautiful backgrounds. And his eye was spot on! Finally, Mark is so fun to work with. He makes you feel comfortable and natural. My photos feel like me. I highly recommend him!