Photo by Jerry Ranch
STATEMENT
As a trained journalist, writer, designer, and marketer, my career has always centered on understanding subjects deeply and communicating them in ways that engage, challenge, and inform. Photography has become the medium where these skills converge most effectively for me. Unlike my early forays into painting or installations, where my interpretation often leads the way, photography allows me to represent subjects faithfully while hinting at a story—an invitation to the viewer that starts with, “Once upon a time…”
My artistic focus spans both urban and rural areas, including Iowa and the places I visit. While I can be found photographing urban environments, I am drawn to the small towns, landscapes, and institutions that define a place’s past, present, and future. A barn that has stood for generations, a church anchoring a small town, a weathered face shaped by hard work—these images speak to the character of the spaces where they were made. By capturing them, I am preserving a record of a place’s cultural identity at a time of rapid change.
I work in both color and black and white, guided by the story each subject suggests. My compositions are often simple: I isolate people, animals, or structures within their environments to show scale and context, or I crop closely to create intimacy or a thought-provoking detail. This balance allows curious viewers to see the space in ways that can be both familiar and surprising, while encouraging them to dawdle a bit inside the image.
Community connection is central to my workflow. I regularly share my photography through exhibitions, publications, and art fairs, encouraging viewers to see their surroundings with fresh eyes. Many of my images generate conversations about heritage, belonging, and the value of place. In rural communities, this often means images that residents recognize as their own. For audiences outside Iowa, my work provides a window into the Midwest that goes beyond stereotype, showing both its challenges and its enduring strengths. When my images come from outside Iowa, it takes people to those spaces—spaces they remember visiting or long to visit.
CONTACT
If you’d like to talk about photography or art, or commission a project, please contact Mark at 515.822.3706 or email marktruephoto@gmail.com.