Add a little "Kringle" to your Christmas!

We like to think small-town Iowa is unique in the fact that we LOVE our holiday traditions...
If your Christmas looks like ours, we have our "traditional" foods and treats that have been handed down since - well, as long as anyone can remember! My great-grandmother brought this recipe over from Norway - though, in all honesty, only a few in our family have been able to truly replicate the honest to goodness Norway taste she was known for.
We try.

This year, our Eldridge businesses are offering a special Recipe for a Hometown Holiday. Not only are there "special" recipes located at each business, but The Big Kringle himself will be with us! We will be available for free photos with Santa throughout the night. You may even catch a glimpse of the Santamobile and it's 8 (not so tiny cylinders) as he exclaims Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

For more information, visit the North Scott Chamber of Commerce.

If you're up for the challenge - add a little "Kringle" to your Christmas compliments of Great Grandma!
Good luck!

Kringles

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter (softened)
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 c. flour

HAND MIX ONLY:
Mix sugar, butter, egg, and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients.
Refrigerate overnight or until chilled and firm.
(Do not chill over 24 hours or dough will turn grey...although food coloring is an option!)

On a lightly floured surface, roll a 3" coil and shape into a figure 8 (or desired shape).
Bake at 350 degrees (based on a well-used oven...you may want to turn yours down if it is high-efficiency/high heat) for approx. 8-10 minutes.

Tip: Too big and they will break, too small and they will dry out while baking!

- From all of us at Mark's Place,
Merry Christmas!

Order Festival of Trees Original Cards Here!

Happy Holidays from Mark's Place!

We've teamed up with the Quad City Art's "Festival of Trees" to create original greeting cards just for you!

For a limited time through December, these original greeting cards will be available at the Quad City's Festival of Trees Gift Shop, Mark's Place of Photography, and for the first time ever, here - online - for your convenience.

Below is our Greeting Card Catalog. To view larger, please double click on the picture. To download and print a copy, please click here.

We have three different packages to choose from including:

• Variety
  
• Military
• Religious

All packs come in quantities of 16 and are available for purchase at $20 per pack.

Online orders may be completed by mailing in our complete order form or emailing a completed order form to marksplacephoto@gmail.com

All orders will be confirmed by phone and/or email and will only be processed upon payment.

For more information, please call our studio at 563.285.4991

We hope to see you at this year's Festival of Trees!

- Mark

GO MAQUOKETA CARDINALS!

Congratulations to Maquoketa Cardinals Homecoming Queen....Cassie Cook! 

Aaron - 2010 Senior

There's nothing like a good collage to express the uniqueness of an individual.

Give us a call at the studio and we'll put something together for you!

Limited Fall Sessions

This is just an FYI for everyone...

Fall colors are coming (and going) fast! Because of the extreme weather associated with Iowa, we can never be sure just how long we'll have these fantastic fall colors to work with...making our fall sessions a limited commodity.

We'd hate for any of you to miss out simply because you were too busy raking the leaves out of your yard and off your windshields. Call us today - because we've already booked our afternoon sessions until into October!

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"Hanging Around"

My wife likes to say that we have all these kids just so I can practice taking all kinds of pictures!

Perhaps she's closer to the truth than she knows? ;)

With our newest addition to the family growing like a weed, Marshall has also found time to

"Hang Around".

He kept trying to squirm out of his hammock here!

Apparently, it wasn't his idea of "fun".

Do something out of the box today!

- Mark

Senior Session Discount

Don't forget our senior special is coming to a close about as fast as this summer! (Discount ends Sept. 30th) All our afternoon sessions are BOOKED until into October, so you'll need to act fast if you want to snag any of the remaining morning sessions!

We want to give you all a heads up on this awesome 30% discount and also to give you a preview of what some of our bonus animoto videos look like. Below is Jerry, a 2010 senior. After your session, top photos are uploaded and immediately placed on our Facebook pages (and our blog for those who have held out against Facebook!).

Enjoy!

- Mark

Artist Reception

Love Art?

Have an art assignment to fill at school?

Or just want to get out?

Visit the Artist Reception in Rock Island, IL on Friday, September 11 at 7:00 PM! Mark's work, along with ceramic artist, John Spiteri, will be on display at the MidCoast Gallery West, 2nd Ave & 16 1/2 Street.

Come and enjoy the evening! But don't worry, if you can't make it this Friday, Mark's work will be on display through October.

For more information, visit MidCoast online.

There's A New Mess In Town

Marshall Cooper Mess

What a MESS!

The latest Mess has finally arrived!

After waiting over a week - Michelle went into labor today and at 2:49 pm, a son with a head full of red hair was born.

He weighed in at 9 lbs 11 oz & is 22 inches long! (Think he stayed in the oven too long??) We're debating on his name, but for now, Dr. Tammy is calling him HULK!

Thanks for all the phone calls and encouragement. Mom and baby are doing great!

- Mark

Just Singin' in the Rain

Don't let this rainy weather get you down!

What's New In COLLAGES

We have some awesome ideas for some huge canvas displays

and some new "grunge" designs...keep watching as we

come up with new stuff!

-Mark

All the Way from St. Louis...

Welcome to Iowa, Alley...

30 PERCENT OFF Your Senior Pictures Order!

For the first time ever - we're excited to announce our 30 DAY DISCOUNT offer!

From the day you first view your senior pictures, we'll give you 30 days and 30 ways to save on your entire order...

After viewing your pictures, you will receive a dated certificate expiring in 30 days. For each day sooner that you place your order, you will gain percentage points: 1 day = 1%. Should you place an order the day after your viewing, your 30 days will total a 30% discount!

The speedier you can be - the more you can get for free!

Please e-mail us at marksplacephoto@gmail.com for more information on our 30 Day Discount offer and our complete senior brochure with details on packages and pricing.

See you this summer!

- Mark

Graduation Thank You's.

So you've graduated, started the process of opening your congratulatory cards and realized...

"I have to write how many thank you's?"

Don't worry! We have something that will make both you and your folks sigh with relief. :)

THANK YOU CARDS!

Why order thank you cards when you can pick them up at Wal-Mart? Well, you can still do that, but our cards can be personalized with a thank you message, a blank space to write on, or simply a colorful thank you card that only needs to be addressed.

Think about it - it's not too late to order. In fact, once your card is designed and proofed, it only takes 48 hours to order/ship/receive your cards.

Isn't that easy?

- Mark

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift

Sometimes it can be tough...you need to find the gift that says I love you, I appreciate you, and yes, I spent time picking out this gift for you!


Happy Mother's Day! We have some great ideas for you at the studio. To the right is just an example of some of the loving gifts that will say all of the above.

Call us for more info - and don't forget to hug your mother!

Have a good one,
- Mark

Happy May Day

Have you delivered your May Day baskets yet?

No worries - we haven't either - we're too busy working! Nevertheless, we decided to give all of our readers a big "Happy May Day" shout-out.

Enjoy your weekend - Mark

Order Perks

Just a friendly reminder for you when you place your final senior order...

• If your order totals $500 or more - we'll give you 24 Notecards/Invites
• If your order totals $850 or more - you will earn 2 Artstrips framed and ready
• If your order totals $1250 or more - our designers will work with you to create a one-of-a-kind hardcover photo-journal book
  

That's all for now - we're overflowing in graduation orders so call us ASAP to get your freebies in time for the PARTY!

- Mark

Graduation is Coming!

No - it's not too early to be thinking about your graduation parties coming up. We sure are!

Right now we're busy at the studio creating edgy new designs, downloading the latest in new design software, and already preparing to shoot our first wedding of the season.

We want you to know about all the great products we have available for graduating seniors this year. Choose from our existing designs for your invitation cards or meet up with one of our designers and design an ORIGINAL!

Animoto Videos are the hottest new thing on Facebook and mySpace - call us and request your free video with your top pics and we'll upload it to my facebook profile page where you can tag yourself online.

Aside from great things like our invite cards and complimentary animoto videos, we have lots of other great perks ranging from stylish business card-sized graduation date cards to easy-to-send thank you postcards.

Don't forget to order early! Believe it or not...time is running out!

Keep it real - Mark

Our Secrets Out!!

Another little Mess is on the way! We've been waiting till we had all the results. The call with all the good news came the day before we left for Hawaii. It's a healthy, active, baby boy. Due on July 29th. Yes, we've managed to keep this quiet for 5 months! Since swim suits are very reveiling, we broke the news to the kids the first morning on vacation. Boy were they shocked. Now that the news has made it home to our parents, the whole world can know. We are growing more excited every day and the kids are picking out names already.

The North Shore Life

When the wind blows, the North shore is were the action is at. Our little surfer dude got trashed by his first killer wave on the Banzi Pipeline. 

It Just Doesn't Get Any Better Than This...

Beautiful Hawaii in March

Video coming soon!

Top 2009 Seniors

We have some fantastic senior videos online now - they're currently located on my facebook profile - but don't worry, they'll be uploaded here soon!

I'm currently in Hawaii on a mini-vacation, so forgive me if I go enjoy the sun instead of blogging. :)

See you online soon. - Mark

All Things Unique

I love that working with seniors is a unique experience - every time. 

They each have their own style, flair, and personality. 

Aaron is a serious drummer - so we wanted a look that would be intense. Did it work? :) Taking a photo and creating something that is going to express an emotion is what makes this job rewarding and challenging at the same time. 

Take a chance - be unique.   - Mark 

Spring Weddings

I know I haven't posted in a while - we'll chalk it off to

cabin fever and winter blues as I wait for spring to get here!

Between dodging gigantic raindrops and shoveling snow as the Iowa weather

tries to decide whether to get warm or stay cold...

I've been busy working on wedding albums, senior invites and graduation materials.

It never ceases to amaze me how fast a year will fly.

"Kiss"

Right now, we're gearing up for the big push for senior graduations and

then it's full speed ahead with weddings.

Smile! Spring is on the way!

- Mark

"Seated"

First of all - thank you to the Figge Art Museum of Davenport, IA and the Quad City Arts for putting on the art show this December/January.

For those of you who know me - I can wind up in the strangest and funniest situations...this picture resulted from a wrong turn on the wrong road on a trip back from Michigan.

I saw this place and just had to stop! It was an eclectic shop of sorts and 5 minutes turned into 2 hours browsing rows of old wagon wheels, pumps, shutters, and...seats.

This print hung in the Figge Art Show this past December/January and I am encouraged to find the Quad Cities supportive of the arts. They work hard to put these shows together.

Thanks for looking -Mark

"Seated".

Kolten - 2009 Baby

Newborn children are just the greatest little miracles.

Watching new parents is also one of the most exciting things I get to experience in my studio.

It blows me away.

What a great expression...

An even better expression!

Welcome to life, Kolten Dean.

-Mark

Baby Brayden

Brayden and his folks are a wonderful family.

Just for fun, I'd joked with them when we were taking 'naked baby' pictures

"I've never had it happen yet, but now

would be the time he decides he needs to go #2!"

...there's a first for everything!

Smile a little today. -Mark

Snitker-Kelley Wedding

I photographed this wedding in Pella, IA last May. These are just a few of the

pages from this bride's wedding album.

The Pella Opera House had incredible windows.

With a May wedding - the famous Tulip City

was in full bloom.

Wedding Dance Ideas

In need of ideas for your wedding dance? According to this video - you'll need 4 practices a week for an entire month to pull this off. Hope you laugh as much as I did.    -Mark

Happy Valentine's Day

So - I read this joke in a magazine and just had to pass it along...

Joe figured out a way to remember his wife's birthday and their wedding anniversary. He opened an account with a florist and told him to send flowers to his wife on those dates, along with a note signed "Your loving husband". His wife was thrilled by the attention, and all was great until one anniversary. Joe came home, saw the bouquet, kissed his wife, and said, "Nice flowers. Where'd you get them?

I'm not sure I'd try this as a way to woo your spouse :) -Mark

REO Speedwagon

Sometimes it's fun to pull out older prints just so you can see what and how you were shooting. 

I created "REO Speedwagon" in 2007 and it's been displayed in my studio ever since. I guess you could say it's one of my favorites!

Capturing shots of older generations is just one of my passions. I hope you enjoy looking as much as I enjoy sharing. 

-Mark

Courtney - 2009 Senior

I love shooting seniors! Here's a look at 2009 graduate, Courtney.

We were all over the place - there are so many

fantastic shots you can get if you only look.

Enjoy! -Mark

Welcome to Mark's Blog

Mark is now Facebook Official
Mark's Place is opening up a whole new world by uploading pictures to Facebook and Blogger. *All pictures used with permission. Now you can tag yourself in our Facebook albums and share your pictures with any and all of your friends. I'm even uploading videos featuring your pictures, complete with graphics and music.

In case you haven't checked out my new facebook page, link, there are some incredible new pictures and videos now online. If you had your BC Dance pictures taken with me, I hope you've tagged yourself by now...enjoy your preview!

Each week, my blog and Facebook will be holding picture of the week contests where any viewers can cast their vote for the winning photograph. The winner continues into the next week until another winner is chosen or the photo continues as number one until the end of the month where the grand prize winner will receive...ah! No use spilling the beans yet!

Why Blog?
Have you ever wondered how to plan for a wedding? Maybe how to "wow" your friends with your senior pictures. Or even if trying to creatively photograph your children was really worth the effort? As a veteran of over 20 years of photography - have I got some tips for you!

The point of my blog isn't to clutter up your already busy life with a lot of useless information - we all have way too much going on to read junk mail. Mark's Blog is a place where I offer tips and tricks, answer your questions, and let you know first about what's happening at the studio.

First responders to my "Call to Action" posts (a post containing time sensitive material and limited availability) will receive added benefits and gifts that could include the cost of your session, print enlargements, or even discounts on new products. Who doesn't like that?

What Are You Here For?
Although we're all tired of hearing about how the economy is tightening everyone's purse strings - the fact is, for most of us, it's true. Now, more than ever, we're thinking twice before plopping down our money for something we want and I'm not interested in creating that something. I'm here to capture an experience and an emotion that you just don't want - but need.

And if you're looking for ordinary - you're in the wrong place.