One of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, Mark Brecke is a quiet and determined force of change. While I’ve worked on a couple of films with him (War as a Second Language, They Turned Our Desert Into Fire) and have enjoyed countless tales, meals and beers with him, he always has something new to surprise me with.

The day we pulled this shot I was prepping to take someone else’s portrait. Mark was friends with him as well so he stopped by the studio to say hello. I asked Mark to stand in for a lighting test, two clicks later and I thought to myself ‘looks good.’ As it was, we didn’t end up taking the portrait of the other person, and wound up instead with this great shot of Mark. That’s sometimes how it goes.

I do have a portrait of Mark in my mind that I’ve been itching to create. But for now, I’m grateful to have this.