We recently connected with Mark Indig and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mark thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

A 6 month photo project of small business storefronts in Los Angeles “CLOSED ON SUNDAYS”:

The dictionary defines shopping as “the purchasing of goods from stores.” That definition may require some adjustment in the digital age.
How do you shop? Big box stores, chains, malls, boutiques, mail order, the internet? How do you decide what and where to buy? Advertising campaigns? Celebrity endorsements? Product placement? Social media?

What has often been left behind is the local storefront, especially in economically challenged neighborhoods. No interior designers. No ad agencies. No commercials. No toll-free numbers. No dedicated parking. No websites. And many, being family-owned, are still closed on Sundays – a nostalgic notion in a society that is open 24/7. So we just drive by or let our smart phones do the walking. But when you see the light filtering through the old-fashioned iron burglar bars, the result can be a rainbow of delights just beyond reach — at least on Sundays.

These small businesses tell a story about diversity, ingenuity, creativity, eccentricity, culture, design, social class, economics, commerce and competition in the Greater Los Angeles area but track more universal themes. It is about the struggle of the little guys to survive when all they have is a storefront, an idea, a can of paint, a window display and a lot of sweat equity to compete in an environment where they are outgunned and outspent for your business. The vibrance of these displays belies the razor’s edge in which these businesses often exist. Some succeed, many fail and most just hang on. But how dull would our communities be without these unique forms of expression?

The compositions exist in a space without people but with the feeling of human presence. These are lived-in environments, altered by their inhabitants, and unique. The stillness belies their sometimes handmade, improvised nature: the hand-painted murals, graffiti, signs, advertisements and even the choice of dresses in the windows. The requisite gates over doors and windows are the masks and protectors of this world increasingly vanishing in a world of big box stores. Each storefront is a work of folk art; each window a unique DIY amalgamation of colors, wares, displays, signage and architectural flourishes. Do we want every Main Street to look the same? Should people have to work 7 days a week to compete and survive? The stakes are high – the success and future of a family, a street, neighborhood or even a city.

The images were taken over 6 months of Sundays (Oct 2009 – Mar 2010) as a diversion while my late wife Mamie was suffering from the end stages of terminal illness and is dedicated to her memory. As her caregiver, I was only able to take a few hours off each Sunday morning. I have little doubt that I gravitated toward this subject as I watched her essence recede and become inaccessible, as if she were behind iron bars.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in NYC in 1949. My dream was to be in the movie business, and I started on that path in 1972 with production-related jobs in commercials and films until I moved to LA in 1984. During that time, I worked mainly as a Location Scout/Manager. As an important part of that job, I had to find and photograph the locations for the projects, in addition to managing logistics. This is what got me started and interested in photography. There were no digital cameras at that time so I had to learn to use special Polaroid and SLR cameras FAST. I also started to travel around the country and the world. After a few years in LA, I became a Studio Executive at Disney and Universal. Then I went back to the freelance world as a Unit Production Manager and Producer. I have worked on such projects as Body Heat, Big Chill, Short Circuit, Titanic, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, The Guardian, Tropic Thunder and (unfortunately) The Lone Ranger. I have therefore worked on one of the biggest hits ever and one of the biggest flops.

The process of scouting for films is what helped develop my particular style and interest in urban landscape, which I define as any environment touched by man. I started exhibiting in galleries in whatever area I might be working on a film. That gave me the experience and confidence to become a full time photographer in 2013. The renumeration is far less but the satisfaction is far more.

In all, I’ve traveled and shot in all 50 states (many times over) and 55 countries. My previous career gave me the flexibility to limit my “business plan” to selling prints and books (I’ve done 3). My “success” is due to the slow development of a style that many instantly know is mine, which I guess is now known as “branding.”

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe every person needs a creative outlet as a form of self expression. It does not need to be mutually exclusive from a “non creative” career or job. Writing, painting, music, sword swallowing… it doesn’t matter as long as it feeds your soul. Find the time.

However, if you believe in the “10,000 hour” rule of becoming good at something (and I do), and the camera (or pen or flute, etc) becomes an effortless extension of your feelings, thoughts and passions, the rewards go well beyond the commercial aspect of whether it sells or not. In my case, the process of coming up with a project idea, the research, the travel usually involved, the sights on the journey, the joy of an image well taken, the editing, the printing and hopefully the exhibition are all equal parts of the journey. If I could only complete the process by doing my own framing… but I don’t have the handy gene.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

While I obviously love international travel and photography (but not “travel photography”), I have a particular passion for rural and small town USA. I honestly believe I’ve seen more of America on the ground than almost any other human being. But there’s always more.

For example, I just returned from Central Maine. Most people who visit Maine spend most if not all their time along the spectacular coastline, among the prettiest places in the country. But having done that several times, including one of the best jobs I’ve ever had (scouting all the lighthouses there for a beer commercial in the late 70’s), I decided to start a photo project called “Uncoastal Maine,” which I’m now in the process of editing. This part of Maine is most representative of the facts that it is the most forested state in America, the 2nd most rural, has 32000 miles of rivers and streams and 6000 lakes and ponds. I couldn’t pass up the idea of exploring and photographing this area before it radically changes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://markindigphoto.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.indig.3/