I was born in Budapest in 1973. When I was nine years old I moved to Switzerland, where I spent the following eleven years. During this time I acquired basic knowledge of photography, including different techniques and darkroom work.

Before delving more deeply into photography, I approached the subject of imagery from various angles. During my childhood I first started to create two dimensional graphics, mostly games, on the computer, within the parameters of the technology which existed at the time; and as the technology developed I was able to make use of the newer and more exciting tools available. The next stage for me was 3D and animation; at the same time I also became involved in music making, regularly practising the guitar over ten years. So that by the time I was going to school I could create graphics and animation and compose music for computer games, I also wrote music for guitar and other instruments.

By the time I came back to Hungary I was decidedly moving towards working in the genre of visual creativity, unsurprisingly as I am from a family of artists. After the computer, the pencil, the pen, the next picture creating tool was the camera.

At that time the digital camera came on to the market, so I chose one for myself, but within a short space of time I found this kind of camera had obstacles which narrowed down the possibilities, so I returned to the analog mirror-imagery technique. There were also professional digital mirror-imagery cameras by then, but for one, these were extremely expensive and on the other hand I wanted to see the picture of a deep interior view I had imagined, before exposure. Rather than having the immediacy, but not being able to see what is on the film until after exposure, forcing the photographer to scientifically carefully think out the composition beforehand. Naturally I too use a digital camera nowadays, but I want to emphasise how important the analog era was.

Now I live in Hungary in the Kali Basin in the uplands of Lake Balaton, working as a photographer and a graphic designer in my own company the smArt Design Studio (www.sm-artstudio.com).

In my view photography and artistry are one and the same. The natural world is interesting and to be held in high esteem. I found my own style of composition, resulting in an artistic close up view of nature, for which I have been awarded many prizes, both at home and abroad.

In my work, with awareness and contemplation I endeavour to reveal what is precious, because I believe that an artist’s positive thoughts and experiences should wake up his audience. Besides bringing awareness I also have an unshakable feeling that it is my calling to document and show the small and large beautiful and valuable wonders which I find; be it a natural, or man made fleeting treasure.

Mark Somogyi