Photographer: Mark Dierker

Mark loves exploring light and how it is interpreted by a camera.

He began taking photos in the mid-1970's with a fixed lens Yashica camera his
father gave him. In college he developed a love for black and white photography and
the sweeping landscapes of the American Southwest. Working for newspapers after college helped hone his skills in portraiture and documentary photography. He gets much of his inspiration from his frequent travels. His favorite genres are landscape, portraiture, musical performance and Americana. He is an award winning photographer having shown in over 150 galleries around the world. In 2005 he started Bear Dancer Studios to showcase his photographic artwork. He now has a gallery and studio in Dubuque, IA.

Mark received a BA in Journalism with a minor in photography from Adams State
College in Alamosa, CO and is working toward an MA in Communication from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

One of two sons in a military family, Mark was born in Carthage, IL but grew up all over the US. He is now a freelance photographer and graphic designer and splits his time between Dubuque, IA, and a family farm near Rushville, IL.