Picture This! World Photography Day Through the Lens of Mark Witte
Today (August 19) is World Photography Day, an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography.
Halff is fortunate to have the talented Mark Witte as our photographer, who brings our projects to life. From construction to ribbon cuttings, his lens has documented our project journey—turning ideas into reality.
Discover more about the man behind the camera and explore some of his favorite photos from his career.
What is the background of your career and how did it lead you to Halff?
My career began with technical illustration and drafting, primarily in the HVAC industry. Before joining Halff, I was creating 3D models and fly-through animation with a small architectural visualization group. In 1998, Halff acquired our group of five to establish the new Visual Technologies team. Sometime later I transferred to the Planning and Landscape Architecture (PLA) team.
Photography didn’t have a role in my career until about 2009, when I started taking project photos for PLA. That gradually expanded to additional teams and other Halff offices. With the growing requests to market our services through photography, I transferred to the Communications team in 2021 as a designated Halff photographer.
Why is it important for us to capture photos of our projects?
Images grab our attention and make a first impression—for better or for worse. They can quickly convey information about a product or service, inviting the observer to browse some text for more detail. Project photos can also be useful to review our projects from the past and inspire new ideas for the future.
What are some big changes you’ve seen photography go through in your career?
I took my first photography classes in high school. Those were the days of developing our own film, darkroom enlargers, chemical stop baths and hanging our prints up to dry. Now we have seemingly endless editing possibilities and the emergence of AI with its obvious advantages. My, how times have changed!
Do you face any challenges when taking project photos?
On remote photo trips, traveling and walking project sites from sunrise to sunset can be exhausting. But in another sense, it’s also the quickest and easiest part of the job. Preparation for those trips may be my greatest challenge.
When Mark isn’t taking photography of our incredible projects, he’s capturing beautiful scenery and moments around the world!
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