Mark Houde: Capturing Nature Beyond Boundaries

Mark Houde is a skilled outdoor and landscape photographer who artfully portrays the harmony and allure of ordinary places where we live, work, and play. His aim is to raise awareness and draw attention to our communities through the power of visual imagery. Mark's exceptional work is found in various esteemed magazines, reports, and websites, including Politico.com, CTPost.com, CTWine.com, UCONN publications, and more. During his interview, he shares his journey, life experiences, his Kombucha business and advice for those planning to get started with photography. 

1. Who are you? 

I'm a landscape photographer living in the United States. I love to capture beauty and harmony in everyday places. I also publish YouTube videos every other Thursday to help photography enthusiasts learn Lightroom, Luminar NEO, composition, and more. 

2. What Jackery product do you have and how has it helped you? 

I currently own three Jackery Explorers — Explorer 160, Explorer 290, and Explorer 300. I had a trip to Yosemite for landscape photography and hiking. In Curry Village, there was no way to charge anything. Since I carry multiple cameras and shoot around 4k videos, I need a lot of power to charge them. 

As I couldn't carry the battery during my flight from the East Coast to Yosemite, I picked up a Jackery solar generator in a Harbor Freights Tools store in Sacramento. 

I already had Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panels, but the problem was how to get my Jackery back home. So, I called UPS and FedEx global courier delivery services to make sure they shipped my Jackery back home safely. 

I started a Kombucha business with my wife. My wife uses Jackery Explorer 290 for our Kombucha business. She needs a lot of power during her outdoor events. When we camped together, she realized how convenient these portable batteries are. 

Now, whenever my wife goes to farmers' markets, she carries Jackery to charge POS systems, fans, and coolers. Many vendors come over to her and ask what she's using. Truly, Jackery is amazing! 

Find KOMBUCHA here

Website: www.soulsticekombucha.com/

Instagram: instagram.com/soulsticekombucha

Facebook: m.facebook.com/soulsticekombucha

3. If you could pack only the three essential things to take with you on a trip, what would it be? 

I'd bring a Jackery. It's useful even if I'm planning to stay at a hotel. I would carry a Jackery Explorer 160 to charge devices where there's no electric outlet. I love the convenience, extra power, and extra energy that it offers. 

I would definitely buy some good clothing for landscape photography. You might be hiking when the rain starts, so carrying good clothing is important. Try to avoid cotton clothing if possible, especially for overnight trips in the forest, and never forget water and food, even on short hikes as research has shown more people run into trouble on the short hikes because they weren't prepared.

Lastly, I'll pack replacement batteries for my gear — the important one! It might seem basic, but many photographers forget the basics, like batteries and storage cards. 

Since Nikons use the same battery for different cameras, I carry some extra batteries and usually lend them to people if they're shooting with Nikon and run short of it. 

4. What advice do you have for people aspiring to live your lifestyle? 

My how-to YouTube videos are helpful and always do better analytically, however, the goal of my channel is to inspire people to get out there and create 'that' person they aspire to be. Those are the videos I mostly create despite the fact they don't do as well as my how-to content, but they are organic, and nature-driven to inspire an outdoor life. 

My advice to people is: They have the desire to do something, but they are afraid to begin and often hold themselves back with excuses. Don't worry if you don't have photography, climbing, or other outdoor gear — just start doing what you love. 

I, too, go out, do the stuff I love, and hope people can get inspired. A lot of people say that they will start someday. They have the desire to do something, but they are afraid. 

I advise them to start with the baby steps, get out to their local trail, and explore the world. 

For starters I have a good video of me at camp using my Jackery to charge my MacBook Pro. 

Find Mark here：

YouTube: youtube.com/@MarkHoudePhotography

Website: www.houdsta.pictures

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarkHoudePhotography

Instagram: www.instagram.com/markhoudephotography

PAPA SPYROS (this is another vendor at the market using the 500 to power his fridge.) Find PAPA SPYROS on instagram.