ABOUT HALPER FINE ART

The mission of Halper Fine Art is to create portraits that are not only an affirmation of the love and bond your family shares, but are also works of fine art photography appropriate to any collection.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The family portrait was once the domain of the most talented and respected painters of their time, and today those images hang in galleries and museums.

With the advent of photography, the photographic portrait evolved to replace to the painted portrait, and remained a respected art form for many years. As photography became more common, so did the practitioners, and over the better part of the last century years what was once an art form has devolved into the lowered standards that account for an uncommonly high number of families being photographed in white shirts and denim pants. Technique and standardization had replaced vision, and the concept of family photography as art had been all but been forgotten.

The family portraits that once were the center the home were relegated to hallways and desktops. The spaces these photographs once occupied are now the domain of art that is less personal, but of greater aesthetic beauty.

The mission of Halper Fine Art is to create portraits that are not only an affirmation of the love and bond your family shares, but are also works of art photography appropriate to any collection. A Mark Robert Halper original is a photographic portrait that will give you joy and satisfaction to look at, a work of art you can take pride in sharing with your family and friends, and will belong at the center of your home.

Halper Fine Art is in the best sense a family business. Mark Robert Halper married Jennifer Hunt in 2007, and it was only a few months later that Halper Fine Art was first conceived. Mark Robert Halper explains, "It wasn't until I got married that being a photographer who worked with families seriously entered my mind. I'm sure that it was rooted in the feelings I have for my wife; it is her presence in my life that opened up this door. As a serious photographer, I felt that there was an unfilled need; I'd seen very few of these types of photos done by other photographers that I would have wanted to put on my walls."

Halper continues, "None of us really expected the work to be as gratifying as it has been, and there is a sense of pride and accomplishment in creating something that is so valued by others. We've found that we really enjoy the time we spend with our clients, and even after an exhausting day feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in what we've created."

ABOUT MR. HALPER

A professional photographer for two decades, Mark Robert Halper has built a successful career in a competitive field by bringing a consistent vision to a diverse clientele that includes national magazines, advertising agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. Mark holds a degree in International Relations and Political Science from the University of Southern California, and has taught photography for UCLA Extension and the prestigious Santa Fe Workshops and is on the advisory board of the Art Institute of California. Mr. Halper's fine art work has been exhibited at the Arclight Theatres in Hollywood, has had his work shown at the Palm Springs Museum of Art as part of the Palm Springs Photo Festival, been profiled in Rangefinder Magazine, been featured on television programs such as Ten Years Younger, Starting Over and Designing Your Life. Mr. Halper has been commissioned to photograph such notable personalities and celebrities as Sumner Redstone, Frank Gehry, Wolfgang Puck, Ben Stein, Tori Spelling, Gene Simmons, Lauren Hutton, Michelle Williams and Mr. T.

Mr. Halper is responsible for the large scale direction and vision of Halper Fine Art, and personally photographs all of our clients. He takes an active hand in nearly every aspect of the company, and insists on personally selecting and preparing all of the photography, as well as presenting his work to our clients. The portraits Mr. Halper creates for Halper Fine Art are an expression of the same creative vision that informs his fine art work.

OUR TEAM

Jennifer Halper, Mark's wife, subtly enhances the photography to bring out the best in you. Having spent seven years in visual effects, you've seen her work in all three Spiderman movies, Superman Returns, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other major motion pictures. Jennifer took off a year before college to live in Soviet Georgia as part of an international exchange program, got her undergraduate degree from Pomona College, and holds a master's degree in visual communications from Musashino Art University in Tokyo (where she learned to speak Japanese). In addition to being part of many of our photo sessions and hosting the order appointments, she works behind the scenes handling a range of responsibilities. Her contribution is most visible in the seamless work she does to retouch and enhance the way all of our subjects look in their portraits.

Michelle Rosch, our Studio Manager, is primarily responsible for the day to day operation of our company. Originally from Austin, Texas, Michelle moved to California to attend college at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She graduated in 2006 with honors receiving a BA in Studio Art and Art History. Before joining the the studio, Michelle worked as a makeup artist, a nanny and a photo assistant. She likes to watch movies, go to hockey games, spend time with her family, and add to her very large shoe collection. Michelle will make sure you are well taken care of, and that your experience runs smoothly.

Ashley Burrows, our Marketing Director, also assists on many of our weekday sessions. Ashley additionally assists Mr. Halper with his advertising, corporate and editorial photographic assignments. A graduate of Colorado State University and the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Ashley left an eight year career in sales to pursue her passion for photography, and someday hopes to ride across the country on horseback.

THE STUDIO

Recently remodeled in the summer of 2009 to better meet the needs of our Halper Fine Art clients, our studio is located in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. The studio has a photography area large enough to accommodate most families (up to six or seven adults), and a makeup and preparation level with a changing area (that easily fits two adults and several children). The space is professional, comfortable and inviting.

We look forward to welcoming you here for your portrait session.