A Day in the Life of Mark Hill

By Pauline Rogers

October 26, 2020

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For Atlanta, GA-based Local 600 Unit Still Photographer Mark Hill, the last six months have felt, in his words, “like one very long day, punctuated by wonderful family meals, yardwork, a knee replacement, and a few rounds of socially-distanced golf.”

Hill adds that since the outset of quarantine, he’s felt “a nagging melancholy that has been exacerbated lately by our industry going back to work, while I remain too idle.” That idleness didn’t last long. Recently, Hill has been back on the set of a show in Atlanta.

To provide himself with some stability during quarantine, besides his family and friends, he turned to his camera, creating a month-by-month diary of this new COVID-19 world, and those things that would supply physical and emotional support.

March: I spent the first month of the lockdown, and almost every day since, working in the yard, mowing the lawn and looking for frogs in my little pond. At last count we had five big croakers!

April: Like everyone, we did some puzzles in the spring, but once the weather warmed up, they fell out of favor.

April: Once golf courses opened up, I started playing a round or two each week. It was great to get outside and see my buddies, even though we couldn’t share a cart. One day, my friend, Bill, left his tee shot a little left and it rolled into the woods next to a beautiful fawn. She never moved and we left the ball and the baby deer undisturbed.

May: Of course, cooking dinner each night has been a major event. Sauteed scallops with fresh corn risotto was a big hit.

June: I decided to bite the bullet and move forward with a knee replacement that I’d been putting off for a long time. I was fortunate to rehab without the pressure to get back to work!

June: My rehab partner was our dog, Bluebell. She has joint issues, too, so we were the perfect pair for slowly walking up and down the block.

July: Seven weeks after surgery, I picked up a camera for the first time. My son’s friend, Myles, has been battling Leukemia and needed a portrait for a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Fundraiser. It is so good to see him happy and doing well!

August: This was our toughest month – our school system announced they would not return to in-person learning. My son, Dodge, was devastated he would not be returning to high school – for now.

August: To cheer up the family, we decided to put on our masks and fly to northern California for five days of outdoor activities. The cool weather was a welcome change from the heat of the deep south.

September: Recently I became the Board Chair for the Atlanta Chapter of American Photographic Artists. We did a great Zoom panel on safely returning to work in the COVID era. It was very well-received by the commercial photography community.