Saturday, December 01, 2007

Mark M. Hancock biography



Mark M. Hancock is Editor of books at Squadron / Signal Publications and a Dallas-based freelance photojournalist. He has been a working professional photojournalist since 1995.

His editorial work appears frequently in national and international magazines and newspapers. His commercial work appears in magazines, brochures, annual reports and billboards.

Previously, he was a staff photojournalist for for The Dallas Morning News (1996 - 2004) and The Beaumont Enterprise (2005 - 2008). His time with DMN was split between The Richardson News (1996 - 2000) and The Dallas Morning News (2000-2004).

Hancock was born in Vina Del Mar, Chile on 20 June 1965 while his father served in the U.S. Navy. He grew up in Richardson, Texas.

He later served as an infantry sergeant in the elite OPFOR (Opposing Forces) regiment of the U.S. Army at the National Training Center from 1984-1988. His military awards include an Expert Infantry Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Order of Hamby 1st and 3rd class, Master Tank Commander Badge, Good Conduct Medal, NCOPD ribbon, and Polar Bear Award. He qualified Expert in everything from bayonets to Dragons (wire-guided missiles).

Hancock received a Bachelor of Science degree in photojournalism with Academic Distinction from East Texas State University in 1995 and an Associates of Arts and Sciences degree with High Honors from Richland College in Dallas in 1993. While attending university, he held positions as Editor-In-Chief and News Editor of The East Texan, an award-winning independent student newspaper.

He has won many professional photojournalism awards and honors from organizations including the National Press Photographers Association, Best of Photojournalism, Society for Newspaper Design, Southern Newspaper Publishers Association, Texas Press Association, Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, Hearst Honors, Texas Associated Press Managing Editors, Suburban Newspapers of America, Dallas Press Club and Southeast Texas Press Club.

His art pieces have been included in several juried photo exhibitions including the Art of Digital Photography show, Texas Photographic Society - Governor's Exhibition, Texas Visual Arts Association Citation Awards and Dallas Business Council on the Arts show as well as other solo and group shows.

He has judged many professional photography contests including National Press Photographers Association national clip competitions, Portfolios.com annual Pcom Awards as well as numerous national, regional and local photography contests.

Hancock was a primary contributor to the book "Rita Captured." The book, published by The Beaumont Enterprise, presents a visual timeline of the destruction caused by Hurricane Rita in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. The book won a Katie Award.

In 2007, he started producing news videos and music for Web presentations. Hancock also accepts speaking engagements. Most recently, he made two presentations for the New York Press Association annual spring convention.

Hancock met his wife Fayrouz, a Chaldean-Iraqi-Australian-American, online while he lived in DFW and she lived in Sydney, Australia. After cyber-dating for more than a year, they finally met, got engaged and eventually married in 2001. They currently live in Frisco, Texas and have no children.

Examples of his work can be seen on PhotoJournalism, his award-winning blog.

Enough for now,

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