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Photographer: Mark Thiessen

Mark Thiessen has been a photographer with National Geographic since 1990 and on staff since 1997.

Photo: Photographer Mark Thiessen
Photograph by Rebecca Hale

He is widely published in all areas of the National Geographic Society, including National Geographic magazine, National Geographic Adventure magazine, and National Geographic Traveler magazine. National Geographic books that feature Thiessen's work include Return to Midway, which documents the discovery of the U.S.S. Yorktown, and Baseball as America, a look at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Thiessen has contributed to many articles for National Geographic magazine, including "Monsters of Madagascar" (August 2000), "Russian Smokejumpers (August 2002), "Search for Other Earths" (December 2002), and "Nanotechnology" (June 2006).

In 1996, Thiessen began a personal photography project on wildland firefighters that took him to the front lines of wildfires every summer. To better understand the world of this little known subculture, he became a certified wildland firefighter. An award-winning online piece, FireCall, features Thiessen's photographs and interviews with a veteran wildland firefighter. Thiessen was also profiled for an episode of the National Geographic Channel's Out There series.

Join Mark Thiessen for a weekend photography workshop in Washington, D.C.

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Weekend Photography Workshop With Mark Thiessen

Join Mark Thiessen for a weekend photography workshop in Washington, D.C. Improve your photo skills through location shoots and critique sessions.

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From the Rocky Mountains to the coast of California, wildfires are burning bigger, hotter, and closer to home. Why is the West ablaze? Mark Thiessen shows you.

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Sometimes it takes more than one great shot to capture a moment. Learn how taking multiple shots can really tell the story.

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Behind The Photo: Fire Season

Mark Thiessen talks about how fighting fire is like going to battle.

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Long Exposures

When making long exposures, use a remote release to avoid camera movement. If you don't have a remote release, use the camera's self-timer.

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