Conversations with Mark Korbitz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Korbitz.

Hi Mark, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in the Autumn of 2004, in a small southeastern Colorado town of about 7,000 people. For most of my life this is where I lived. My dad was always into traveling, so I would join him on small trips to various places through the U.S. These were the only times I’d have much of a chance to see the world outside of the Arkansas Valley. After I turned 17, my father died in the house I grew up in. I decided pretty quickly that I would not spend my whole life in that town like my family, generations past. My original plan was to go to school abroad for art. Throughout all of my elementary and high school years I’d enjoyed art and photography more than anything else. I got into various schools around Europe. Some in Greece, France, The Netherlands, Germany, and the most interesting one to me, The Czech Republic. It was an exciting plan I had but eventually things fell through. I figured even though I wasn’t going to school there, I would still travel and take photos. Not long after I turned 18 I booked a one-way flight to Prague and took off out of Denver International Airport. This was the first time I was out of Colorado alone, and I was diving in the deep end. This is the first time I really realized I loved travel photography. I brought my Canon Rebel T5 with me and just took pictures of anything and everything. After a few days I hopped on a train out of Prague, going to Berlin, Frankfurt, Brussels, London, and many smaller places, taking pictures and drawing places along the way. After a while I came back to Colorado. It wouldn’t be until 2024 when I met a girl that I would return. Her family was Dutch and lived in the Netherlands and France. I decided to sell most of my things and go back with her. For about 4 months I lived with her family in both places. During this time I really focused on my photos and art, taking inspiration from the beautiful scenery and buildings. Eventually because of visa requirements I had to move back to the U.S again. Back in Colorado, I moved in with a childhood friend just outside of Denver. I got pretty lucky and landed a job as a Deicer at the very airport I had always flown out of. After my first winter season working here, I got flight benefits with United, so since then I’ve taken trips to Rome, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and more, still taking pictures and still drawing in the same journal that I picked up in Prague. I still work here, and I recently bought a fan to renovate into a camper. Now I’m 20 years old, I have no plans to stop my travels or my art & photography.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting so young, I learned— and am learning— a lot of lessons. Doing most of my travel solo, I’ve had to learn how to get myself out of a lot of sketchy situations. And of course, some of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced were due to my Type One Diabetes.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Ive recently started doing more formal photoshoots with my photography. I’ve done a couple of events and weddings. As much as I have been doing photography and photo editing for so long, I think it’s impossible to be perfect. However I definitely feel like I’ve found my style.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
A lot of people don’t realize how adventurous I am when they meet me. I’ve always been a very quiet and reserved person.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @korbit.z
• Facebook: Mark Korbitz
• Email: mk.korbitz@gmail.com