What I Do


Mark Nicholas | Photography, Video Production and Creative Pro

Mark is a photographer, consultant and enthusiast with over 20 years’ experience.  He is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law. Starting his AV career, he worked as a sound technician for bands such as 10,000 Maniacs and Meatloaf. Mark is the author of three books and has taught hundreds of classes photography, lighting and specialty courses. In addition to his first love, his family, he enjoys taking both artistic and technical images, travel and listening to live music. In music, with credits as a recording artist, producer and engineer, Mark has been a voting member of the Grammy’s for nearly 15 years.

What I Do

Mark has a diverse background; from advising and consulting artists and businesses to developing content and assisting in brand development. As the owner of Manhattan Beach Studios LLC, Mark has developed a broad range of expertise, his studio capable of handling a wide variety of styles, from portrait to artistic, product to ballistic. Some of the photographic and video genres we work on daily include the following categories:

  • Portrait
  • Product
  • Commercial
  • Architectural
  • Real Estate
  • 360° Still & Video Production
  • Virtual Tours
  • Video Production and Editing
  • Live Production/Streaming
  • Ballistic / High Speed Photography
  • Extreme Slow Motion
  • Events, Parties, Photo Booths
  • Weddings and More!

The Art

Mark is also a frequent participant with his artistic images, and various photo series. Assembling collections for hotels and other displays, massive images for restaurants or other high end displays is always a passion. Mark has recently won Best Artist at the South Bay Beer & Wine Festival, as voted on by the thousands of attendees, and has received numerous other awards and accolades. Check out the art and creativity and please contact Mark if we can help make your home or business shine even just a little bit brighter.

Testimonials

Here are a few testimonials:

“Manhattan Beach Studios was the perfect space for our product shoot. We had a crew of five, three performers, and a ton of equipment. The studio accommodated all of us and provided everything we needed for a terrific shoot. Mark went out of his way to make us feel welcome and to help us get everything we needed out of the day. We couldn’t have been happier with our experience there.”
Chris, President
www.brotherwisegames.com


“Manhattan Beach Studios is the total package. A great artistic eye, a technical wizard and a joy to work with. Mark recently did an aerial drone shoot of Hermosa Beach for my new website. He went above and beyond the call of duty exceeding my expectations.”
Adam Malovani, CEO
www.experiencegpstours.com


“Mark brought his professionalism and expertise (as well as his plethora of photography gear) to the table when Eat.Sleep.Work. We hired him to shoot headshots for our company website. Not only did was he talented, but he also made the nervous subjects (including me) to feel comfortable in front of the camera! And as an added bonus, we had the opportunity to get in a few motion shots that turned out just amazing!”
Jonathon Wang, CEO
Eat Sleep Work


“The end product was awesome.  Thank you for being creative and getting it done!”
Trisha , Dealer Development
Lexus


“Mark has been doing my photos for real estate listings for about a year. His attention to detail and passion for creating amazing photos is incredible. I never feel like he is rushing the project and he has all the latest and greatest as far as technology and tools. He creates photos, flyers, videos and anything else I may need to help sell my client’s houses. I highly recommend him for any photography projects you may have.”
Pamela Gillett, Agent
Scott Anastasi Realty


“Mark has photographed my family a few times now and every time I couldn’t have been happier with the end product. He has an incredible eye for small details. I always have felt he is approachable, quick to answer my questions, and extremely professional. I just don’t see being able to trust anyone else at capturing my family memories like I do Mark!”
Monica
Client


“Mark has done shoots for me in the past (including my album cover). I love his eye, his perspective, his talent, his huge friendly personality and his calming presence even under extreme pressure. He puts everyone at ease and always gets stellar results! I couldn’t possibly recommend him higher for your next project.”
Russell Wolff
Krazy Pop Studio, Nashville


“We have been so lucky to have Mark as a parent at our school. He is super creative and very easy to work with. Working with children is not always easy but he somehow always brings out their joy and captures it every time. The photos he has taken of our children have been the best we’ve ever had. He brings out their joy and captures it every time.”
Kari Chatterji
PTA President, RBUSD Madison Elementary


“Mark is extremely talented, professional, kind and the most creative photographer I’ve worked with. I’ve worked with a lot of great photographers and Mark is one of the most easy to work with. He made me feel very comfortable from the moment I arrived until the end of the shoot, no pressure no rushing, and super friendly the whole time. I can’t recommend him highly enough. Also his assistant Misty is great, she goes above and beyond to achieve the perfect shot. I really love working at this studio.”
Vanessa Vanancio
Make-up Artist, Los Angeles


“Mark brings the perfect balance of creativity and professionalism to every product shoot Aloxxi International has done with him. His ability to work under tight deadlines and attention to detail make him a dream to work with.”
Kate Martini
Aloxxi International Creative Director


“A full-service photographer and photography studio, Manhattan Beach Studios amazed me with its experience, vast array of equipment, specialized track cameras, high-speed cameras, aerial cameras and software. Mark and his team hit the mark on great customer service! In addition to being an excellent photographer, Mark has an extensive background helping startups and small businesses. It is easy to leverage Mark’s other skills…. Molosser Apparel certainly did!”
Larry Herman
CEO, Molosser Apparel


“Mark is a pleasant professional to work with and is determined to earn your satisfaction. Any photography need I had, Mark delivered.”
Benjamin Kim
Real Estate Agent