Hello and thank you for visiting Primetime Photography!
I am Mark Shaffer, owner and photographer. I have had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember. In high school, I enjoyed capturing precious moments in time through 35mm film either in black & white or using a Kodak Easy Share Disposable Camera. After shooting numerous wrestling matches, members of the team went in together to purchase a 35mm camera for me as a gift for Christmas. Upon entering college, the hobby gained momentum in my life and I began to take classes to understand and apply the art form. While I was studying to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, I began taking a few classes on digital design, pixel painting, and basic studio 3D at Westminster College. I shot a few weddings, senior portraits, and athletics for fun. I enjoyed shooting a wide variety of events and handed out envelopes full of portraits. I was having a blast with this hobby and never asked for or looked to make any sort of profit. The experience however, led me to become a self-taught photographer. Over the years, the hobby turned into a business! That is where I am today.
If you are from the area, then you have seen me at a variety of events with camera in hand! I love designing eye-catching portraits, while working with my clients on implementing their own personal ideas. I am not afraid to travel, and I find photography very relaxing. Athletics have always been near and dear to my heart, as that is where it all began. However, I have grown into all realms of the industry. I have shot for such a wide range of clients, events, and athletics that I wouldn’t know where to begin to highlight the wide range of experiences over the last 14 years of being a small business owner. Yet a few of my all-time favorite shoots that have taken me all over the United States and Canada would include: The UMPO Series and The Jeff Goldblum Concert Series at Rockwell Table and Stage, The Transformers 35th Anniversary Dinner at Ca' Del Sole in Toluca Lake, Graphic Design Artist for David Kaye, on the field at The Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp, Red Carpet Movie Premieres, a Floridian Couple’s Engagement at Niagara Falls, NCAA DI, DII, DIII Sporting Events, headshots for former Hasbro Design VP & Senior Design Director Aaron Archer and a very wide range of conventions, panels, and promotional events involving the Transformers Franchise.
I am also an avid Transformers Collector and that is where my business got its name. Well, I did not come up with the name, but some of the boys I used to coach in 8th and 9th Grade honored me with the nickname “Primetime” due to my love and involvement with Transformers and Promotional Events I was hosting during the Live Action Trilogy from 2007-2011. Back then, I had amassed over a 5,000 piece Transformers collection and to this day has more than doubled in size. We created a mini museum to showcase the collection. Members of the Transformers’ Team at Hasbro have stated they have never seen a collection like this before! At one point, I was even given tours of my collection and was interviewed for various publications. I have been involved in live script reads, promotional events, credited in two films, met a variety of actors (many of which are now like family), and have attended red carpet premieres and a variety of special events. Recently, I was a Celebrity Representative for David Kaye and also his Graphic Design Artist for his convention prints from 2019 through 2022. I also become a Celebrity Representative for David Sobolov in 2019, as well. Finally, in 2019 I was honored to host and be the photographer for the cast portrait at the Transformers 35th Anniversary Dinner at Ca' Del Sole in Toluca Lake. So, implementing the name my basketball boys gave me into the business that would carry me into the future, only seemed fitting!
Both my photography and Transformers have taken me to over 26 different states and Canada. Through owning my own small business, my background in education, and collecting Transformers, I have gained a true love of travel and meeting new people. I am a people person, and enjoy talking and making new friends wherever I go! I take the time to meet every client’s wants and desires no matter the size or complexity of the shoot I am undertaking. Every shoot is equally important to me and my desire for perfection shines in every completed task I undertake. At Primetime Photography, I strive for professionalism, value, quality, and above all else a comfortable atmosphere to make your shoot a memorable one!
We also would like to thank everyone who voted us the 2024 BEST OF THE BEST: PHOTOGRAPHER in both the Sharon Herald and the Allied News!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!