Raised in Detroit and Chicago, Mark Laita studied Photography at the University of Illinois and the Columbia College in Chicago. At the age of 15 he began exploring his passion for this handcraft. Mark Laita works in his studios in Los Angeles and New York.

Laita travelled across 48 federal states of the USA during the last 7 years. Using a 8x10inch camera he took portraits of people who are representative of those states but unique at the same time. These works cumulated in the fascinating photo book, "Created Equal".