Photographic print of Mark Krancer's "Life In The River", taken in Memorial Park in Jacksonville, FL during Hurricane Irma on September 11th, 2017. Mark was waist deep in floodwaters as he captured this image. Sculptor Charles Adrian Pillars dedicated the "Spiritualized Life" statue to memorialize those who died in World War 1 from Florida. The sculptor talks about overcoming troubled waters. Little did he know how flooded the park would be almost 100 years after. The photo, released widely on social media during the storm, came to symbolize victory over whatever storms of life come our way as a community.
This photo is by far Mark's most popular image, and dear to his heart. Mark learned many of the principles of photography in Memorial Park when he lived in the Riverside neighborhood. "Life in the River" has been described as one of the most famous photos in Jacksonville's history. Publications that shared this photographic series include National Geographic, Florida Times-Union, The Jaxson, Resident News, Void Magazine, Jacksonville Magazine, News 4 Jax, River City Live, World War 1 Commission, National Organization for Olmsted Parks, and many others. This photo launched Mark's career as a full time photographer, earning him the 2018 Bold City Best Award for "Best Photographer". His charitable donations to Memorial Park Association through print sales were noted by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville as part of his philanthropy by the 2020 Art Award for the "Art of Giving".
