Charles Mann has been a full-time freelance and stock photographer for over sixteen years. He specializes in imagery of gardens and horticulture, New Mexico culture and southwestern scenic landscapes.

Charles has photographed four books: Cutting Edge Gardening in the Intermountain West by Marcia Tatroe (Johnson Books, 2007); Secret Gardens of Santa Fe by Sydney Le Blanc (Rizolli, 1997); Viva Guadalupe by Jacqueline Dunnington (Museum of New Mexico Press, 1997) and Celebrating Guadalupe (Rio Nuevo Press, 2005.)  His work has appeared in many magazines, including Horticulture, Organic Gardening, Country Living Gardener, Sunset, Fine Gardening, Phoenix Home & Garden, the Santa Fean, and Su Casa and for publishers such as Houghton Mifflin, Conran Octopus, and Storey Communications.  Charles has published essays from England, Japan, New Zealand, Italy, Majorca, Ireland, Alaska and from most major cities in the Western United States.

Charles was born and educated in Arkansas, earning a degree in Chemistry at the University of Arkansas in 1975.  He taught school in Arkansas, during a Peace Corps stint in the West Indies, in South Carolina and in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He earned a Masters degree from St. John’s College in Santa Fe in 1981.

Charles was also  manager and grower for Plants of the Southwest in Santa Fe, a nursery pioneering the use of  native plants and xeriscape techniques in the southwest. Since 1991 he has traveled extensively photographing gardens and garden-related subjects.