A picture is worth a thousand words, making photographs and stick-figure sketches the easiest solutions to looming dissertation deadlines. Take advantage of efficient visual-communication strategies with today’s Groupon: for $60, you get a 45-minute photo shoot at one of three locations (a $100 value), a 25-image slideshow DVD (a $100 value), and one 11”x14” portrait (a $185 value) from Spotlight Photography (a $385 total value). Shoots can be held at the studio location, Canal & White River State Park, or Riley Park in Greenfield.

Aside from a camera, master photosmith Mark Watson wields his 34 years of experience, his keen eye for light, and his lighthearted sense of humor when immortalizing subjects within tangible memories. Families, high-school seniors, or betrothed robber barons work with Mark to select a location on or near his 2 acres of woodsy, photogenic landscape, which contain such aperture-appeasing backdrops as a two-story horse barn, a fishing dock, and a Japanese bridge. Two indoor camera rooms provide space for sheltered shots.

The 45-minute shoot begins when Mark eases subjects of all ages into genuine grins before guiding them through the posing process. After the shoot, Mark injects a DVD with 25 images for clients to view at will. Patrons also receive a professional-grade 11”x14” portrait perfect for adorning living rooms or jumbo-size wallets.