Ok, I’m glad that title caught your attention. There’s been a bit of a buzz in our documentary family photographer about following the “technical, photography rules” of a documentary photographer that takes on clients… what’s allowed in shooting, what’s allowed in editing, and so on. It pisses me off. The focus is in the wrong place. What you […]

Throughout various communities, I’ve seen photographers wish they could pose men better. Documenting adult men is a whole different ball game and, frankly, is pretty easy to do! I had a wild hair to challenge our FB group to photograph their husbands (or bestie). We’ve been saying for months that we don’t want our blog […]

Do you rely on your in-camera light meter to toggle 0 (center) and tell you when your settings are going to produce a perfectly exposed photo? I used to. As my comfort level in shooting in manual mode grew, my ability to play with light when it’s uneven, extra bright, or seemingly not enough to make […]

Have you ever been so captivated by a photo, not because of the moment or light, but because of the perspective? It felt like, “HOW did they do that?!” as you reflect on your own photos feeling kind of blah? Let’s breakthrough that feeling with some composition techniques specifically for us storytelling, documentary photographers. I’ve […]

I’ve been using the phrase “simple pictures with big backstories” for a while now. Those 5 words were a 2017 divine download and could not sum up the MARIE in my work better. This has meant less emphasis on well-rounded technical skill and has anchored me in the best way. I’ve let go of trying […]

Ever show up to make documentary work of your clients, but they can’t seem to grasp the concept that you’re not there to direct? Or, they’re so stuck on the outcome of their pictures that the honesty of the story is lost? I’ve totally been there! In 2013, my client work was very trial & […]

I opt-in for A TON of stuff using a dedicated (and neglected) email for opt-in noise (to keep my main inbox clutter-free). Recently, that inbox went from 21,000 emails (!!) to inbox zero status WITHOUT hitting Select All / Delete. Crazy, right? I’ve got a feeling what I learned will be your new email marketing […]

The moment I said ‘yes’ in the decision to move south, there was a pang that felt a lot like loss among the excitement of adventure. If you knew me in real life, you’d know I’m an easy going, go-with-the-flow kinda girl. I LOVE new + change. Still, when I love something hard, I have […]

There’s one thing all the photographers in our community seem to agree on, regardless of lifestyle or business goals: There’s no such thing as perfect work/life balance. You’ve heard all about prioritizing, embracing imbalance and learning to let go. But what happens when you’re ambitious—and you like it that way? You don’t want to settle […]

When I fired up my first website in 2012, it was the most fun thing ever! My own little nook on the web? Yes, please! What I didn’t know: all the pretty-theme picking, logo designing, formatting just-the-way-I-like-it motions were actually self-sabotaging my website. I’m here to help you consider how your website is perceived by […]