My name is Marie

I am a professional photographer

What my clients say

about their experience

“From the moment we saw our first sneak peak we could not wait to see more! Marie has a keen eye for detail and her awesome personality made our session truly relaxed and natural. She really worked with us to make our session fit our style, while adding her own artistic touches. We can’t wait to work with her again!”

Kaitlyn

“I first saw Marie’s work when she did newborn pictures for a friend of mine. I learned from talking to that friend that Marie is just as wonderful a person as she is a photographer. We saw this for ourselves when we did our maternity shoot with Marie in October of 2013. She is down to earth, fun and so kind! Her talent behind a camera is incredible! She has an amazing ability to anticipate a moment and creates art with your story. We just had our newborn shoot last month and are again thrilled with what Marie captured! Being a mommy herself really helped that day. She was so patient and understanding of our baby’s needs and didn’t push to get the “perfect shot”. She actually ended up getting several perfect ones that melted our hearts! Thank you Marie for your talent and your friendship!”

Darcy S.

“There are some things in life that are simply priceless. They may even be things you didn’t even notice. Marie has this amazing ability to capture your life as if it were written in a book for all the world to enjoy later. I was sad to place my bridal gown in a bag and never enjoy dancing in it again. Let’s be honest, it probably won’t fit the next time I get a little sentimental and want to try it on. That better not be true! I knew I wanted to capture a moment lost on my wedding day due to the hustle and bustle. Marie created a Fairytale day for this and I thought my actual wedding was special. I think her vision and professionalism are what makes her stand apart from others. She sees what most don’t and it gives you a perspective and beauty like no other. I absolute enjoyed my session and was in love with each and every photograph!”

Stacie J.

“Thank you so much for taking such amazing engagement pictures for us! We absolutely LOVE our photos!! ♡

Tom and I were a little nervous the day of the shoot because of how much snow we’ve gotten over this winter. Within a few minutes after Marie arrived, she had a game plan figured out just like that. During the shoot Marie helped us feel comfortable and at ease. I love how she captured our love story through our photographs. Marie is extremely creative and has a true eye for photography. I would recommend her to anyone I know!”

Kellie C.

“Marie, I just received your disc & the photos are amazing! Thank you so much, you had so much patience for my daughter who just wanted to do her own thing, yet you still got wonderful shots! You were worth every penny, you’re very talented, & creative. I would love to work with you again.”

Liz S.

Latest Posts

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Shoot the Bride – A Primer on Taking Great Wedding Photos

A wedding is a perfect place to experiment with your photographic skills! Where else would you find a large group of people who are all dressed to their best, where you probably know a lot of them so they can’t refuse being captured and where you find opportunities for taking both group photos as well as portrait shots. Here are some simple tips that will allow you to take stunning photos at weddings:

  1. Shoot the Bride!

The easiest way to take a great photo is to capture the most well-dressed person in the gathering – who else but the bride. This is the most special time in her life and you will never get another opportunity to capture an entire spectrum of emotions as she goes through the ceremony.

When shooting the bride, make sure that there are no stalkers ( people lurking in the background ) in the photo. The most beautiful shots of the bride you will ever get will be portrait photos, so try your best to be around when the bride is not surrounded by other people. Compose your shots to get a mix of photos directly from the front, photos from the side and photos from a slight angle. Make sure that you do all this without distracting the bride otherwise you will lose out on the sweet expressions and candid photos.

  1. Involve friends and relatives

Weddings are memorable because all the friends and relatives are around and great group photos can freeze these memories for a lifetime! Walk around the wedding hall and find people who are standing in groups – just walk up to them and ask them to pose for a photo. More often than not, they will strike a special pose for you or do something mischievous that will make the photo special. Make sure that you take 2-3 shots of each photo and use flash for at least one of these – most photos taken in this setting go bad because of motion blur caused by low light.

The perfect time to take group photos with the bride is after everyone has met her and the groom. Get a couple of close friends to stand around them and pose for the photos. One way to ensure that the photo comes out sharp and professional is to focus on the eyes of people in front row, while taking a large group photo with many rows of people. You can also make them all close their eyes and at a count of 3, open their eyes and smile. This brings a glow like effect on all their faces.

  1. Small things make a big difference!

A wedding is all about rituals and photos can be used to capture and present them in a very dramatic manner. Small things like the wedding ring, the bride and groom holding their hands, the wedding cake, the Mehandi on the bride’s hand are all representations of the ritual and can be used very creatively for photos.

  1. Always Shoot Twice

And the final bit of advice – always shoots twice. You never know when people moving around cause your photo to blur or when a lovely photo that you took ends up with people having their eyes closed. Keep a spare memory card around if you are worried about running out of space, but that is certainly worth it when you don’t want to miss out on any beautiful moment.

Most of these tips are also applicable to other group events, so do try these and let us know how they worked for you!

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Learning Photography – 5 Fun Photo Projects to Sharpen Your Skills

It is not uncommon to find ourselves occasionally stuck in a rut. These ruts aren’t limited to our day-to-day lives and can often crop up in our hobbies. Even the best photographers will find themselves stuck in their comfort zones, so it’s important to force yourself to take on new and interesting projects. Here are five great ways to breathe new life into your photography.

Self-Portraits

Photographers spend so much time behind the camera they often forget to get images of their most reliable subject – themselves. Self-portraiture is a difficult branch of photography that comes with several challenges. Focus up a remote focus, making yourself look good (in your own eyes), framing, and many of the other things we take for granted as photographers become infinitely more complicated when we lose the ability to look through the lens. If you want to liven up your pictures try adding a few props to your self-portrait and see how it turns out.

Take a Step Back in Time

Although you may shoot like a pro with your new digital SLR, but have you thought about trying an old twin reflex or film camera? If you feel like you’ve hit a wall in your shooting, there’s nothing more fun than picking up some old gear at a tradeshow or photoshop and teaching yourself to use it. As an extra bonus, you will even learn new elements of photography that may be automatically done with your near gear. Get rid of your light meter and break out your notepad!

Try Superimposing Your Images

One of the most interesting things to do with photography is superimposition. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, superimposing is the act of taking two photographs on one piece of film. This can lead to spectacular and surreal images (Google “Scott Mutters” for examples) that defy logic. Of course, digital photo editing suites have made this process far easier than it used to be, and far less dangerous – you can take two perfectly good shots and work them together later instead of counting on your wind abilities to get it right the first time.

Play Around with Time Lapse Photography

If you’re not familiar with time-lapse photography it’s when you take lots of pictures of the same subject over a long period of time. This type of project requires a large commitment but can be very satisfying once completed. Good subjects include buildings, children, or outdoor settings that have noticeable weather changes. If you’ve ever seen one of those slideshows of a person who took a photo of themselves every day for several years, that is a prime example of time-lapse at work.

Make a Story

If you love writing and taking pictures then this will definitely be a fun photo project for you. The goal here is to create a narrative, either on paper or in your mind, about a character that lives in your area. Think of how they would spend their day and the activities they would engage in, then try and spend a day walking in their shoes (shooting photographs all the way). When you’re all done, you can put all of your pictures in order and write descriptions for each one explaining your story.

Photography is a form of art and like any artwork requires regular inspiration. Finding new and exciting ways in which to shoot will not only keep your hobby entertaining but will help you to develop a wider set of skills. The next time you find yourself stuck in a rut, try doing one of these projects and watch yourself suddenly coming up with all new kinds of photo ideas.

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Learn Digital Photography – A Good Photo is Knowing Where to Stand

Ansel Adams, one of the world’s greatest photographers, said, “A good photo is knowing where to stand.” This sums up photography as half the battle is won when you know the best viewpoint for a great photo. Finding that viewpoint is key to taking your photos from average to great. Let’s see why.

Understanding this fundamental of photography will dramatically increase the quality and composition of your images. When you think about it the idea is so simple. Once you know where to stand or which are the best positions in relation to your subject, the rest is so much easier.

So what is the best position when photographing a subject? I don’t know. Because I don’t know what or where your subject is. I cannot give you an answer as each scene is unique. What I can give you are some keys to finding that best position.

  1. Explore your options

Don’t just stand at the scene or in front of your subject. Explore a variety of viewpoints by walking around and looking at the subject from as many positions as possible. Don’t take any photos at this point as it will distract you from your task. You want to allow yourself to become a part of the environment and see all the elements that are potentially part of your final image.

  1. Take your time

The key to deciding what your final vantage point will be is taking your time. We are so quick to point and shoot in our new digital world that the element of time is often excluded from photography. Time is your best friend on any photoshoot. It takes time to walk around and make a decision. Coupled with this is thinking. Carefully think about how your final image will look as you will need to work towards this before pressing the shutter.

  1. Explore the alternatives

Most of us will start with the normal or traditional viewpoint, standing right in front of the subject and shooting. Now, I am not saying that the traditional perspective will not be the best. What I am saying is that before going this route try out the more radical perspectives like, getting high up or lying down low to find a completely different viewpoint. Get in really close, hold the camera above your head, at a crazy angle, or hold it down by your ankles. This may sound crazy but you stand more chance of finding the best possible viewpoint.

  1. The elements

A subject doesn’t stand isolated from its environment against a white backdrop, or at least very seldom. It stands in relation to all the other elements in the scene and you need to consider each one when finding the perfect position for your image. As you move around the subject the elements change in relation to the subject. The background moves and the subject contrasts differently to the new background. All of sudden there are distractions and clutter. Move the other way and the clutter lessons and potential for a great image increase. Using your feet is key to finding the best position.

Continually challenging yourself to find a better viewpoint should be key to all of your photo taking. Every single scene or situation is different from the rest and you will need to find the best position each time. There is no formula or standard when trying to find the best viewpoint and there isn’t always time. What you need to cement in your mind is that each time you take an image be aware, take your time, and think. And above all, be prepared to experiment and practice.