We produce high quality image art for all of our clients. If you're interested in working with us we are available for sessions on location throughout Chicagoland. We also offer Marmalade Location sessions in our home area in the SW Suburbs of Chicago.
We are often booked several weeks in advance especially during our peak seasons (spring, summer and fall). Session fees start at $195 for weekday sessions @ our Marmalade Locations or $295 for weekday sessions on location in Metro Chicagoland. Weekend sessions are available for an add'l $60.
Prints are a separate purchase and start at $45. Collection pricing starts at $795. Please call us: 815.603.8450 with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!
About Marianne
Since 2005 I have been in the business of creating tangible memories but the truth is that I have been a photographer "forever". I was about 6 when I first held my brother Matt's (heavy) Canon AE-1's viewfinder up to my face, I the heft of the camera heavy in my hands & the strap scratching the back of my neck. I remember seeing the world through that viewfinder rectangle for the very first time.
For a number of years I worked as an RN in the critical care setting and at some point I had a realization that while I loved the connection nursing allowed me to have with others, I wanted more to contribute beauty and love to their existence. Some of my favorite patient families would bring photos in for their loved ones - visual reminders that the patient lying in bed is a human being, struggling at the moment but in reality this person is a loving parent, a doting grandparent, a wonderful wife or husband, someone's best friend. Those photos personalized my experience with my patients. It is because of these experiences that I continue to grasp to UNDERSTAND the meaning of this life. My belief is that the meaning lies in the connection between us all, relationships, after all, are the only thing we leave on this earth with any real meaning.
In 2005 when I finally took the leap and started Marmalade Photography it was based upon a single vision: fun, beautiful and quality photos for Chicago area families and children that speak to who they are as a character in the plot of their lives and who they are in the connectedness of this life.
My ten years photographing people of varying ages is of benefit to you: I offer a full service photography experience and have the expertise to create art you will love for your home. I love to help clients design wall galleries, provide custom created beautiful albums and art pieces. I have even been commissioned to create images as large as 10 feet in length. High touch, high quality, there is no other way to do it.
While I do live, breathe & eat photography obviously I am not just Marmalade Photography. I am also a wife…a mom to Maddie & Lauren who inspire me every day in so many ways…I am a historian and a friend…a gardener (who can't keep indoor plants but I have a green thumb if it grows outside)…funny…fun loving…serious…in fact you & I may have a lot in common…I would love to get to know you through that rectangle & tell your families' story for you.
I am honestly most thankful that now, having been out of the world of nursing for a year and a half, I do not have to attend anymore mandatory meetings. DH and I were discussing the infamous Dave Barry quote:
If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race
has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word
would be "meetings."
Which always amused me. The hospital that he and I both worked LOVED the mandatory meeting / focus group concept. There of course is nothing wrong with meetings but often they felt like nothing got accomplished. I do NOT miss the mandatory meeting.
Which brings me to this. Who doesn’t love mocking the caveman set:
I stumbled upon this link just now. It moved me to tears. In the realization that my kids are growing up way faster than I care to think about (I realized sometime ago and reminded myself yesterday that these are the truly happiest days of my life)
Since my earlier topic was partly related to finding your inner bliss via your creative vision I’ll mention that the Happiness Project is a good read (the link can be found after The Years Are Short clip). Good place to bookmark.
Disclaimer: a bit of creative meandering about goes on in this post. Deep thinking about vision. Skip this bit if you aren’t feeling deep today! 🙂
Hit <PLAY> and hang out awhile…I love DCFC (death cab for cutie) and this is def. one of my faves:
There are so many rumblings going about the internet these days, in my line of work especially, about copying, about imitation, about originality and about inspiration. I guess it’s only natural that this topic comes up amongst those of us who create for a living.
Several things have come up in the past few days that have made me think about what inspires me, what makes me tick. This is one of those things that crosses my mind often actually…what is the basis of my work.
The good: I was speaking on the phone to a new client yesterday morning and she said that she contemplated hiring a photographer based on several factors. Originality being one of them. This new client gave me the impression of being pretty discriminating (she travels the globe and collects art from all over the world) and to be told that by someone who simply viewed my portfolio was a boost to the ego (so thank you Lia!). I know I’m far from the most unusual photographer out there but I do like to think that bringing to the table that is so very unique is my worldview, the way I see things and I really truly hope that all that inspires me is sort of lost amongst the shuffle in the work that I present. Yes you can tell that I am inspired by a million things (some more than others…) but I hope that you can’t even pinpoint one source. I talk about this ad nauseum during the photographer’s workshops that I host , not just the concept of originality (because as photographers we can bang on that drum all day!) but being true to HOW you see the world and what inspires you. Emulation as a creative endeavor is not a sincere form of flattery for anyone involved.
In art school (so I have been told numerous times) the burgeoning artist is encouraged during their early stages to emulate great works of art. In art it is recognized that without some level of emulation you cannot learn basics. While that is true as a student, as you become an artist you are then encouraged to switch gears and become more individual and to apply the very basics to your own vision. I can honestly say without doubt I try to live my life in the way that provides me meaning, in the way that provides my work with everything I need for it to be the way I envision in my head. I think, that as a photographer who has "several" 😉 fellow photographer readers, many of who are burgeoning into becoming professional or possibly are on the path to doing so, it would be a disservice to not discuss the concept of finding your voice in your art. While I think that yes, it’s all been done before, sheer emulation (on basis of locations, poses, concepts) is not a worthwhile or truthful endeavor to yourself. You sell yourself short by not following your vision. And instead of flattering the person you may be emulating, in fact you may be insulting them. Think carefully before doing something that doesn’t wholeheartedly inspire you to respond to your inner voice. By not being true to yourself you only cheat yourself in the long run.
The internet, with it’s widespread ability to inspire us, has made us often complacent when it comes time to give credit where credit is due. Unfortunately we believe because we are viewing something on a small box in the privacy of our home, that we are the only ones privy to what someone else is showing. As if it is our own secret. The fact is, my small corner (er, corners) of the internet, sites as small as my own gets literally thousands of hits weekly. SO think carefully about not listening to your inner voice. Do you want to be known as a copy of someone or would you rather be known as someone who thinks outside of the box. There are literally hundreds of people who are thinking they are on the inside scoop for something, that does not make for a very small club. 🙂 My message is think very long & hard about emulating someone’s site/work/poses/etc. before doing so. The internet ends up being a very small place. It really does.
To that end I think Herman Melville said it best:
"I think it is better to fail in originality than succeed at imitation."
Being human it is in our nature to be inspired by others. Great achievements have been made based upon using someone elses’ ideas/concepts/inventions and bettering them. So if you are inspired by someone and are working on improving a concept someone else has done, by all means should you give credit to where credit is due. I’ve personally made the mistake of not following through with something in the past few months and once I realized the error of my ways, I did all in my power to rectify it. Because being inspired is part of what makes us human but also we are obligated to those who inspire us to occasionally give them some credit. That’s part of being a good human. 🙂
Thus concludes my creative PSA for the day. I only want for each of us to be the best that we can be. To follow our own path set forth for us. Looking at my own life I know I have come to my place for a reason…find the path that your life is meant to follow and you will never live a life of regret or sadness.
This past weekend (before MORE rain fell on Mother’s Day) I had the pleasure of hanging out & photographing the adorable R Family. The session took place at The Forest Location (the first forest session of 2008!) and it was truly more awesome because this family lives in Channahon (heck, we’re almost neighbors!) and spend a decent amount of time there…so it was a little more special than usual.
So…I think Brittney, the mom, gets me, she got the kids and the husband to do THIS!!!!
I love this picture so much. I can’t even begin to talk about it…
We also had some fun climbing fallen trees:
and even did a few things for girls only!
A big thanks to them for travelling all the way from Channahon (LOL) to meet up with me in the forest.
Available light R.. Plus I would’ve been too far from the subjects to use flash effectively. It was on a cropped sensor dSLR w/the 50mm so the effective focal length was in the 80’ish zone…the distance from the dock was significant and flash would’ve not been effective to illuminate the subjects.
I will be so sad if these clients get this smaller than a 20×24 and that is probably not the best size for this. I see a 20×30 easily or 30×40 right over their bed.
Does it get better than this? I rec’d a call from the VERY thoughtful dad who purchased the two session Marmalade Baby Plan for his wife. Congrats to them (the baby is really little still) and kudos to him. He gets the thoughtful dad of the year prize!! My own husband was sitting next to me in the car and I sort of gave him the glance. you know what I mean girls…THE glance. Like DUDE! Why didn’t you think of doing something like this for me? I love pictures! LOL
Anyway, thought I’d share the most favorite thing I’ve had happen this week and to share a couple of my own fave people and their own relationship type shots. One of them is a few posts below (Lisa getting flowers from her youngest) so I won’t bore you any further…
oh my gosh, I have a million of these, I have to stop in a minute…
I’ve gotten carried away, I easily have another 20 or so to add….so finally and most recently
awwwww! beautiful post, Mare! 🙂 FWIW, I ain’t gettin’ no photos or day of beauty tomorrow, either. That’s ok. I will happily take a quiet day with my boys.