Hi, I’m Marianne – most people call me Mare. I’m here to help you create meaningful artwork that celebrates your <\/em>family’s story. I’ve been drawn to photography since childhood. I was about six when my older brother Matt let me hold his heavy Canon AE-1. I remember the heft of the camera in my small hands, the rough strap scratching against my neck, and that first moment looking through the viewfinder – seeing the world framed in that small rectangle. I was entranced and it was the beginning of my love affair with photography and with the art of seeing<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n Before becoming a professional photographer, I worked as an RN in ICU and critical care. I spent years with people during their most vulnerable moments – crisis, loss, the hardest days of their lives. What stayed with me most? The family photos patients’ loved ones would bring to the hospital. Those images transformed my experience with each patient. That person struggling in the hospital bed wasn’t just a patient – they were someone’s beloved parent, a doting grandparent, a cherished friend. The photos reminded everyone of who that person really was beyond the crisis. I don’t just “take pictures” – I witness and document your family’s story. My job is more like that of a cartographer, mapping the relationships and connections that make your family your family<\/em>. The shy preschooler and their exuberant older sibling. The way you and your partner navigate parenting together. The affection and occasional chaos that define family life. The moments between the moments – those are often the ones that matter most.
When you work with Marmalade Photography, you’re not just getting someone who knows how to use a camera. You’re getting a photographer who understands why family portraits matter, how to make the experience joyful for everyone (even reluctant teenagers and skeptical partners), and how to create artwork you’ll actually want to display in your home for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow I Got Here<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Those experiences shaped how I understand photography’s deeper purpose. We create images not just to document moments, but to affirm connection and belonging. To say: You matter. Your relationships matter. This family – your family – matters.<\/em>
A series of events surrounding my second daughter’s birth shifted my priorities entirely. I realized I wanted to contribute to the other end of the spectrum – celebrating growth, milestones, and memory-making rather than managing crisis. In 2005, I founded Marmalade Photography. Twenty years later, I’m still here, doing what I love: creating beautiful imagery that helps families see themselves and celebrate who they are together.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Makes Working With Me Different<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
My understanding of what makes family photography meaningful comes from multiple sources: my nursing background, 20+ years photographing thousands of Chicago families, and 26 years as a mom myself. I know how children respond to being truly seen and celebrated. I know what makes teenagers relax in front of the camera. I know how to capture genuine connection, not forced “say cheese” smiles. (We never “say cheese” – except ironically, of course.)
I’m also a storyteller. I write fiction, I engage my imagination constantly, and that narrative sensibility translates directly to how I approach your session and your final artwork. This is why I focus on creating images you’ll actually display – not digital files buried on a hard drive somewhere. A photograph only does its emotional work when it’s on your wall, not hidden in your phone. I’ve witnessed this truth for over 20 years professionally and 26 years as a parent: printed and displayed photography matters.<\/p>\n\n\n