Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariela Ryan.
Mariela, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela and immigrated to the US after meeting my husband. Even though I studied business and accounting in college, I’ve always had an artistic side. My passion for photography started when I was very young, but it was only 3 years ago when I finally decided to take all my knowledge and skills and start my own photography business.
Portrait photography has changed so much throughout the years. People want a magazine style photoshoot instead of the stiff and formal sitting or even the 80’s style glamour. Today, clients are looking for an experience, to feel like a celebrity for the day, to have a makeover with professional hair, makeup up and wardrobe styling and at the end of the day to have beautiful professional portraits they love.
I specialize in modern contemporary portraits for the everyday woman, teens, high school seniors, families and personal branding. I provide a full service, from planning the photoshoot to creating fine art photographs for my clients.
At heart, I am an artist and feel happiest when I am creating. My goal with every client is to bring out their inner beauty, the beauty they can’t see but which their families and loved ones see every day.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My mission as a portrait photographer is to take the most beautiful portraits my clients have seen of themselves, photos they can feel proud of and will want to hang on their walls. I strongly believe that everyone should exist in photographs and have beautiful printed photos that will be admired and cherished by future generations.
Too often I hear people giving excuses: “I hate how I look in pictures, I need to lose weight, just get the kids”. You don’t have to wait for the perfect time to have your photograph taken; life is never perfect. Photography is about capturing the moment and helping us to remember the beauty, love, connection, and fun in life.
I start the process with a complimentary consultation with my clients and together we plan their dream photoshoot. I always ask them how they want to be photographed, who they want to be photographed with and how they want to use their photos. I educate on wardrobe choices, I can even design gowns and make hair pieces or flower crowns for their dream photo shoot. Whatever they can imagine, I can create.
The day of the photo shoot, all they have to do is sit back relax and enjoy the experience. We start with professional hair and makeup and put the finishing touches on the wardrobe. I will then guide my clients through a series of poses to make them feel and look their best. Two weeks after the photo shoot my clients get to come back to my studio and see 25-30 fully edited images. What they buy is up to them and there is never a minimum purchase. My job is to take beautiful portraits that they absolutely LOVE and can’t live without!
Whether my clients want to celebrate a life milestone, boost their self-confidence with a little makeover, need a business portrait for their profile or just want to treat themselves to a dream photo shoot. This is the ultimate experience!
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
As artists we have to wear many hats. Not only do we create, we also need to understand how to run a business, to market ourselves and to sell our work. It’s important to set yourself apart and stand out, but also to not work alone or in a vacuum. We draw inspiration from everything that surrounds us, including other artists. As a portrait photographer, I benefit from collaborating with other creative people, like makeup artists, hairdressers, and stylists, and working together we give our clients a unique experience.
Having different mediums, like this online community where artist can showcase their work, is highly beneficial. It connects like-minded people, creatives, entrepreneurs and small businesses together and exposes new artists to a diverse audience. It allows for growth by staying current to the changing landscape of what it means to be an artist today.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
To view some of my work you can visit my website marielaryanphotography.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.marielaryanphotography.com/
- Phone: (847) 606-6982
- Email: mcryanphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marielaryanphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcryanphoto/
Image Credit:
Photographer: Mariela Ryan
Makeup Artist: Aaron Gomez, Mariela Ryan, Samantha Schneeberger.
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
