hey i'm maryann!

I see you were intrigued and wanted to know more about me. Buckle up and get ready, because there's a LOT.
So, who am I? That's a good question. If you would've asked me a few years ago, I probably would have gone on some rant about all the regular cliché things about how much I love photography and how I picked up a camera when I was younger and fell in love with photos but never thought I'd be a full time photographer and yada yada yada. But now, now I feel like sharing all the deeper things, the things that really help you get to know who I am. I know, not your average "about me" page right? But seriously, I'm learning to share the REAL me so you know who you're getting if you hire me.
 
I'll start off with some basics...I live in West Texas, but don't let that stop you from reaching out, I'm always looking for my next new adventure and my bags can be packed in a matter of minutes. (It takes me longer to pack than a few minutes but it sounds cooler to say that than I have to very carefully go over everything I pack to make sure I'm not forgetting something. lol)  I'm always willing to go wherever I can help your photos tell your story. Plus, I LOVE traveling and experiencing new places and things as well as meeting new people, so you add taking some bomb photos of people in love...I'd say it doesn't get better than that!

My faith in God is the purpose behind everything that I do. Without that I'd quite literally be lost. It gives me this incredible joy in my soul no matter the heartaches that this life brings. It gives me the courage to keep going no matter how many times I've felt like giving up everything. Faith isn't a leap in the dark for me, it's a walk in the light. God in His endless grace has taught me that even in the darkest moments of life, I can flourish in HIM. 

When I'm not capturing people's life moments or editing in my office, you can usually find me on the couch watching whatever show is my new latest addiction, reading a book, or working on a puzzle. Although I haven't gotten much reading done lately (other than listening to audiobooks) because I have this problem where when I start a book I have a REALLY hard time putting it down until I'm done, this also applies when I start a puzzle, and that's just really not all that practical when I have a business that relies solely on me getting work done. 

I see you were intrigued and wanted to know more about me. Buckle up and get ready, because there's a LOT.
So, who am I? That's a good question. If you would've asked me a few years ago, I probably would have gone on some rant about all the regular cliché things about how much I love photography and how
I picked up a camera when I was younger and fell in
love with photos but never thought I'd be a full
time photographer and yada yada yada. But now,
now I feel like sharing all the deeper things, the
things that really help you get to know who I
am. I know, not your average "about me" page
right? But seriously, I'm learning to share the
REAL me so you know who you're getting if you
hire me.

I'll start off with some basics...I live in West Texas, but don't let that stop you from reaching out, I'm always looking for my next new adventure and my bags can be packed in a matter of minutes. (It takes me longer to pack than a few minutes but it sounds cooler to say that than I have to very carefully go over everything I pack to make sure I'm not forgetting something. lol) I'm always willing to go wherever I can help your photos tell your story. Plus, I LOVE traveling and experiencing new places and things as well as meeting new people, so you add taking some bomb photos of people in love...I'd say it doesn't get better than that!

My faith in God is the purpose behind everything that I do. Without that I'd quite literally be lost. It gives me this incredible joy in my soul no matter the heartaches that this life brings. It gives me the courage to keep going no matter how many times I've felt like giving up everything. Faith isn't a leap in the dark for me, it's a walk in the light. God in His endless grace has taught me that even in the darkest moments of life, I can flourish in HIM. 


When I'm not capturing people's life moments or editing in my office, you can usually find me on the couch watching whatever show is my new latest addiction, reading a book, or working on a puzzle. Although I haven't gotten much reading done lately (other than listening to audiobooks) because I have this problem where when I start a book I have a REALLY hard time putting it down until I'm done, this                   also applies when I start a puzzle, and that's                            just really not all that practical when I have  a business that relies solely on me getting work done. 

After suddenly losing my first husband of almost                                                 4 years in a fatal motorcycle accident in the                                             summer of 2020, and then a few weeks later                                              losing our unborn child, I've realized more and more what the important things are in life. And believe it or not, photos are right there at the top. I always loved photos but I never realized how important they were until they were the only way I was able to see my late husband's face and the relationship we shared. It gave me a different perspective on photography and a unique way of capturing love and big life moments. It became less about me and the aesthetic I wanted and more about truly capturing THE moment and emotions. Now I'm always looking for the hidden gems, a subtle look, a soft caress, that head thrown back laugh that you love, or that soft smile where the corner of your eyes crinkle.  So yes, I've always loved photos, but what I crave now is seeing real, authentic moments and connection.  I do this because my husband encouraged me daily to follow my dreams. I do this so that you can look back at your photos and relive every single one of those moments and feelings, forever. I do this so that a chapter in your story gets told because so many of mine didn't.


But that's not the end of my story, I recently got married again and have felt more joy than I ever thought possible after the summer of 2020. God has brought me through more pain and sorrow than I ever even thought was possible, and showed me that true happiness is possible again if we leave it all in His hands. This life truly is a blessing.

After suddenly losing my first husband of almost 4 years in a fatal motorcycle accident in the summer of 2020, and then a few weeks later losing our unborn child, I've realized more and more what the important things are in life. And believe it or not, photos are right there at the top. I always loved photos but I never realized how important they were until they were the only way I was able to see my late husband's face and the relationship we shared. It gave me a different perspective on photography and a unique way of capturing love and big life moments. It became less about me and the aesthetic I wanted and more about truly capturing THE moment and emotions. Now I'm always looking for the hidden gems, a subtle look, a soft caress, that head thrown back laugh that you love, or that soft smile where the corner of your eyes crinkle.  So yes, I've always loved photos, but what I crave now is seeing real, authentic moments and connection.  I do this because my husband encouraged me daily to follow my dreams. I do this so that you can look back at your photos and relive every single one of those moments and feelings, forever. I do this so that a chapter in your story gets told because so many of mine didn't.


But that's not the end of my story, I recently got married again and have felt more joy than I ever thought possible after the summer of 2020. God has brought me through more pain and sorrow than I ever even thought was possible, and showed me that true happiness is possible again if we leave it all in His hands. This life truly is a blessing.

my story

If you love my  values then I'd love to work with you!

But that's not the end of my story, I recently got married again and have felt more joy than I ever thought possible after the summer of 2020. God has brought me through more pain and sorrow than I ever even thought was possible, and showed me that true happiness is possible again              if we leave it all in His hands.
          This  life truly is a blessing.

my faith in God is the purpose behind everything that I do.

I live for rainy overcast days so West Texas is NOT where I should be.

I love plants but I have the blackest black thumb & have yet to have one flourish.

facts about me

I love spending time outside and working on my yard or my latest DIY project. And trust me, there's always PLENTY of projects.
Board games are one of my favorite ways to spend time with friends or family but I have to be careful what I play because I can get VERY competitive.
I have three furry friends, a chubby mutt named Atticus (who some people like to call Fatticus *insert eye roll) who is just the sweetest, most innocent doggo there ever was, a newly adopted Great Pyrenees named Koda (also called Koda Bear or Floofster) and a VERY sassy cat, who is very particular about who she likes, named Keaton. Which, funny story, became her name because we hadn't been able to think of a name for her after having her a few weeks already and we just kept calling her "kitten" with an accent and viola, Keaton was named.
I am fluent in memes. Half of my vocabulary probably has something to do with a meme I've seen because I try not to take life too seriously.
I stumble over words a lot, words are HARD, and I will more than likely say something stupid that will make you laugh…or cringe. But either way we'll have a great time!
I'm an open book who values real connection with people. I find myself disconnecting more from people who can't be genuine, real, or truthful. 
I'm an introverted extrovert who loves people but has a hard time leaving the house unless something fun or exciting is planned. Capturing special life moments is VERY high on the list.
Anywho, I feel like that's enough about me so I'll end with this, the fact that I get to create something that will outlive me is incredible. I can't get enough of freezing peoples lives with photos. Your moments matter because YOU matter. Regardless of how crazy life gets, when I press that shutter button, time stands still. So that touch, that tear, that smile, is frozen in time. Forever. There's no such thing as a perfect picture because perfect doesn't exist...so take the stress out of the shoot and just be completely present in that moment, because that's what really matters. I love love and I'm still in awe that people trust me to capture their life stories. If you feel like going on an adventure with the best third wheel around (it's me, I'm the third wheel) take me along and let's go create some memories that will last a lifetime.
I know I'm not the photographer for everyone and that's 100% ok, I don't want to convince you. I want my work to speak for itself. I hope you're inspired by what you see here and it helps you see how truly important photos are. If you feel like this is something you want and I'm the right fit for you then let me help you tell your story. I can't wait to meet you!!!

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Hey, I'm MaryAnn! Photographer &
owner of Desert Fern Photography.

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