Today we’d like to introduce you to Mari Charlson.
Mari, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always had an interest in photography. At any sort of event, family gathering, or anything that requires someone to be the designated “photographer”- I was that person. When I was 16, my dad gifted me my first camera. I started by just taking photos of my friends just for fun. Soon after that, I got some more people from my high school asking me to take photos of them for their social media pages. I remember charging $20 for 1 hour of a photoshoot! After about 6-7 months of doing $20 photoshoots, I realized that I could make something of this. I created my new website and set my prices to be higher. I like to live by the idea that whatever you put your energy into, will flourish. I realized that if I put my heart and soul into my photography, I could make this my career. Now, 5 years after I started photography, I am running my photography business “Mari Charlson Photography”. Where I have worked with hundreds of amazing people around the country and have been published 4 times in fashion magazines from all over the world.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, but there is no other road that I would rather take. Being only 21 years old, there are many things that I have missed because I am working on my business. Nights out with my friends, vacations with my family- there are things that I was not able to attend because I was busy working. But, as I said earlier, there is no other road that I would have rather taken. Being 21 years old and being able to support me on my own terms is an amazing feeling. I no longer need to work a 9-5 job, which allows me to have full control of my work hours. But something that has helped me by becoming a professional photographer, was my social anxiety. When I was 16, I had intense social anxiety. I couldn’t even go into the grocery store without having a panic attack. I remember having panic attacks just by walking through the cafeteria in school. Having social anxiety stopped me from truly living a great life in my teenage years. The more that I was forced to interact with other people, the better I got at interacting with others. I now would not even consider myself having any sort of social anxiety, and I would thank my business for that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When people ask what exactly I do in my business, I say that I am a professional portrait photographer that specializes in fashion editorial photography. I have been published four times in various magazines across the world including France and Spain. I remember being a young photographer and seeing more advanced photographers working with amazing models. I would only dream about being able to work with models and create some really stunning photos. I now mainly shoot with models and I absolutely love it. I have made some amazing friends through my business. Although I do specialize in my model/editorial work, a large portion of my business is shooting high school senior photos and couples portraits. Although I do love doing this kind of work, I am most proud of my editorial model work. I would say that the thing that sets me apart from other editorial photographers, is my willingness to try new things. There are many photographers who do not feel comfortable trying things that they don’t think that they would be good at. I recently started shooting in a studio using artificial lighting in January of 2021. I remember feeling so frustrated at first because I had no idea what I was doing. But since then, I would consider myself proficient at studio photography. There is still so much to learn, though!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My dad, the one who bought me my first camera, was a big supporter of my photography. My career really started to take off around my senior year of High School, which is when my dad passed away from cancer. Even when my dad was sick, he still made sure to talk to me about photography and my business. I like to think that he is proud of what my business has become. My friends and boyfriend have been my biggest cheerleaders along the way. My friends understand more than anyone how much work I put into my business. There are plenty of times when I cannot hang out with my friends as often because I am working on my business. But they continue to cheer me on and encourage me to work harder.
I am co-founder of a Kansas City Photography and Model group called “The KC Rising”. The community has definitely played a big role in my confidence. We constantly comment and repost each other’s work and know that the community is so much better than the competition.
Pricing:
- Senior Photos Pricing Starting at $200
- Couples Photos Pricing Starting at $150
- Editorial Photos Pricing Starting at $100
- Family Photo Pricing Starting at $180
- Wedding Photo Pricing Starting at $1600
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.maricharlson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maricharlsonphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariCharlsonPhotography
Image Credits:
Tayler Gilber
Blair Garrison
Bella Cordero
Mari Charlson
Mari Charlson
