Meet Mary Ann Craddock | Colorado Wedding and Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Ann Craddock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary Ann, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m originally from the South, near Atlanta. I think my background plays a huge role – I grew up in the ballet studio and studied (and love!) both visual and performing arts. I earned my BSEd from the University of Georgia in Dance Education. After living up and down the bustling East Coast (from Boston to Florida), I’ve fallen in love with the quiet stillness of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I love aesthetics and always aim to create exquisite imagery while providing an excellent client experience. And a few evenings per week, I teach ballet in local Denver-area dance studios.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I love when clients say things like “Wow, literally every picture is amazing,” or “Mary Ann was so much fun to work with and made us feel at ease.” My ultimate goal is to create beautiful images for my clients while, at the same time, making them feel like we are all just hanging out and having a great time!

My Style and Location Guides provide a lot of important tips and information that my clients may not have realized on their own. And new for 2022 was my Client Closet – an extensive collection of beautiful dresses in many sizes that’s included (and totally optional) for use at their portrait session. I want my clients’ beautiful faces to be the focus of their images which is why I’m passionate about helping them craft a look that makes them look and feel amazing.

I am most inspired by the intimacy shared between my couples – whether it’s an engagement, anniversary, or wedding, or even a few photos with just Mom and Dad at a family session. I love to capture romantic love, no matter who the couple is. Most of my clients are normal people, not models. And I get so much joy out of making them feel like they are models for the day! I use a combination of posing and prompts. Some clients like to be told exactly where to place their hands, and their legs, and heads, and exactly what the expression on their face should be. And then other times I tell them what to think of or envision to get more genuine reactions. I’ve found that a combination of both produces images that clients rave about!

Honestly, I think my biggest challenge is imposter syndrome. But at the same time, it keeps me striving to improve and evolve. The other big challenge is that I’m actually an introvert (and need a lot of down time to re-energize), but I’m able to overcome that with my performing arts and theater background. I guess I consider myself a “personal introvert/professional extrovert.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend(s) would be visiting from the South, so we’d definitely visit the Mountains! If they traveled with kids, I’d love to take the Georgetown Loop Railroad or visit Dinosaur National Monument on the Colorado/Utah border.

If it were a girl’s weekend, I’d love to spend time in Breck or Vail or Aspen! Sippin’ some delicious cocktails après-ski by a cozy fire-pit sounds amazing. Actually, I’ve never been snow skiing, but I’d love to learn sometime! 😛

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes absolutely! I picked up a cheap DSLR camera over a decade ago, but didn’t get serious with photography until I discovered Amy & Jordan wedding photography education courses in 2018. That later led to Katelyn James education courses. All of those were amazing at getting started. And then last year I discovered Jeanna Hayes. Her photography course has, hands down, been my absolute favorite. She has a Fine Arts background and likens photographs to paintings. The course is a little more advanced and precise from the previous courses I’ve taken and I’ve found the information she presents extremely enlightening. I’ve had the biggest growth in my business this year (and I’ve seen the most improvement in my work) since completing her course.

Locally, I’d love to shoutout a few photography friends that I’ve learned so much from in the past couple of years – Laura Wolfgang and Andrea Stark. Thank you Ladies!

[Relevant links:]
https://www.amyandjordan.com/
https://katelynjames.com/
https://jeannahayeseducation.com/

https://laurawolfgangphotography.com/

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