We were lucky to catch up with Marina Cole recently and have shared our conversation below.
Marina, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Keeping your creativity alive is one of the hardest aspects of photography. Finding new ways to challenge yourself and create something new can be overwhelming. At first, I would take on as many opportunities as I could to shoot in order to get a feel for my personal style as I went along. Now, I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by so many creative people that I can bounce ideas off of and collaborate with. My biggest piece of advice to anyone struggling with creativity is to utilize the people around you when you’re feeling stuck, you never know what can come out of it.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Hi, my name’s Marina, but to most I’m known by my nickname Mars. I’m a photographer based out of New Orleans, Louisiana. While I had always loved photography, I hadn’t considered it as a career until around three years ago when I started taking headshots/graduation photos. Once I ventured into concert/portrait photography, I realized that this was what I wanted to do, and started Mars Photography LLC.
The most special aspect of Mars Photography is most definitely the people I’ve been lucky enough to work with. None of this would be possible without the bands and individuals that have allowed me to express myself creatively and help me find my personal style. Fostering those relationships and building trust is the most crucial component to photography; in my opinion, that’s the only way to truly capture someone how they see themselves.
I actually just launched a few different collage kits of photos I’ve taken. It’s been really exciting to see my work displayed and how people have chosen to use the prints.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would have to say: resourcefulness, patience, and empathy were the most impactful qualities in my journey. Resourcefulness and patience most definitely go hand in hand when taking photos. There are times when things don’t go according to plan on a shoot, so utilizing patience is crucial, as well as being resourceful to find a solution. Whether it’s changing components of the shoot or asking someone for help, utilizing the resources around you is the only way to make things work. In my opinion, while empathy should be incorporated into every facet of life, it’s definitely necessary for photography. More often than not, the people you’re working with are uncomfortable in front of the camera or don’t feel entirely themselves. It’s my job to make them feel as comfortable as possible, so trying to feel things from their perspectives to help ease their anxiety is one of the things that i really pride myself on.
My best advice for those just starting out is that these skills take time to develop, it’s okay to get things wrong sometimes. It can be nerve wracking and frustrating when things aren’t going the way you planned, especially when you’re in a time crunch on a shoot. Feeling overwhelmed and not entirely calm is okay, it just takes time and experience to be patient in these situations and see all of the solutions you have in front of you.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was helping me establish my sense of self. My parents were very open to my self expression and would allow me to explore anything that I was interested in. Their openness and encouragement was the reason I knew I could start Mars Photography on my own, I truly couldn’t have done that without them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.marsphotography.photos
- Instagram: @_mars.photography
- Facebook: Mars Photography
Image Credits
Marina Cole
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