Mary Beth creates beautiful and personal images for couples

Interview and Article by Danielle Bastos

Nestled in the heart of Arkansas, Mary Beth has carved a niche in the world of wedding photography. Embracing the haunting elegance and intellectual allure of dark academia, Mary Beth creates images that transcend the ordinary, weaving together moments of love with an aesthetic steeped in mystery and timeless beauty. 

Mary Beth’s journey into photography began during the tumultuous year of 2020. “I was an art teacher for about 10 years, we had a lot of time off from school because of Covid, and photography was really the only medium I haven’t worked with before, so I learned as much as I could and got bit by the photography bug and have been nonstop ever since.”

Mary Beth began with product photography for small businesses, leveraging her husband’s rock climbing passion to photograph outdoor gear in Arkansas’s landscapes. Seeking better financial prospects and alignment with her adventurous spirit, she transitioned to elopement photography. This niche combined her love for nature with capturing intimate moments, ultimately leading her into wedding photography where her unique style thrived.

Her mother, originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, moved to New York at the age of 16, bringing her vibrant culture into their home while navigating life in the concrete jungle of New York City. It was in this city that Mary Beth’s mother met her father. Mary Beth’s father would later relocate her, her mother, and the rest of her family to Arkansas. Growing up in the south, Mary Beth was raised with a blend of Puerto Rican traditions and southern American influences, shaping her unique perspective and artistic sensibilities. This diverse cultural heritage infuses her work with a deep appreciation for both the vibrant and the tranquil, the old and the new. “Growing up in the south with a Puerto Rican mom there were certain things that I didn’t realize–weren’t typically southern, right, so like eating platanos or rice and beans and when I’d go to friends’ houses they would have pot roast, and I’d say ‘what is pot roast’? They’d say, ‘How do you not know what pot roast or fried chicken is’? I don’t know, I thought everyone had rice and beans y arroz con pollo,” she reflected. “So, I think it’s just inherently build-in to what I do and how I approach photography, as well as the couples that I decide to work with.”

Couples rely on photographers to immortalize their wedding day. Mary Beth promises to deliver, beautifully capturing these precious moments. She begins by discussing the couple’s vision and desired ambiance, encouraging them to describe their preferences in detail. Creating vision boards, which she shares with the couple to guarantee mutual understanding. This collaborative process provides them specific feedback on elements they want to emphasize or adjust, to secure their shared vision. Once the wedding begins, a photographer must be prepared for spontaneous moments. When asked about her approach to capturing candid photographs, Mary Beth details her preparations. “I’m just behind the scenes using usually a longer focal length or a wider focal length, and staying out of the way letting things unfold as they happen. Then in terms of traditional portraiture sometimes the couples want that, and sometimes they don’t and would rather shoot as the day unfolds.” 

Wedding photography demands perfection. Mary Beth once faced a critical situation during a nighttime sparkler send-off. Her flash malfunctioned just as the couple was about to leave in their getaway car. Thinking quickly, she asked the couple to reenact the exit. Although it might have inconvenienced them momentarily, Mary Beth knew the importance of capturing this moment for their lasting memories.“Working with whatever happens, and nobody is having a photo emergency, I know these moments are super precious, and that’s important to me, but it’s not life or death in terms of photos, so I try to keep a light-hearted approach to it, if I didn’t get everything captured perfectly or if somethings blurry, then hey that’s just how the day went.” 

Mary Beth finds her creative inspiration through editorial-style photography, capturing wild and outrageous scenes. This personal practice fulfills her cup. She recalls feeling pressured to create meaningful content for social media and branding, which led to burnout. Eventually, she rediscovered her passion for photography, focusing on images that satisfy her creative spirit. Her ten-year goal she envisions herself specializing in elopement photography, particularly to global destinations with stunning architecture– a dream that includes returning to Puerto Rico. She appreciates the spontaneity of elopements in her approach.“It depends on what the couple wants to do, if they want an all day adventure elopement I’m there for them from the sunrise to sunset, or even at nighttime. So, it just depends on what they want. I had recently done a courthouse wedding, they didn’t even have vows,” she smiles, “they said to me, we’re attorneys. We just want to sign the paperwork, we want to go to a food truck and eat some pizza and have some cake with our friends and drink beer. That was only a short few hours, but yeah it really depends on whatever the couple wants.”

Lastly, when asked about her ideal photography community, Mary Beth explains “I look for openness and no gatekeeping. With my background of being an art teacher, art is for everyone there’s not a secret that I will hold back, if someone has a question I will answer it. I look for a community that is willing to grow together as well as lift each other up, and to not gatekeep because art is such a wonderful and healing thing that everyone deserves to experience.”

Mary Beth transforms weddings into timeless tales, blending the enchanting allure of dark academia with joy and intimacy of matrimonial celebrations. With a discerning eye for detail and a passion for storytelling. Each photograph is a window into a world capturing the essence of the couple’s special day. Mary Beth’s work transcends traditional wedding photography, creating lifelong memories that couples will cherish for a lifetime.