Allow us to introduce you to a magician.

The Fleurt ladies met Mary Gardella a few years ago on a styled photoshoot.  They met early one morning in Mary’s spacious and heavenly studio affectionally know as STUDIO’elle  It was a makeup artists’ dream.  Warm sunlight poured into the gigantic windows that fringed the wall of the historic one-time textile mill building.  Mary was inspiring, accommodating, and professional.  The day created some of the most iconic images for Fleurt and magic was made.

Studio 5, at Hooper Mill

We asked Mary to share more with us.  To tell us her story.  What was her story before that day we met some few odd years ago.

She has always been interested in photography and as she puts it “photography found me.”  From her humble beginnings as the photo editor of The Towerlight, and after graduating from Towson University with a mass communications and media studies degree she leapt into photojournalism.  She forged into her career working for  The Baltimore Sun  and other local newspapers across the country.

Mary loves “getting to know a community from the inside, out” and local papers did just that.  She wants to understand the the human condition and their stories.  Her goal is to capture them authentically, as they really are.

After her daughter was born, so too was the digital age that forever changed our lives.  Newspapers are not what they once were; print work was dwarfed by the internet.  Mary then took another leap, she founded and co-owned Love Life Images.  Her photo journalistic style is what every bride hopes for and forever shaped wedding photography as we know it.  Here’s a little throw back to Mary’s wedding work.  Check it out.

Photography remained her passion, but, now in a saturated wedding market, she really wanted to set herself apart, and continue to tell the story of the community she holds so dear .  She got laser focused on her roots.  What makes her special.  What sets her soul on fire.  She’s still telling stories of the beautiful, colorful, diverse and meaningful community.   She’s doing that in a very special way these days.  And we are honored to be a part of that…

Mary now creates empowerment portraiture for women.  She tells their story.
She provides a safe space to be unabashedly themselves so that their personal brand stands out and are set apart among an over-saturated visual world.   She sets them apart, just as she did herself when she started Profession’elle  portraits.  Mary elevates her clients and their brand.  Its nothing short of remarkable.

So, where do we fit in?  We are humbled to add another layer to the empowerment experience at ‘elle by Mary Gardella.  Our aim is to create flawless authenticity to inspire confidence in front of the camera and augment Mary’s images.  Showcasing genuine beauty is our small part to play.

Its more than just headshots. Its more than just makeup.  Its magic.

Styled Shoot photographs from the first time we ever met Mary.

Are you a #ladyboss that needs a branding experience?  Is it time to refresh your images and re-brand your website with up-to-date and polished photos?  Contact Mary here.

xoxo