Marie Ward is a Corporate, Nature and Portrait Photographer…who combines a disciplined technical approach with a masterful ability to connect with her subjects – and capture the essence and energy of the moment.

After investing 22 years in corporate life as a senior manager for a Fortune 100 company, Marie has chosen to devote herself to a passionate love of photography. She has a unique ability to become intensely present, connect with her subject and memorialize the ‘decisive moment’ or spark that brings something special and perennial to each photographic image.

Marie’s story…

“I have always felt a deep resonance with nature and a joy in meeting new people.

I grew up in the south, having lived in six states before I entered high school. I continued that wanderlust as I pursued my professional career and continued relocating, adding five more moves over the next twenty or so years. My successful corporate career and my frequent moves helped to hone my people skills and taught me how to connect with people.

I began bird watching when I moved to Illinois and through birding I learned to see what had been previously invisible to me….. the hawks perched in the nearby tree and so many new species of birds and behavior that I had never before noticed.

I was drawn to photography through an intense desire to capture what I was seeing. I took an introductory photography class and was immediately hooked. Through my continued studies as I worked toward the Certificate in Nature Photography at the Morton Arboretum, I honed my technical skills with the digital camera. I also began to see so much more – the way the light shines on the objects around us, the shape and form of nature and manmade structures, the harmony and symmetry of the world around us.

I’m a deep believer in everything happening for a reason and my professional career in photography allows me to draw on my life’s experiences to capture the essence and energy of those special moments and share them with others.”

To connect with Marie and explore your opportunity, please email marie@mariewardphotography.com