My name is Maria

TL;DR: Newark, DE based photographer with a "have camera, will travel" philosophy. I capture stories where wilderness meets city life using both film and digital. Currently shooting with a Fujifilm X-T4 and always planning the next adventure.

About Me

I'm a photographer who finds magic in the delightful chaos where wilderness crashes into city life. My camera is my faithful sidekick on adventures that take me from remote trails (where the only WiFi is the wind in the trees) to hidden urban corners that most people walk past without a second glance. I'm constantly searching for those quiet moments that reveal a place's true personality because yes, places have personalities, and some are definitely more interesting than others. Living on the east coast, water has always been a constant in my life, and you'll find that a lot of my photos have some sort of water element in them.

My photography journey began in high school, where my instructor had a charmingly stubborn philosophy: even though digital cameras were already available, she wouldn't let us touch a DSLR until we truly understood the fundamentals of photography and its evolution (though it was likely dictated by school curriculum, but whatever). We started with the most basic tool of all: making and using pinhole cameras before graduating to actual film cameras. The pinhole cameras were the ultimate trial and error assignment of 60% fun, 40% frustration, but hey, that's probably good preparation for photography in general. Those early days in the darkroom, learning to process negatives and develop my own prints by hand, taught me to treasure each frame and understand light at its most fundamental level. There's something deeply satisfying about the tactile process of film photography: the deliberate consideration before each shot, the nail-biting anticipation of developing, and the pure magic (or chemical reaction if you really want to be that person) of watching an image slowly materialize in the developer.

Sometime between my early college years and now, I took a long hiatus from photography, focusing on other (arguably less exciting) aspects of life. But in 2020, when the world got a little too interesting for everyone's taste, I needed a creative outlet that got me out of the house. I dusted off my old Canon Rebel EOS XS, but that thing was about as reliable as a portable CD player without antiskip, so I sent it on its merry way and saved up for something that felt more familiar. I chose the Fujifilm X-T4 because its body style reminded me of those film cameras I learned on: it was like reuniting with an old friend who still had all the same quirks you remembered.

Today, I work with both film and digital cameras, and I love how each medium brings out different aspects of my vision. While I have a deep love for film, I really appreciate the flexibility that digital gives me when it comes to trying out different techniques and being able to immediately see if something worked or not. Film encourages me to slow down and be more contemplative with my compositions (because every shot costs money, y'all), while digital technology lets me respond quickly to changing light and capture those spontaneous moments that can disappear faster than my motivation on a Monday morning. Currently, I'm experimenting with lomography using a Holga 120, and I'm excited to see how these unpredictable, dreamy images will add a new dimension to my work. This dual approach keeps my eye sharp and my perspective constantly evolving.

Travel isn't just how I find my stories; it's become an essential part of my creative practice (and a great excuse to avoid doing laundry). Each journey becomes an opportunity to witness how light, weather, and human presence can transform ordinary scenes into something extraordinary. Sometimes the best shots happen when you're completely lost, both literally and metaphorically.

My photographs are visual journals of adventure and discovery (with significantly better lighting than my actual journal). I capture the raw beauty of wild landscapes alongside the unexpected poetry found in urban spaces: the way morning light hits a bridge just right, the shadows cast by city architecture that create accidental art, and those quiet moments that reveal a place's soul. Through my work, I hope to share the wonder I find in both remote wilderness and urban corners, encouraging others to pause and notice the remarkable moments that surround us every day because trust me, they're there, even if you're just walking to get coffee.

I believe the most powerful photographs are those that awaken something familiar within us, sparking personal connections and memories that allow each viewer to find their own story within the landscapes I've captured. When someone looks at my work and feels transported (whether to a place they've been or a place they dream of visiting), that's when I know I've succeeded and when I can justify all those hours spent waiting for the perfect light.

Currently based in Newark, Delaware (and yes, it's New-ARK, not New-ERK for those who know), I'm always planning my next adventure with camera in hand.