We were lucky to catch up with Mary Satterthwaite recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

My parents are the BEST! The first thing they did right was move from Ohio to California before I was born LOL! I am such a southern cali girl, grew up in Carlsbad, always having easy access to the beach or a pool. Spent my summers with my girlfriends checking out the local surfer boys and laying days away in the sun. I sometimes wonder who i’d be if they decided to stay in Ohio….

My parents are polar opposites, they ended up getting a divorce when I was about 9 and it was another great choice for our family. I know a lot of kids are emotionally destroyed by divorce but this wasn’t the case for us. They decided to remain good friends and have continued to celebrate every birthday/Christmas/thanksgiving together for their children’s benefit. I lived with my mom and spent decades meeting up with my dad once or twice a week for special daddy/daughter time and I cherish the memories we made over the years. I think when in close proximity, relationships can easily be taken for granted, that’s why meeting up with my dad was so incredibly special to me. It was a few hours a week and we focused solely on each other during that time, really getting to know each other and developed an unbreakable bond. He really is a best friend. My dad is very artistic, spiritual, grounded and hilarious.

My mom is an absolute saint! We have been sometimes more like sisters than anything else- she’s the first person I call when I have good OR bad news. She has been instrumental in helping me raise my children and be a better mother, My mom is diplomatic, hard working, forgiving and also happens to be hilarious! My mom says “good s*x and a good sense of humor can get you through a lot!” Ain’t that the truth! My mom is there to listen when I’m having a hard day and usually shows up with food or a 12 pack of Diet Coke for me without me asking :) I told you- a SAINT!

I feel so lucky to have such amazing parents, both so strong in their way of being and yet so different, I get to embody the best of both, and am constantly shown. how to handle situations differently. I call both of them for business advice and they have helped me tremendously to be artistic and successful, the perfect combo for becoming a photographer

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m a San Diego photographer who specializes in weddings and family photography.

I started photography when my husband, David, bought me my first DSLR for my birthday about 10 years ago. I started shooting everything from flowers to dogs, and landscapes, anything that was in front of me, really. I had just graduated from CSUSM as a women’s studies major (go cougars) and was considering continuing on to get my masters and teach at the college level. It was something I wholeheartedly loved and felt very passionate about. Unfortunately, studying this particular material can cause a person to feel depressed, helpless, anxious, and very frustrated. Imagine learning about every injustice in the world and feeling like there’s not much you can do about it.

I made a decision for myself, for my happiness, to move towards a carer that brought me joy instead of frustration. I had learned in college how to be a better person. more sensitive to other people and their struggles, and also how to work my ass off! I had top grades in school and really soared in academics. So the first thing I did after graduating, was enroll back in school to get my degree in photography! Haha! I became a certified photographer with a business plan! Once I narrowed down what I wanted to shoot (weddings) I jumped in, right into the deep end and got right to it. My very first wedding client was another student in once of my photography classes. I was so honored that she trusted me with the job! Since that day, i’ve shot probably about 175+ weddings and have been fortunate to shoot destination weddings in places like Fiji and Australia.

I like to keep my photography style bright, colorful, and joyous- this is how I would describe my clients as well. I’m not a dramatic person, I don’t shoot that way. I keep my editing clean and natural, I like to think that clients will be able to look back on their photos 20 years from now and still love their images. Many photography fads have come and gone since I started my business (I cringe when thinking of black and white photos with selective color) I think that a classic photo can withstand the test of time unlike some wedding trends (think puffy wedding gown sleeves lol)

I am a light hearted, outgoing, fun person who loves to laugh and I don’t take myself too seriously. My clients tend to gravitate towards my personality and are like-minded, which makes a great working relationship often leads to friendships.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I know most people will put in this category that they made it through the pandemic…I made it through the pandemic WITH TWINS haha! My twins were born in February of 2020, not only was the world dealing with havoc of the pandemic, but within my household I was in the complete baby fog x2!! My twins are now 2.5 and my oldest is 4.5 and I’m just now starting to get my head above water. I’m joining the human race, wearing makeup, running my business from home while being a full time mommy of 3 small children…I am superwoman

How’s that for resilient haha!

Have you ever had to pivot?

When Covid hit, I had bride after bride cancelling or postponing (and then cancelling) their weddings. I lost tens of thousands of dollars in income within a week or 2…I didn’t know what to do. The wedding industry (as many other industries) was devastated by the pandemic. Weddings just simply weren’t happening. I decided to focus on family photography during that time, when things started to open up again and life began to resume to somewhat normal. I honed in my skills working with children and families which is a whole other can of worms to weddings. It’s a completely different skill set within the umbrella of photography. People were not comfortable attending weddings in large groups, but were still needing photos to celebrate milestones in their lives/ children’s lives. I have the proper equipment to maintain 6 feet and am good at giving direction from a distance without touching. My family photography business is what kept me afloat and now I can say I really enjoy family sessions and meeting up with returning clients each year!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mklimages.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mkl_images/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mklimages/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mkl-images-oceanside?osq=mkl+images
• Other: https://vimeo.com/361205947/65fc249436

Image Credits
www.mklimages.com