We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Riboli. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.

Alright, Maria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

It’s always been important to connect with my clients, and I’ve been very fortunate because many of them have turned into friends! To me, it’s essential that all my clients feel heard, seen, and safe…and I do go out of my way to ensure all these needs are met!
I also do like spoiling them a bit as well ;)
If I know they have little kids, I try to bring a few small toys they can take home with them, and depending on the type of session, I would get some flowers for the ladies or a bottle of bubbly (especially if it’s an engagement shoot or a surprise proposal!).
If I know what my clients are into, I also connect on that level with them, whether it is talking about food or their favorite TV show…I truly enjoy getting to know them and making them feel like they are just hanging out with a friend!

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 your friendly sushi lover, chocolate addict, rainbow chaser, equality supporter, cat mama, photographer! I was born and raised in a small town on the Adriatic Sea in Italy, and I moved to NYC in ’98 and finally felt at home!

When I first moved to New York City, I enrolled at The Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, where my passion for the arts continued to grow. My theater and film directing background has influenced how I pursue photography. I’m a director and an actress first, and my curiosity for storytelling is what sparks my interest behind my camera.

The inclusivity and melting pot culture that are the beating heart of NY kept me entranced for nearly 2 decades, and it will always be home to me. I’m currently in sunny Orlando and photographing life here, as well as in New York and wherever my passport takes me.

My passion for photography was born back in Italy with my Dad…

He used to tell me, “I’m stopping the time that goes by.” That phrase has always stuck with me, and I’m so very thankful now that I have all the memories he caught for us…

I value every person’s story, every family’s legacy. Portraiture is my way of capturing those moments, from formal photoshoots, family vacations, and life milestones such as weddings and celebrations.

Our time together will feel like hanging out with a friend, and most of the times you won’t even realize I’m there. I love documenting the real moments, the hugs, the laughters, and the watery eyes. I will be there to catch them all and to gift you with a moment in time that will always be filled with life.

Like a sense memory, I want you to look at your photos and be transported to an instant of your journey on this earth where, for a second, you will remember the sound of that laughter, the warmth of that hug, the butterflies in your stomach as your love is walking down the aisle to you.

Some of my favorite work is portraits, from families to artists, I always enjoy the one-on-one time I get to spend with my clients.
I do adore artists and the creativity we can unleash during a photoshoot!
Live events are also so powerful you never know what you’re about to capture!

My passion for storytelling is what fuels me to preserve generation legacies through my photos. I’m here to tell a story…yours…, and I can’t wait to catch your memories!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I get to express myself, and I help people express themselves, which is so rewarding to me… No two photoshoots are the same, no matter what…it can be the exact location and the same circumstances, but they will never be the same…and that is inspiring…it’s always fresh…and it always pushes me to find new ways…

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want to help people preserve their legacy…I want to help them tell a story… I do miss the days of old film photographs…there was something so romantic in a way…you would take a picture without any idea of what it would look like, and they were real…those were all real moments…
Don’t get me wrong, I love the technology we have right now, but I still aim to capture a present moment more than a staged one…
And my goal will always be for people to look back at those moments and feel that same feeling captured in that picture….

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MariaRiboliPhotography.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/MariaRiboliPhotography
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MariaRiboliPhotography
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/mariariboliphotography/

Image Credits
Maria Riboli Photography