Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mary Bandimere. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Mary thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project Ive worked on thus far has been my “Color Series”. A personal project I started in high school has become one of my main driving points for my creative work and pushed me to explore the many ways I can utilize color to control the narrative. Im almost 23 now, and ive found my passion for this project to be unwavering. For years Ive been curating my eye and grown more confident in my ability to make artistic decisions based on my own preferences. Whether its a monochromatic or complimentary color scheme, I find my work to be elevated by this extra layer of intention when building imagery. By basing my entire concept on something as simple as color, I find myself digging deeper into the meaning of that choice and the many ways it could translate to an audience.

Mary, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Ive been using my camera to make sense of the world around me since I was fifteen. Photography was an elective I chose as a sophomore in high school thinking it’d be an easy art credit, but I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed the photo process and was hooked from day one. Since then, Ive only grown more fond of the craft, and have found myself in my junior year of college at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design majoring in photography. Over the years Ive found success in doing commission work like family, graduates, engagements, newborns, and events. Though this type of work is not necessarily my favorite way to use my camera, its been a fantastic learning opportunity and brought me closer to my community. The collaboration between myself and the client is my favorite aspect of creating, and Ive found that no matter the content of the imagery, the stories and connections made while taking photos is more valuable than the images themselves.
I want to make the client feel safe in my viewfinder. My job is to seek out the parts of a person commonly overlooked, that make them beautiful. Taking the time to curate images around the subject creates an environment that feels safe and personal, and that always produces better imagery. Whether its making the client laugh, listening to their stores, or even just sharing my own stories I have found that human connection is what sets my imagery apart. I walk away form every shoot feeling like I made a friend, and got to give them a glimpse of their true unfiltered beauty.
Although commission work pays well, I hope to one day transition to commercial and fashion photography. Collaborating with big name brands or artists I find interesting and creating imagery that sells a product and also an idea sounds like a dream. I hope to infiltrate the competitive market that is fashion and commercial photography, and get to collaborate with brands and people that make me feel excited about creating. Utilizing my unique perspectives and ideas, I hope to catch the eye of like minded people, and present a new version of photography that excites and captivates the audience. I pride myself in my weirdness, and believe strongly that it will be the reason I am noticed. I want to be the woman known for breaking the rules and creating strong art while doing it!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

As a young adult attempting to keep up with trends in media and in art, Ive had to utilize social media to reach a larger audience and get my art seen by more eyes, Like every person, I have an instagram and other socials that I started years ago and slowly gained followers on. This method however was a slow and unreliable one, which forced me to get more creative. TikTok actually became a huge reason I gained attention for my creativity and art style. After downloading the app and beginning to consistently upload content relating to art and my own lifestyle, I found myself gaining a solid following that actually wanted to see what I could do with a camera and some creativity. Ive tried to treat TikTok like a gift, one I never deserved but now use to grow my business and popularity in the art space. Ive got around ninety thousand followers now, and the number steadily grows if I keep up with my posts and relevance. Its all about luck and understanding the audience you’re selling yourself to. With tiktok I went viral a few times for an array of reasons, and now use my following to give my art the exposure it deserves. I only hope to continue to expose my audience to my art, and funnel some of that attention towards my business.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Show up! I think in a post-covid era it has become uncommon to actually explore the creative space. Whether its attending a local art show, or purchasing prints from a small creator online. There is power in each individual presence, and I believe the active participation by the public in artists journey is what pushes them to continue. Nothing fuels my art tank like hearing someone wants to buy a print, or schedule a shoot with me. That feeling you get when you find out your art is being seen is why artists do what they do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marymakesartnotwar.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marymakesartnotwar/
• Other: https://vsco.co/marybandimere/gallery