About Maryellen Knowles
At eight years old I saved up enough money to buy a Brownie Hawkeye. Many years and many cameras later, I still find delight when I have a camera in my hands. My son gave me my first single-lens reflex (SLR) film camera as a present when he got married. I now use a digital SLR camera with various lenses. In this age of digitally-enhanced and edited images, I choose to offer images that are natural — not altered other than cropping and an occasional exposure correction. My goal is to authentically share images of people, animals, objects and landscapes in their natural beauty.
My professional life has been in various areas of public school education and administration. While I have several degrees in education, my avocation and passion has been with the arts — music and visual arts, especially photography and painting.
For many years, most of my photographic work has been either for my own enjoyment or for special events for friends. I have photographed many small weddings, birthday parties, baby and wedding showers, ordinations, and receptions. For six years, I photographed educational events for the FINE Foundation in Iowa and sold photos at various venues.
If you purchase a print from my collection, I will get it to you in a timely fashion. If you hire me to photograph a special event, I offer you careful planning before with added spontaneity to enhance the storytelling. I will be flexible in working with you to give you what you want. I have a strong work ethic — always prepared, responsible and on time. I listen carefully and follow through on your desires. I am easy to work with, putting you at ease knowing you are with someone who only wants to capture special memories for you.