Hidden Gems: Meet Marie Diersing of Marie Diane Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marie Diersing. 

Hi Marie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I like to joke that I started this path out of spite, which, in reality, is completely true. I was just a mom of a 3-month-old severely colic baby that experienced the worst customer service imaginable from one of those department store chain photography studios….so I went home, did a half-ass research on DSLRs, and bought the first one in my budget with an “I’ll do her pictures better than THAT” attitude. I had no plans of being a photographer AT ALL. My biggest issue, and ultimately biggest blessing, is that I can’t learn about new things by reading and, at the time, YouTube wasn’t full of tutorials so I had to start reaching out to local photographers asking for someone to teach me how to use that overly fancy camera. ONLY ONE responded. Her name is Winter and she gladly walked me through my camera. She saw the potential in me and encouraged me to start taking pictures for other people, and it snowballed from there. I photographed my best friend’s wedding as my first “big deal” shoot and still photograph her family and children 12 years later. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
In the beginning, my biggest struggle was comparing myself to other photographers. I so badly wanted to be THIS person or have my work like THAT person’s…eventually I realized I should only compare myself to myself. Now, when I feel like I’m struggling, I’ll look back at sessions 6 months ago and see where I’ve improved over things I don’t like or 3 years ago and REALLY see some big change. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What I’m most proud of and what sets me apart is the same thing: I get to be 100% me for my clients. There isn’t some cringy customer service voice or fake front, I get to make terrible dad jokes at family session, talk mom life at newborn sessions, and treat absolutely everyone like an old friend. With me being me, I get to provide a type of customer service and session experience that everyone deserves. 

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I was a theatre major, which doesn’t really surprise people once they meet me since I can be a bit goofy. 

Contact Info:

• Email: info@mariedianephotography.com
• Website: www.mariedianephotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mariedianephotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mariedianephotography

Image Credits
Marie Diane Photography