Press Kit
Contact info:
photographer/owner: MARIANNE DRENTHE, MARMALADE PHOTOGRAPHY
website: http://www.marmaladephotography.com
phone: 815-603-8450 • CONTACT MP
TIP: Hit the “+” sign as applicable for more information in the following sections
- A lifelong resident of the Chicago area, Marianne graduated from the University of St. Francis in Joliet with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and from Joliet Junior College with an Associate’s in Nursing.
- Marianne started her adult career as a Registered Nurse at both Chicago’s Mercy Medical Center and Naperville’s Edward Hospital where her practice centered around various specialties within critical care. Marianne has utilized her empathetic and caring nature to work alongside the dying and their families in the field of hospice; she has worked home care taking care of the acutely ill and recovering patient and family in a variety of diverse socioeconomic situations within home health nursing and she has mentored students clinically as a clinical Certified Nurses’ Aide instructor.
- Marianne has been a photographer for most of her life and remembers the first moments of holding her brother’s 35 mm Canon when she was only about 5 or 6 years of age. It is a cornerstone memory for her life.
- Marianne started her business seeking to create a more refined, comfortable and beautiful experience for memory making artwork; she sought organic moments rather than the posed, staged mall portraits available for photography of children and families of the Y2K era.
- A near death experience at the time of the birth of her 2nd child helped influence Marianne away from nursing towards professional photography when she was in a patient room while she was working as a nurse and observed the photographs surrounding the dying patient she was caring for. It was a moment of epiphany when Marianne realized that at the end of one’s life the surrounding of ones’ self with loved ones and memories is what matters most. It was then during that long night shift that she decided then she desired to be a purveyor of those happy, life affirming kind of moments of happiness.
- Marmalade Photography is a Chicago area based custom professional photographer focusing on soulful, artistic imagery.
- Marmalade Photography was founded in 2005 by photographer Marianne Drenthe to create a unique photography experience for families throughout Chicago, the suburbs and beyond.
- Marianne Drenthe has mentored multiple photographers under her See the Light Workshop brand as well as via her authorship work via the Professional Child Photographer website.
- Marianne Drenthe’s work has been featured in multiple publications, sponsored by a number of corporations in addition to her work being seen in National Geographic Traveler Magazine. Throughout her almost two decade career Marianne has contributed to multiple publications throughout her photography career via interviews, photography product reviews for Professional Photographer Magazine as well as Amazon.com and feature articles about her business.
Marmalade Photography seeks to create beautiful one of a kind experiences for their clients. MP provides custom photography services where the client and family escape their realities for just a bit to create one of a kind beautiful imagery showcasing their relationships and personalities. Marianne desires to photograph clients enjoying their loved ones and photography a glimpse of their personalities to create artwork for the home, for her clients hearts.
Marmalade Photography has created artwork for hundreds of clients in the Chicago area (and beyond) and her work graces the walls of some of the finest homes in Chicagoland.
Client 1: “I want to create memories with my son, he is going off to kindergarten and soon he will no longer just be mine.” Client is a single mom in nursing school and realized that the investment in these photos were highly important to her.
Working with her was a dream come true. We made beautiful artwork together that graces many pages of our website. While this was early in the days of Marmalade Photography we certainly created work that stands the test of time.
Client 2: “When you spoke with me on the phone you mentioned you were aspiring to be the photographer for life. We took that seriously and now all the photos you’ve taken for us through the years are more valuable to me than anything else.” This conversation took place in a client’s home we had been working with for over 15 years…in Missouri. Marianne traveled to the client’s home south of St. Louis for her son’s prom photos. Client said she remembered the first conversation she had with Marianne over the phone and had committed to the lifelong making of images based on Marianne’s recommendation and is happy to have done so. Her oldest child is now married with two sons approaching young adulthood client states she is overwhelmed with gratitude for the advice Marianne gave her so long ago.
• Article feature in Professional Photographer Magazine, May 2012. Article by Jeff Kent.
• Rangefinder Magazine, August 2011. COVER PHOTO & feature article: WE ARE FAMILY article by Caresse Muir
• Rangefinder Podcast (available on iTunes) with Scott Sheppard
• Little Shutterbugs interview in American Profile Magazine, by Sussanah Felts September 2014 & Oh Snap! Tips for Taking Better Family Photos in American Profile Magazine, by Sussanah Felts November 2014
• WPPI Show Guide 2011, published by Rangefinder. Marianne Drenthe’s (Marmalade) work represented the genre of Children’s Photography for the 2011 Convention in Las Vegas; article WE ARE FAMILY written by Caresse Muir
• National Geographic Traveler Magazine, photo feature, January 2011
• Professional Photographer Magazine. Multiple reviews, tutorials and articles authored by Marianne Drenthe on various professional photography topics over the span of a number of years
• Honorable Mention for the 5th Annual Black and White Spider Awards in the Advertising category
• WPPI print competition: awarded Silver Honor of Excellence 2010
• DESIGN AGLOW | Issue No. 6 – The Style Issue
• Daily Candy Kids – Chicago feature
• Image inclusion in the instructional book: Photographing Children: Photo Workshop, First Edition by Felch & Jones, Second Edition by Felch, published by Wiley Publications
• Guest Judge on the I Heart Faces site
• Featured Guest Photographer on the Photographer Café site as well as author of various articles on the site
• Author and owner of the Professional Child Photographer website at www.professionalchildphotographer.com since 2007
• Presenter/instructor for 24 Hour Photoshop – 2012
• Webinar presenter for Professional Photographer’s of America (PPA): “Photographing and Interacting with Children of All Ages” – 2012
• Featured photographer by the app Moxtra, software app for organization & planning, ads geared to photographers – 2013
• Site creator & author for the wildly popular Professional Child Photographer website: 2007-2023 (site currently down/under renovation)