Heather Mariano Photography

Maternity self portraits

Heather — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:43:20 +0000

One of the first things I looked forward to when I found out I was pregnant was an opportunity to take my own maternity photos. Sure, I could ask some other photographer friends to do the session, but there’s something about the challenge of setting up a tripod and seeing what I could come up with on my own that excited me. My first project was our gender announcement photos. I scoured Pinterest for inspiration images and quickly found that many ideas included blue or pink balloons and I wanted to do something a bit different. Eventually I found a couple different ideas and compiled them into my own. On the day of our ultrasound, I prepared my husband for our little photo session and set up the tripod and the announcement. A few clicks later and some editing and my plan was complete.

A few months later I knew I wanted to capture some maternity photos in the snow. Here in Cleveland, we had a few great snowy days after Christmas and I once again talked my husband into my plan. While he was off work for the holidays, we took a drive into the Metroparks and found a nice snowy spot to set the scene. Running back and forth from the tripod to our spot 8 months pregnant with no coat on was quite comical. We did manage to stay warm enough and had quite a blast throwing snow at each other.

A beautiful day at the Cleveland Museum of Art

Heather — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:39:19 +0000

The best parts about life are the unexpected and the unplanned moments. When this photography session was planned, we were certainly afraid the day would be too chilly to shoot outside with these little ones. Amazingly enough, a cold rainy stretch turned warm and even a bit sunny for us on a great November Saturday in Cleveland. We started the session inside the new atrium of the Cleveland Museum of Art – if you haven’t been yet, I highly recommend it. The long renovation of the museum is nearing completion and it looks incredible, the light in the atrium is perfect for some special family portraits.

After we spent some time inside we were able to take a walk to the Wade Park Pond in front of the museum. We spent the rest of our session there and found some lingering fall foliage to incorporate in the photographs. The light was absolutely beautiful and soft for the final portraits of our time together.

Have you been to the art museum lately? What is your favorite spot in University Circle?

A trio of girls romping in the leaves

Heather — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:31:32 +0000

On a cold, snowy day in Cleveland it’s refreshing to look back at photographs from a beautiful fall day in October. The leaves, the light, the lack of scarves and coats, adds up to an entirely different feeling than winter. I last had the pleasure of photographing this sweet family when they were awaiting the arrival of baby girl #3, Mylah Elizabeth. We used this session to capture some 1 year old portraits of Mylah as well as the two older girls, Aliyah (now 3 years old), and Selah (age 5). I think it’s safe to say we had a blast playing in the leaves and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon.

What is your favorite way to capture the fall colors? Have you been thinking about the seasons to come while we’re in the midst of winter?

Three gorgeous sisters

Heather — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:12:04 +0000

You may remember these darling girls from their first appearance on my site. This fall it was time to capture some sweet moments with this trio of girls once again. It’s amazing how quickly they changed and how their personalities have developed even more since I last saw them. The girls took little time warming up to me and showed some beautiful smiles right off the bat.

This unique family chose to have our session at their house again and I loved it for the comfort factor and because they wanted to show a few moments from their real life. They busted out their current favorite game, Uno, and included a round in some of the photographs.

What is your favorite activity or game to play with your family? Did you spend time soaking up those moments over the recent holidays?

3 Boys Exploring the Park

Heather — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 01:49:10 +0000

I met this lovely family about 5 years ago when I baby sat their two oldest boys for a few weeks. Our paths crossed again in September when they needed some family photography done. I was excited to see the boys again and to meet the youngest member of the family. We spent the first part of the session exploring the park, swinging as high as possible, and running between trees. We found some moments to have the boys stop and come together, but you’ll notice some other shots of them being at ease too. I love the balance of these two styles and it is something I try to incorporate in all my sessions.

Children need to exercise and have fun, so that is something you can expect in any session I do. What do you do to make sure you are capturing your child’s personality? Is it easy to see them shine through in photographs or activities they love?

Ethan is back!

Heather — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Last fall, I had the opportunity to photograph a great family of three at Edgewater Park. This year we met up again, this time at South Chagrin Reservation and the location could not have been more beautiful. We had rain the night before so the landscape was lush and green and the water was rushing down the waterfalls. I had great memories of following Ethan around Edgewater as he threw rocks and sticks in the lake and this year he showed me his advanced rock throwing skills as well as his funny side. By the end of the shoot he was in full on ham mode and we had a blast playing together.

Where is your favorite place to explore nature in Cleveland? Do you like to photograph moments from your walk or hike?

Avery and the ducks

Heather — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 01:16:52 +0000

One humid evening at the end of summer, I met up with this special gal in Clague Park. We spent our time together talking, exploring, and tempting fate with some beautiful ducks. Avery had many stories to tell and we became pals pretty quickly. Her bravery and adventuresome spirit shined out in our session and I think you’ll see a good glimpse into her personality. You’ll see her new little buddy, Max, make an appearance as well.

What’s you favorite way to spend an evening in late summer? Or are you preferring the cooler temps that fall brings? I love the light of an evening session like this one.

A birth announcement for a newborn boy

Heather — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:06:01 +0000

I absolutely love receiving ‘real mail’. You know the type- invitations, letters, announcements, cards. It’s such a nice reprieve from the boring bill or stack of junk mail. So I was pretty excited to receive this darling birth announcement for my cousins little boy. An added bonus – it includes a photograph I took of Sammy when he was just a couple weeks old. You may recognize him from this post. I think birth announcements are so sweet and I love the photo that Katie and Kevin chose for theirs.

What is your favorite type of mail to receive? Do you enjoy a great photograph with an invitation, card or announcement?

Josh & Cortney: Save the Date!

Heather — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 21:13:54 +0000

After wrapping up a fun engagement session overlooking Downtown Cleveland, I was excited to see the photographs put to use. Josh and Cortney used a beautiful black and white image from the session as their Save the Date magnet. With the wedding less than 6 weeks away, we are all getting ready to celebrate these two as they begin a long and loving marriage. Congratulations you two!

A baby boy born to new parents

Heather — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:49:49 +0000

Spring brings new life and this was true for my cousin and his wife in April. They welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world on April 4th and we quickly set up a photo session to capture those first sleepy weeks of his life. Sammy slept like a champ almost the entire time because he was well fed. He was a perfect little subject to photograph and I’m so glad I was able to capture him as a newborn. I think black and white photographs of newborns are my personal favorite, but there are some lovely color portraits of the whole family as well.

Do you prefer black and white or color photographs of newborns? Do you think it’s sweet when they are so sleepy? I love it!