Quirky Kids Captured

She had a vision. She knows that children have a wonderful quirkiness. When they allow others to witness their personable expressiveness, the viewers have a window into the soul of innocence. She is able to capture those fleeting moments for all eternity.

She is a photographer — not just any photographer, though. Her children and family portraits are unique. Recently, a leading industry magazine, Rangefinder, selected her photo for its cover.

“It’s a huge honor to be on the cover, absolutely huge,” said Marianne Drenthe of Marmalade Photography.

Rangefinder is internationally respected. She was surprised and elated when her photo was chosen to represent children and family photography.

Although photography has come as a second profession to her, she has always had an interest in it. As a child, she remembers her older brother stopping at the Fotomat booth in Marycrest.

She always thought it was magical that he could give the clerk a roll of film then it would somehow turn into these beautiful prints.

As an adult, she went into nursing.

“When my children were born, I was taking photos all the time anyway,” she said. “When they were born, I just ratcheted that up.”

Then she met a woman she calls a momtrepeneur. She was inspired to shoot more and eventually found her niche.

“No one else was doing what I was doing,” Drenthe explained. “It was the right place, right time, right vision, I guess.”

A large part of Drenthe’s photography are nature scenes on location. She is a Will County native and shoots out of her Channahon home. However, most of her work is either in or around her clients’ homes throughout Chicagoland.

Her clients are from Shorewood, Naperville, New Lenox, and dozens of other cities, including the far north suburbs. In order to the right shot, she often recommends locations to the south.

When she was scouting for a studio, she decided a location in Wilmington, since she was meeting her clients down there anyway.

“I take (my clients) out there anyway, so why not just meet out there?,” she thought.

It is easy to take a photo of someone who is staring at the camera, she said. But it is another thing to have a photo that is considered art, Drenthe explained. What she creates is meant to be long lasting and cherished over time.

Even when the children are grown, in their 20’s or older, that quirky moment in the photo will still be loved and appreciated.

For more information about Marianne Drenthe and Marmalade Photography, click here, or call 815-603-8450.