Hi, I’m Marlayna!
I’m a curly-haired photographer that likes to laugh and capture stories, your milestones, and connections. I love being able to document moments that show how important, meaningful, and valuable human connection is – both personally and in our communities. And I really enjoy getting to photograph local stories for publications like UMBC Magazine, Baltimore Home and Baltimore Weddings.
Whether it’s documenting your event, your brand or project, your family or who you are right now, I’m in! I think often about how we can make the human experience just and better, so I also appreciate the opportunities through photography to show others doing that too. I photograph with a blended approach of lifestyle/photojournalism, but also giving you posing tips along the way. Ultimately, I always want you to come away from a session feeling like it was fun and relaxed.
I’ve also come to appreciate how important work life balance is for us all. Personally, when I’m not behind the camera I love spending time in the hammock, (attempting) to garden and grow veggies, and spending lots of time with my husband Adam and our cats, Zoe and Annie! (I’m a cat-lady at heart but grew up with golden retrievers – I love it when I get to meet my clients’ fur babies too).
A little more about how I got here:
I’ve had a strong interest in photography since I was a kid following my mom around in the darkroom. I studied Photography at UMBC and eventually interned with UMBC’s Creative Services / UMBC Magazine, which then became a permanent role for the last decade! So when I’m not photographing for my business, you might find me at my alma mater photographing for the alumni magazine, campus events and other fun projects. A strong interest in sociology while at school made me realize how much I love seeing the connections in the human experience.. so maybe that’s why I’m interested in documenting as much as possible through photography.
I am located in Howard County, and work all over Baltimore, Maryland, DC and nearby areas.