I've Been in This Industry for Thirty Years. Here's What that Actually Means.
Food photographer. Food stylist. Art director. Wardrobe stylist. Beverage specialist. Social media content creator. Visual artist. Florida-based. Nationally experienced.
I Didn't Set Out to Do All of This. It Just Turned Out I Was Good at It.
I started my career as a Director of Marketing for a privately held consumer products company. My job was to get that brand in front of buyers, get it onto shelves, and make it move. We ended up in mass merchandisers and retail chains across the country, and somewhere in that process I figured out that the difference between a product that sells and one that doesn't often comes down to how it looks. That lesson has never left me.
From there, I moved into film, television, and commercial print — first as an art director, then as a stylist, then as a photographer, then as all three at once. Over three decades I've worked in virtually every corner of the industry: food and prop styling, fashion and wardrobe styling, food photography, beverage photography, portrait and fashion photography, social media content creation, and production management. I've done it for national brands with full agency budgets, and I've done it for emerging businesses in St. Petersburg with almost none. The standard I hold myself to doesn't shift based on the invoice.
What I bring to every project is a rare combination: the technical skills to execute at a high level across multiple disciplines, and the business background to understand what the work is actually supposed to do. I'm not just making things look beautiful. I'm making them work.
Thirty Years of Work. A Few Highlights.
years working in film, television, and commercial print
years styling talent for television, advertising, and print
of brands, agencies, and production companies served
award winner — design and packaging, National Housewares Show, Chicago
I've collaborated with some of the largest production companies and advertising agencies in the country and internationally. I've been on set for national television campaigns and small commercial shoots for local restaurants in Tampa Bay. I've shot in studios with full lighting crews and on location with just a camera bag and a folding table. Every single time, the work had to be right — because the image was going to live somewhere, represent someone, and ask an audience to feel something about a brand.
Past clients include Grey Goose, Bacardi, Corona, Asahi, Publix, Kohler, Tampa General Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, Pilgrim's Pride, and hundreds more across food, beverage, hospitality, healthcare, and lifestyle.
What Working With Me Actually Looks Like.
I Come Prepared and I Stay Flexible.
Every shoot I walk onto, I've already thought through the brief, the challenges, and the contingencies. Plans change on set — budgets shift, talent runs late, the light does something unexpected. I've been in those situations enough times that I don't rattle. I adapt and we keep moving.
I Edit Every Image by Hand.
I work in Photoshop — not batch-editing software, not a preset, not a quick filter. Every image I deliver has been individually considered and individually finished. That takes longer. The results are different, and my clients notice.
I Understand Your Business, Not Just Your Shoot.
I started in marketing before I ever picked up a camera. That background means I think about what an image needs to accomplish, who it's talking to, and whether it's doing its job. I'm not just making things look good. I'm thinking about your brand every time I frame a shot.
I Know How to Make a Small Budget Look Like a Big One.
Not every client I work with has an agency budget — and some of the most creative work I've done has come from having to find clever ways to get there. If you're an emerging brand in the Tampa Bay area trying to compete visually with companies ten times your size, that's exactly the kind of challenge I enjoy.
What I Bring to the Table.
"My job isn't to make your food look beautiful. It's to make the person looking at it reach for their phone and place an order."
- Food Photography
- Beverage Photography & Styling
- Fashion Photography
- Portrait & Headshot Photography
- Lifestyle Photography
- Product Photography
- Social Media Content Photography
- Food Styling
- Prop Styling
- Wardrobe & Fashion Styling
- Makeup Artistry
- Art Direction
- Creative Concept Development
- Brand Visual Identity
- Production Management
- On-Set Direction
- Adobe Photoshop Editing (image by image — no batch processing)
- Social Media Content Creation
- Recipe Writing & Development
- Marketing Direction & Strategy
- Brand Development
- Packaging Design
- Web Content Direction
"Marlene brought an exceptional eye to our project — the kind of instinct you can't teach and can't fake. She understood the brand, worked efficiently on set, and delivered images that performed."
— Javier Rodriguez | Pilgrim's Pride
Home Base: St. Petersburg, Florida. Range: Wherever You Need Me.
I've been based on Florida's Gulf Coast for most of my career. The majority of my local work runs through the Tampa Bay corridor — St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota, Bradenton, and everything in between. I know this market, I know the restaurant scene, and I understand what brands in this area are up against when they're trying to look competitive on a regional budget.
I travel for the right projects. I've worked with clients and agencies across the country, and if your shoot is in another market, let's talk. The logistics are rarely the obstacle.
You've Read Enough. Let's Talk About Your Project.
Whether you're a national brand, a growing restaurant in St. Petersburg, or a creative director building a campaign — I'd like to hear what you're working on.