My name, Marin Esther, means Sea Star and is a huge influence on my brand. I was born and raised on the beautiful North Coast of California, and I get my inspiration from our amazing beaches, the tide pools full of sea stars, the evergreen forests and the wonderful people who surrounded me. 
 
My passion for photography began in the fifth grade with my mom’s point and shoot camera. I began filling up SD cards with pictures of things I thought were worth documenting. Back then, I mostly took photos of my parent’s backyard – the flowers, plants and trees. A few years later my friends became my most photographed subjects. It was easy to fall in love with photography when everything around me was begging to be photographed! I didn’t know then that my passion would turn into something truly magical.
 
During my final year at Cal Poly Humboldt the sea stars aligned! I took a photography class as an elective and it reignited my passion for capturing the world around me. I graduated in 2020 during the Covid lockdown and instead of starting the Teaching Program in the fall, like I had planned, I began documenting love stories and other special moments in people’s lives. I found photography was a way to engage with people during a really stressful time. I absolutely loved celebrating the joys of life with the everyone I was photographing, and I still do!
 
I’ve now opened my own studio where I am able to capture newborns' smiles, birthday cake smashes, seasonal mini portrait sessions (like Valentine’s Day minis) and professional headshots. I love shooting outdoors and am able to use our incredible local beaches, nearby forests and high mountain meadows for location shoots. And, since a beautiful wedding can happen anywhere, I get to travel to some of the most love-inspiring venues on the North Coast. 
 
I am so honored when I am invited into the special moments of people’s lives and that they trust me to create a body of work for them that will last forever.
 
Photography is my passion and my craft, and I am excited to share it with you!

Mother | Photographer | Mentor

Hi, I'm Marin