Mary Bartinowski was living a photographer’s dream. She lived in Silicon Valley, just down the street for Steve Jobs. And she was a busy professional photographer, booked solid with high-paying wedding and commercial clients.
But she decided to make a change…a big one by chucking it all and becoming a citizen of the world.
Today, Mary is living a life most of us only dream about. She travels the world living in out-of-the way places for months at a time. The time she has in each place is a luxury few of us get to enjoy. When most of us travel we pass through each place for just a few hours at a time…usually when the light is bad. But Mary can wait. If she finds a good location but weather or light is bad, she can always return another day.
Unlike many street photographers, Mary takes the time to engage with her subjects. She will get to know them first before touching her camera. And when she does take a photo it looks like a picture of an old friend. That’s why you see so many smiles among her subjects. She has their permission and blessing.
Mary’s enthusiasm for her lifestyle and life in general is infectious. I left our interview (which I conducted in the middle of the night) fired up and ready to travel the world. After all, she did…so why can’t we.
Listen to my conversation with Mary in the September 2013 issue of Street Photography Magazine.