MaryAnn Ketcham: Photographing People, Places & Wildlife
MaryAnn Ketcham is a familiar face around town, showing up at events to photograph local celebrities and common folk alike. “Since I was a teenager, I was the family photographer,” says MaryAnn.
A native of Huntington Station, New York, Ketcham attended the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, majoring in communications and taking two photography courses. At that time, she wanted to work in the rating system of broadcasting, but discovered that the salary was “pathetic.” Instead, she worked for an insurance company for a while after graduation, becoming a stay-at-home mom when her twins were born. In 2007, her family moved to Port St. Lucie. Ketcham’s in-laws lived in Stuart, and they always enjoyed vacationing here. The timing was right because her children were entering 6th grade and would have started in a new school had they stayed in New York.
Ketcham’s husband bought her a digital camera shortly after their arrival, allowing her to continue honing her craft. She got involved as a volunteer with the Fort Pierce Jazz and Blue Society, where she became the Director of Social Media as well as a Board member. During that time, she met Wendy Dwyer, a local writer, teacher, photographer, and public relations, specialist who asked if she could write. Ketcham replied that she didn’t know if she could, but Dwyer had faith and introduced Ketcham to Sydney Liebman, who was the editor of Luminaries at that time. “Sydney was willing to give me a chance. She liked what I photographed and wrote, and she hired me as a freelancer, which started my career full-time,” says Ketcham. Ketcham mostly works with nonprofit organizations. “I meet the best people at their events, because everybody is doing something for someone else,” she says.
There is another photography avenue Ketcham pursues, that of wildlife photography. With the digital camera her husband purchased for her upon their move here 15 years ago, she started taking pictures of birds, as well as landscapes when on vacation. Ketcham explains, “It’s a challenge to capture birds in flight, to really nail that picture sharp and clear. Then, it became another challenge to get as many kinds of birds as possible, in all stages of life, from baby birds in the nest to perched on a branch. But I really favor flying because of the challenge. The timing of the shot, making sure the camera has the right settings, is critical. Otherwise, the photo will blur.”
Her favorite birds are great-horned owls, which reside in her community. “I’ve taken photos of great-horned owls from birth through their first flights. I also like taking photos of birds of prey, such as the American kestrel and American Eagle,” says Ketcham. She relates that the first time she saw a roseate spoonbill, she thought it was a flamingo flying! Nowadays, she refers to a bird book for identification.
Going forward, Ketcham seeks to take photos of a wood duck and woodpeckers in flight, and maybe a peregrine falcon. She has captured some of these birds on the ground or on a branch, but she wants to catch them in flight. Whether out in her backyard or at a county preserve, “My happy place is in the woods, where it’s quiet and peaceful,” says Ketcham.
Ketcham joined St. Lucie Cultural Alliance to help promote the arts. She loves attending the cabaret shows and the exhibits, too. Ketcham may be contacted at (772) 361-5730 or maryannketcham@gmail.com.
To learn more about the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance and membership benefits, please visit artstlucie.org, email: info@artstlucie.org or call 772-462-2783. Visit the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance Gallery at 111 Orange Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL.