Ishara Mara

Tomorrow is my last day in the Mara, and it’s always hard to leave.

The past two weeks at Ishara Mara have been incredible. Lions and hippos outside my riverside cabin at night, bush breakfasts by the river, amazing wildlife, incredible food, and some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. Shinka, one of my favorite Maasai, is the perfect example.

Canon sponsors Ishara, so guests have access to fantastic gear and expert photography guides, plus a beautiful Nordic spa for when you’re not out on safari.

My heart is full. Next stop: Brussels for a week with two of my best friends.

Maasai Mara, Kenya | Ishara

Yesterday in the Mara felt like a dream.

A mother giraffe and her baby moving across the horizon. Two lions stalking buffalo through the grass. Incredible wildlife at every turn, brought to life by our amazing guide, Ben at @isharakenya

As the sun set, we gathered with fellow travelers beneath a full moon that lit up the entire landscape.

Moments like these remind you how wild, beautiful, and interconnected life really is.

Grateful for every second.

Bert Kreischer | Flamingo Magazine

A few months ago I photographed Bert Kreischer in Los Angeles for Flamingo Magazine.

Bert was exactly what you'd hope he'd be: funny, generous, and completely game for whatever we threw at him. But the surprise star of the day was his wife, LeeAnn.

If you've ever met someone who can effortlessly hold a room together while simultaneously making everyone feel like an old friend, that's LeeAnn. She brought this warmth and groundedness that made the whole shoot feel less like work and more like hanging out with people you've known for years.

Huge thanks to Jamie and her friend for helping make the day happen. Shoots are never really about one person. They're a weird little temporary family that forms for a few hours, creates something together, and then scatters back into the world.

This was one of those good ones.

The Maasai Mara

Two zebras wandered by as the sun dipped low over the Mara. Earlier, we watched two cheetahs lounging in the grass, then toasted the day with a bottle of Prosecco and the best caramel popcorn I’ve ever tasted.

The Maasai Mara doing what it does best—making reality feel better than any dream. 🦓✨🥂

Theatre of Power | Don King, George Bush & Bill Clinton

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts.”

William Shakespeare

Years ago I photographed Don King for the cover of a UK magazine. We waited approximately 47 business years for him to appear. When he finally entered the room, it felt less like a photoshoot and more like the arrival of a Roman emperor who had just discovered hairspray.

His office was absolute chaos in the best possible way. Gold everywhere. Giant framed portraits of himself. Random frog statues staring into my soul from every corner. It looked like Liberace decorated a casino inside a fever dream.

And then there was this framed piece: Don King above George Bush and Bill Clinton like some kind of holy trinity of American power. For people who don’t immediately see it — it’s basically a shrine to influence. Politics, celebrity, money, media, spectacle… all orbiting each other in one glossy gold frame. Republican. Democrat. Boxing kingpin. Different costumes, same theater.

That’s the thing about photographing powerful people — eventually you realize most of it is performance. Expensive performance, yes. But performance nonetheless.

Meanwhile I’m now at the stage in life where my dream is basically:
little house in the forest,
coffee,
birds,
good books,
and absolutely no television telling me civilization is ending every seven minutes.

Honestly the frogs may have been the wisest ones in the building.

Younger Photographers Older Ones Too | Need to Hear This

Younger photographers — and honestly older ones too — need to hear this:

Being wanted is not the same thing as being respected.

I’ve photographed billionaires, finance executives, major companies, politicians, celebrities, and brands people would recognize instantly. Again and again I’ve watched wealthy clients praise the work, praise the vision, praise the talent… and then suddenly become “confused” when the invoice arrives.

One production company told me a commercial shoot would roughly cost $5k. By the time they required a Digi Tech, lighting, assistants, rentals, mileage, travel, hotels during spring break, and gear delivery, my expenses alone were over $6,000. They refused the invoice and said they’d only pay $5k total.

Another company flew me to NYC to photograph top executives over a ten-day period, then refused to pay hold days, food, transportation, or my assistant’s hotel — the assistant carrying gear up and down 47 floors.

Another finance client wanted full rights to the images so they could distribute them to magazines and media outlets. I flew from Dallas to Miami, rented gear, bought custom gels for the shoot, rented a car, and delivered exactly what they wanted. I invoiced $4,150 INCLUDING usage rights. They immediately pushed me down to $3k.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Artists are taught to be grateful for access.
Powerful people are taught to negotiate everything.

Your talent is not the invoice.
Your boundaries are.

Stop subsidizing wealthy clients with your own exhaustion, flights, hotel rooms, assistants, gear, food, licensing, and peace.

If someone has the budget for luxury offices, branding campaigns, private equity deals, magazine PR, and million-dollar image management strategies, they have the budget to pay the artist properly.

I’m no longer interested in being “easy to work with” at my own expense.

Know your worth.
Protect your gift.
And stop apologizing for charging what your work is actually worth.

No Partner Required | Mary & Dylan

No Partner Required.

Mary waited 1,033 days to become a mother.

Not because she was unsure.

Not because she was incomplete.

Because life — and faith — asked her to surrender every timeline she thought she needed.

In 2020, she began the adoption process alone. Through years of waiting, prayer, heartbreak, healing, and trust, she kept saying yes to a life she could not yet see.

Then came Dylan.

A son whose name means “Son of the Sea,” arriving after years of prayer by the water, where she says God continually reminded her that she was already loved, already chosen, already enough.

Today I photographed Mary and Dylan for my series No Partner Required — stories about women who chose motherhood outside the traditional narrative.

Not stories about lack.

Stories about love.

About courage.

About becoming fully alive.

There are many ways to build a family. This is one of them.

Bob Vila | Renew Magazine

Bob Vila has spent a lifetime paying attention to the spaces people call home. As he approaches 80, his gardens, preservation work and seed catalogs on the kitchen table are proof that some passions only deepen with time.

📝 by Amy Carlson Gustafson
📷 Mary Beth Koeth for Renew Magazine
💻 Javier Ignacio Sanchez
💪🏽 José Arizmendi
Grooming Frances Lordan
Art Direction Bret Ryan

Link to Article | https://lnkd.in/gj7DVtNi

Spent the day with him in a botanical garden alongside a team I love. Doesn’t get much better than that.🍂🪴🌷

#bobvila #unitedhealthcare #botanicalgarden

Joan Kron for The Times Magazine

"I’m 98 and I’ve had three facelifts" (and a brow lift and nose job) Joan Kron had her first cosmetic surgery at the age of 63, when she was commissioned by a magazine to go under the knife. Would she consider having more? Never say never.

Photographs by Mary Beth Koeth for The Times
Makeup by Jesus Bravo
Assistant and Son of Joan Daniel Kron
Styling and Daughter-in-law of Joan Geane Brito

One of my favorite shoots ever was photographing legendary journalist and author Joan Kron for The Times in London. When they hired me I immediately said, “Wait… I know her son and daughter-in-law!” Small world in the best way.
Daniel used to be a photographer in NYC back in the glory days and Geane was a major model — Calvin Klein campaigns, the whole thing — but somehow both of them are also just deeply kind, grounded humans. The best kind of people to spend a day with.

The shoot itself was magic. Joan was brilliant, hilarious, sharp as hell, and completely herself. Jesus, the makeup artist, instantly bonded with her and by the end of the day it felt less like a job and more like a dinner party with cameras, stories, and a lot of laughter.

Those are the shoots I never forget. Not because of status or publication names, but because everyone in the room was fully alive and genuinely enjoying each other.

That energy always shows up in the photographs.

Justus Parmar & Joseph Magazine | Fotuna Investments

Justus Parmar & Joseph Magazine on Fortuna Investments, Miami’s Growth and Public-Private Leadership | Photography by Mary Beth Koeth for Miami Living Magazine

Photographing people over the years is one of the greatest gifts of this work. I first met Justus several years ago during his first Miami Beach shoot for his company Fortuna, and somewhere between the business portraits and the nonstop laughter, a real friendship formed.

Since then, I’ve photographed their beautiful family, watched their world grow, and had the joy of seeing his wife Elisia again at this shoot helping behind the scenes like the powerhouse she is. Good people. Good energy. The kind of people who make the work feel alive.

I only work with people I genuinely like and respect. Life is too short to build anything meaningful around anything else.

The Vision For The Future Is Found In The Memories Of The Past. | KEEMO Art

There’s something deeply moving to me about artists who grow up inside rigid systems and still manage to make work that feels expansive, liberated, and completely their own. That’s what I feel looking at KEEMO Art work.

I just bought two of his pieces, including this one, and I can’t stop thinking about them. The work feels spiritual without preaching, emotional without trying too hard, and visually so alive that it almost feels transmitted from somewhere beyond language. You can feel the tension between structure and freedom in it — like someone who came from a religious framework but pushed far beyond its walls into something more universal, human, and honest.

A lot of art wants to look profound. This actually is.

The best artists don’t just make images — they expand perception. KEEMO is doing that.

repost from KEEMO Art

…………………………………..

Today’s art break features an original called, “The Vision For The Future Is Found In The Memories Of The Past.” I feel like the title is pretty straight forward on this painting. However, I would like to say that when I think of the future, I do my best to remain hopeful and I will always do my best to promote and create a positive and inclusive future (and present) for all. Here’s to all of you out here with me. Thanks for being here.

Old Romance Novels | YOU are The One

I bought a giant stack of vintage romance novels for a new art project I’m working on for fun called…The Heroine Chooses Herself.

I’m reworking the covers through collage, paint, altered titles, and tiny rebellions.

Not anti-love. Not anti-men.

Just interested in women as whole people instead of people waiting to be chosen.

Rewriting the mythology a little.

Can’t wait to start cutting these up.

Ms. J | Rainbow Girl

I was standing outside a CVS in South Beach waiting on my cousin when I heard the most beautiful whistling.

I turned and said, “You don’t hear that anymore.”

We started talking—one of those conversations that just opens.
She told me she used to sing for some of the greats.

I said, “You should come to dinner. One of my best friends used to sing too. You’d love each other.”

She paused, smiled, and said,
“I feel like I just walked into a rainbow.”

I said, “You did. We’re both rainbows.”

Ms. J has a voice that stays with you.
But it’s her spirit that makes you feel at home.

She’s family now.

Super Stud/Sub Doug

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐛/𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐠

Doug Pursley—who I used to call Dougie Fresh—has lived a lot of lives. He once had a successful career in marketing and sales, the kind people stay in because the money is good. He didn’t. After years of moving between places and versions of himself, he’s now back near home in Minnesota, close to his two brothers.

These days, Doug lives in a local motel, LumberJill Lodge—pink doors, flower boxes, and antique photographs of female lumberJILLS in every room. He helps run the place in exchange for a room. To make money, he substitute teaches. Somewhere along the way, he became Super Sub Doug. (Some of the high school girls call him Super Stud Doug, which makes him wildly uncomfortable.)

He walks into classrooms with an easy, open energy. The kids feel it immediately. They don’t just listen—they light up. He makes them laugh, plays games, and gives them the space to be themselves. During an art class, he asked them to draw him: hearts around his face, “#1 Teacher,” “Best Teacher Ever,” and one kid who drew him as a devil. All of it felt right.

What they respond to isn’t perfection—it’s presence. Doug doesn’t try to control the room. He meets it where it is.

A man who stepped out of one version of success and into something simpler. And somehow, exactly right.

𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬, 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧—𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴, $2 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘍𝘞, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺.

Paul Offit | Philadelphia Magazine

Shot a story on Dr. Paul Offit — a man who’s been called a lot of things, including “the devil” by RFK Jr.

But here’s what I experienced:

A warm home in Naples. A kind, generous couple. An awesome, really bright wife. A quiet presence. A sense of humor that meets you right where you are.

As I was setting up lights, I said, “Let’s make you look like an angel, not a devil.” We both laughed — and honestly, it didn’t feel like much of a stretch.

It’s always fascinating to witness the space between public narrative and private reality.

Grateful to Claudia Gavin for the trust, the kindness, and for bringing me into this story.

Some assignments stay with you. This was one of them.

Photography by Mary Beth Koeth for Philadelphia Magazine, Assistant | José Arizmendi, Photo Editor Claudia Gavin

They’re Plus-Size and Kind of Famous at Disney World | New York Times

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy. Pure chaos. Disney character outfits. Snacks. Honesty. Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.

These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic. Best shoot ever. Would do it again in a heartbeat

Writer | Madison Malone Kircher, Mary Beth Koeth for The New York Times

Chuck Norris

Photographed Chuck Norris in 2021.

Yes, that Chuck Norris.

Turns out the toughest guy in the world was also one of the kindest.

And the real hero on set? His wife—gracefully making sure everything ran smoothly, quietly looking out for him the entire time.

Legends don’t just walk in with presence…

they walk in with love.

Rest in peace 🤍

Ben Helmrath | Golf Digest

Hammer Man

Shot Ben Helmrath for Golf Digest—the sweetest mastermind in the room.

While everyone else was swinging, Ben was quietly in the background… studying, planning, and taking care of the team like their secret weapon.

No spotlight, no ego—just heart, brains, and a perfectly timed hammer.

Photograph by Mary Beth Koeth

Digi Javier Sanchez

Photo Editor Stephen Denton

Sadek Wahba | Barron's

Karen Frank is an icon in the photo world. I’ve heard her name spoken in the brightest light for years, so when she reached out after moving to Barron's. The answer was simple: yes.

Editorial budgets rarely cover what it actually takes to do what we do—assistants, gear, the whole circus. After my accident, I’ve had to create real boundaries around my energy and my body. But sometimes you still go beyond.

You know the budget.

You know you’ll lose money.

You hire Jose to help with the heavy gear.

You rent what you need.

And you do it anyway.

Because you’re not doing it for Karen.

You’re not doing it for Barron’s.

You’re doing it for you.

Also…turns out I now have a whole new appreciation for photographing older men in finance wearing slightly ill-fitted suits.

Meet the delightful Sadek Wahba. I wasn’t taking about his suit.

The Villages

Some assignments give you photos.

Some give you friends you didn’t see coming.

I went to The Villages to photograph a story for @aarp about fraud in retirement communities. Important topic. Serious subject. Golf carts everywhere.

But the best part of the job is always the humans.

I got to work with one of my favorite photo directors, Michael Wichita, and my ride-or-die Wallace Cruz, who might be the best video editor alive. I spent the day meeting residents, hearing stories, and being reminded that life doesn’t get less interesting with age — it just gets better characters.

The first night, I had dinner at the restaurant bar. I met a charming Canadian man who has been divorced twice, still believes in love, and is actively searching for an amazing woman. I told him I’d put it in the caption so the internet can help.

🤌🏼💜 (He’s a babe, ladies. And smart. And funny.)

Then on the flight home I met Giles, a golfer with the calm wisdom of someone who has spent many hours walking very green grass. We just had dinner in Dallas like old friends who accidentally skipped the first twenty years of knowing each other.

This job is funny like that.

You show up to document someone else’s story… and quietly walk away with a few new ones of your own.

Photography has taken me all over the world, but the real gift is this: sitting at a bar, on a plane, or across a dinner table with a stranger who suddenly isn’t one anymore.