Maryann Jashinske, Acworth, GA
Member Since February 2012
Artist Statement My love of nature began as a child, while growing up outside of Philadelphia. Bristol, PA was not really the great outdoors, but I was always interested in plants and animals, and especially the beach.
I decided to attend Michigan State University to major in Fisheries and Wildlife. Not long after I started, I realized that my loans were going to need to be paid off when I was finished, and there were few paying jobs in my chosen field. I abandoned my dream of saving the whales, and became a Packaging Engineer instead.
My interest in photography started while living in the Pocono Mountains, where I had a multitude of artistic subjects to photograph, some moving and some still. In the late 1980’s I purchased an SLR camera and began photographing anything I could. I took a class to sharpen my skills. I went through many rolls of film over the next 20 years. In 2006 I started using a digital SLR.
Over the years I have limited my photography to animals and landscapes. I try to capture a different perspective than the standard view (when my subjects are cooperative!). I also strive to make photos that can be easily tied into a home’s décor, so that they can be displayed without appearing out of place.
Today I live in North Georgia with my husband, two children, and dog. I have decided to share my photos with others – it does not seem right to keep them in boxes. I hope you will enjoy them as much as we do, and I hope to continue improving my photographic skills and sharing new photos as they become available. In my own way I am still trying to save the whales…so much of our natural world is disappearing, it is important to preserve it both literally and photographically for future generations.