I'm Mary Pendleton Stafford Zirkle. 

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But, before that I was Mary Stafford. People thought it was a double name and that made me feel fancy, like Appalachian Royalty.  So, Mary Stafford (Photography).

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I shot my first wedding in 2008.   I still remember the joy of that fall night.  The joy continues. 

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I love photographing people.  All kinds of people.  I fell in love with photography after seeing the work of Shelby Lee Adams and Sally Mann.  They influence me as do many fine art portrait artists.  I like to think my work is a mix. My hope is to create images that will last on your wall for years to come - not trendy and not contrived.  If that resonates with you we should talk.

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The people I meet while pursing this love of photography amaze me.  I've been so astonished by the stories in each life.  I hope to continue to discover stories for years to come. 

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I'm married to a good man and we are currently fixing up and old house and biking whenever we can.  We welcomed our sweet daughter into the world at the end of 2017 and love her more each day. My heart is torn between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains.  

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