We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Chechi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I’m in the business of photographing people, their love story, their families, their roots, how they express themselves, what they express, what they’re going through. With all this in mind, the importance of real human connection beyond just a business transaction has been the success of my business. I always look to connect with someone before they hire me for their family portraits or their wedding portraits. The experience has to go beyond me showing up, taking the photos, and then delivering the photos x-amount of weeks later and never hearing from them again. When people feel seen and heard and like they truly connected with you during the time working together, they will scream your name from rooftops.
Going above and beyond to provide a genuinely incredible client experience is the goal and the core of my business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I photograph families, engagements, and weddings and what sets me apart from the thousands of other photographers in my area is not just the client experience I aim to provide but also my experimental and adventurous approach to every session or every job I’m hired for. I can’t tell you how many times I hear the words, “we’re not photogenic” or “we’re not comfortable in front of the camera” –and I get it. It’s a vulnerable place to be in and that’s why I try to make it “play-time” or try to approach it with an open mind rather than with a list of images to recreate.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would start off with a relaxing beach day — South Pier Beach is beautiful and we could rent bikes if we got tired of that. Lincoln Road for some strolling, shopping, people watching, eating.
Little Hen is my favorite for a special brunch if you’re celebrating a special occassion.
Perez Art Museum or Frost Museum are must-see spots but even if you just wanted to hang out and relax, park right outside these two museums is beautiful
Tacombi in the design district has some delicious and authentic Mexican food, this is another must-go-to place!
Finally, I’d end up at BodyRoll Studio in Miami Beach for a unique massage experience which you can totally do with a friend or solo

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Around the end of 2020, the internet brought to my life a wonderful friendship with a fellow wedding photographer who lives across the country, her name is Char Perez. We practically exchanged two years worth of voice messages, inspiration, encouragement, advice, support… all this before we even got to meet in person!
This year, we got the chance to work together twice in both ends of the country (Florida and California) and it has been incredible. I owe so much of my success to this wonderful friend and fellow creative.

Website: www.clickinmarphoto.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/clickinmar

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.