Daily Inspiration: Meet Marie Northington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marie Northington.

Hi Marie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story started when my mom gave me her father’s Canon AE-1 film camera around the same age she received it- 15. It opened up a whole new world for me and I can still remember the exact moment when I took my first photograph with it.

I started taking photography classes in school, learning the ins and outs of the dark room process. There’s no other feeling like seeing the image take shape on the photo paper. The trial and error process produces a variety of emotions- curiosity, anticipation, giddiness, shock, disappointment. But when you get the recipe just right, it is like no other feeling. Developing film is where I can be completely removed from modern technology, easily slipping into a flow state where I can print for hours. It was also in school where I took a ceramics class, multiple times. Using my hands and seeing the direct results of my work never gets old.

I grew up with my mom’s art all around our house. My mom received her undergraduate degree in art, and perused a career in media. After retirement, she decided she wanted to dive into her art full time and find a studio surrounded by other artists. We found a studio at The Goat Farm in West Midtown, Atlanta and I was surprised when she asked if I wanted to co-own the studio with her. It came at a particularly hard time in my life and she saw (where I didn’t) a chance to work on something that previously brought me joy. I said yes, and the studio has brought me back to myself in ways I never thought possible. My half of the studio showcases my film photography and ceramics and her side includes her collages, paintings, and custom garments. Northington Studios was born in 2024 and we’ve been working together since.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say there have been some pebbles in the road along the way, but nothing too rocky. My mom and I have had a few disagreements establishing the studio, mainly surrounding her type A personality and my more type B one. She will start working on a new series well in advance of when we’ll open the doors. I on the other hand, take longer to think up my next project and will find myself running to the print shop in the last couple weeks before the unveiling. Everything gets done, but it doesn’t come without a bit of stress. But overall, owning the studio together has been pretty smooth.

I do struggle with not being able to dedicate 100% of my time to my artistic work. I have a full time job working with tech startups in the venture capital space, which you can imagine doesn’t really overlap. I do the best I can to be at the studio, take pictures, and be part of the Atlanta photography community, but it’s all a balance.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a photographer who specializes in shooting film. I’m known for using experimental methods and alternative film stocks to create curious photographs. I love finding new and quirky cameras, using purple, red, and turquoise colored film, and making you take a second look at something that seems familiar. My subject matters tend towards shadows, nature, and architecture, but I’d like to take more photos of people, too. I am also a ceramist who builds functional pieces on the wheel and artistic pieces by hand.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that people might not know about me is that I have a degree in geology from the University of Colorado Boulder. I was attracted to that subject because it meant I could be outside for a lot of my classes. Some classes for me meant hiking.

But it all does kind of make sense, geology is a very hands on and visual subject, much like photography and pottery. All three for me represent being outside, being hands on with the natural world, and being inquisitive and present. I’m constantly thinking “hmm.. what if?” What if I scratch this mineral, how will it react? What if override my camera’s light meter, how will the exposure turn out? What if I make this indent in the clay here, how will it turn out? All three of these encompass and let me express the traits that make me, me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marienorthington.com
• Instagram: marie.northington
• Other: https://www.northingtonstudios.com