Hi! It’s me, Maria!

If you just read the title of this blog in a Super Mario voice, we are already officially friends…

Well, here we are…fresh new website and fresh new blog, and I guess now I have to start writing, right?!
I guess it’s only appropriate that my very first post is a little intro if you’re trying to figure out who this crazy Italian-New Yorker, chocolate lover, sushi aficionado, cat mama is…

Let’s start from the beginning…I was born in the middle of a sweltering summer night in a small town on the Adriatic Sea back into the old boot, aka Italia…I was born at home…in the room where I grew up, and to celebrate, my Dad poured champagne into the collectibles Nutella glasses my Mom had for my brother and sister, cos he couldn’t find the good ones…and I guess that’s a good start to get to know me…

I grew up with a call in my heart towards the United States…my family could never explain it…I just kept saying since I was a little 4-year-nothing that one day I would live in NY and be an actress…
Fast forward to 1998, and there I was, landing in New York City and knowing in my heart that I was finally home…
I took a cab from the airport to the YMCA where I was staying. The cab driver was a big guy with fingerless black leather gloves and the smile of a teddy bear…as the cab approached the city I started to see that unbelievable skyline and the radio began to play “Clair de lune” by Debussy…and I still remember the pure happiness rushing through my veins…

I was working in Italy at the time with an American theater company…the week before, they had asked me to come to NY for a show…they couldn’t pay me…they didn’t have a place for me to stay…I didn’t even blink…I knew it was my shot, and I wasn’t gonna miss it…
I lived in the city and right outside of it for over 20 years, and no matter where I’ll be in life, NY will always be home to me. I love that place like you love a dear friend…

In 2018 I moved to Orlando, Florida, and I was supposed to be here for just one year, teaching acting…but then life happened, and love and a pandemic…and so here I still am…but planning my come back to NY in a couple of years…

Now when did I start taking pictures, you might ask…well, as soon as a camera was given to me…
I watched my father ‘stopping the time that goes by’ as he used to say, and taking endless pictures of all of us…and I can’t even express how grateful I am that he gifted us with so many memories…
I’ve always been a visual person, and I’ve always been a storyteller.
I’m an actress and a director, and my need to tell stories kept me going in the darkest times…
I’ve done endless theater shows, short films, tv appearances…and every one has a very special spot in my heart…
I used to photograph all my rehearsals endlessly…I would show the actors the pictures and how they were able to finally connect with their characters…you could see it in their eyes and movements…it was always fascinating to me to watch the transformation…

When I came to Orlando, I was incredibly lucky to meet an incredible man…we’ve been together in life and love and work ever since, inspiring each other, pushing each other, and supporting each other through it all…
He’s a remarkably talented filmmaker and videographer, and I started to work with him doing weddings, corporate events, and everything in between…
And he encouraged me to pick up my camera again…and so Maria Riboli Photography was officially born…

During the first year of the pandemic, photography kept me somewhat sane…I started a quarantine project, and I began to document my own life between these walls…no filters, just the reality of the most bizarre time in our lifetime…
Having that creative outlet helped me more than once…

But then my true joy comes from catching memories for families, couples, and wonderful people who want to remember an extraordinary moment in their lives…
I have a documentary style of photography, and I try to capture the real You, the real moments, the real emotions…that is what interests me…that is what I want you to remember…how happy you were, how touched you felt, how excited every part of you was…

I love portrait sessions as much as I love life events and weddings…every one brings such a different vibe and energy…and don’t even get me started on surprise proposals…I cried every single time!

I always say that by the end of the photoshoot, you’ll feel like you just spent some time with a friend, and I’ve been so lucky to have met so many new friends from behind my lens…

And to watch your families grow, your dreams come true, and your strength, truly is an honor to me…
So if you’re looking for a cookie-cutter photographer with a perfect Pinterest-OhMyGodThat’sSoCute vibe…I wish you all the very best…BUT if you are looking for a friend, someone who will tell Your true story, who will make you feel seen and heard and safe…someone who you can have a Jack&Coke and a chocolate chip cookie with while talking about the greatest movies of all times…someone who you can share your nerdy heart with and still talk about the most incredible art you’ve ever seen in your travels…then you’re home with me…

I can’t wait to catch your memories…