About Me
Hello! My name is Marlo, and I am a female photographer and retouch artist based in Chicago, IL. In 2016, I started photographing at local anime conventions as a hobby because I wanted to be a safe and dependable photographer for my peers - in my locality, there also weren't many female photographers, let alone LGBT photographers, so I wanted to fill that gap and offer to my services to all kinds of people from all different walks of life.
After graduating college at the end of 2016, I started working at a photography studio in 2017, where I stayed honing and growing my photography skills until 2019. At the end of 2019, I made the decision to go freelance with my photography business, and focus on building my clientele. Now, I currently host shoot events around the Chicagoland area, travel to photograph at conventions, and offer my services locally at any time.
My number one focus is on making my clients feel safe, heard, and confident in their shoots - I aspire to inspire self love and confidence in my clients. This was my mission statement at the start of my career, and what is still at the core of everything that I do today!
Want to purchase my presets? Book a mentorship session? Check out my shop!
Reviews
Yuki Ayase
1 / 22
"Marlo is a very talented, dependable, casual, and down-to-earth photographer whom you would want for your next cosplay shoot (and beyond)! If you are a cosplayer looking for a photographer, especially if this is your first time hiring one and nervous about it, look no further! I have only had good experiences with her, more than 10 times! Highly recommended!"
1 / 22
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Roo Melvan
2 / 22
"Awesome! I'm super awkward at posing and Marlo helped me out it each time! Super nice too!"
2 / 22
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Maddie Coffey
3 / 22
"Marlo is so unbelievably talented at what she does, no matter the character she has this ability to photograph you in a way that it looks like you got ripped out of an anime, video game, etc. she’s really good about calling out adjustments and poses to make sure every photo and angle is flattering.
Her editing skills are off the charts, her ability to operate a camera in general is just really impressive , and all around she’s such a fun and polite girl to work with. Highly highly recommend her!"
3 / 22
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Bridie Damisch
4 / 22
"Marlo is an absolute joy to work with and I highly encourage anyone who has the opportunity to do so to take it. Not only is she really good at what she does post-production with editing and quick turnaround times, she also gives fantastic direction during shoots! She knows how to make her clients look and feel amazing, calling out the slightest tweaks to head or hand position, demonstrating more complicated pose ideas, and even directing the clients gaze to get the most flattering images possible!"
4 / 22
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Leanne Check
5 / 22
"Marlo is one of the best photographers I’ve ever worked with! She takes the time and effort to get the best shots possible for her client. Her ability to make her client feel at ease and comfortable immediately going into and throughout the session is honestly the best mark in her professionalism.
She truly cares about her clientele I will always recommend Marlo to anyone looking for a photographer who doesn’t only get amazing shots but who also helps you feel confident and has fun!"
5 / 22
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Crystal Diaz
6 / 22
"Marlo is incredible to work with. She is super bubbly and friendly and makes you feel comfortable!
I booked with her on my second KatsuCon and ever since then, I always book her when I attend Katsu. I am always in love with the work she gives back to me. A big plus for me is she gives clear directions on posing or adjusting so you look FIRE!"
6 / 22
Reviews
Laura Noigebauer
7 / 22
"I was looking for a new headshot photographer for new theater headshots and was pointed in Marlo's direction and boy am I glad I was! Every inch of the experience was a joy! Communication was fabulous, the shoot itself was fun. I felt like I was shooting with an old friend.
She was incredibly easy to work with and the pictures turned out stunning! She was worth every penny I paid without a single doubt! If you have any photography needs I cannot recommend her enough!"
7 / 22
Reviews
Ashley Prosken
8 / 22
"Completely professional and very friendly. I have done many shoots with Marlo and it is super easy to work with her. She gives great directions with how to pose my body and turn my face. She knows how to capture the beauty in all of her clients. I'm looking forward to working with her in the future!"
8 / 22
Reviews
Bee Gunter
9 / 22
"Marlo is always a pleasure to work with. She really works with you to recreate any ideas/poses you have in mind. She is very good at coaching you during the photoshoot and really knows which angles/poses will bring out the best photo results! She always makes you feel comfortable. Shoots with her are always fun! Can’t wait to work with her again in the future."
9 / 22
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Bee Amemura
10 / 22
"Marlo really is a skilled photographer. She makes sure the model is comfortable and knows how to get their best angle. I've worked with her since 2016 and NEVER had a disappointing shot. All of the photos you get back are absolutely breathtaking and make you feel beautiful. Recommend 100%"
10 / 22
Reviews
Emily Loeffeler-Koch
11 / 22
"Marlo is absolutely great! She was super professional and really captured my fiancé and my happiness in our engagement photo shoot. I can’t wait to use her photos for our save the dates and wedding website! Thanks Marlo <3"
11 / 22
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Marshall Arrigo
12 / 22
"Marlo is a constant joy to work with and is so diverse in her skill set! There's no other photographer that has made me feel so comfortable and confident in a shoot.
If you are looking for an amazing photo experience with stunning results, I can only recommend to book with Marlo!"
12 / 22
Reviews
Nina
13 / 22
"I absolutely loved working with Marlo! She understood my vision of the poses I wanted to capture as well as providing more ideas for pictures that I absolutely love. She was super fun to work with and the photos I got back were amazing. I loved all of them, but the photos I ordered with special effects are on another level. I highly recommend her!"
13 / 22
Reviews
Ryanne
14 / 22
"I’m someone that’s very self conscious of how I look when others take my photo but Marlo was not only really helpful but just genuinely a nice and sweet person! They made me feel comfortable and safe and it shows in the photos they shot of me!
Also with the amount of photoshoots they do in a year I was expecting to get my photos back in a couple months but they came back to me so fast and the editing was so gorgeous! Seriously they’re really talented and 10/10 i would definitely work with them again!"
14 / 22
Reviews
Jane Potter
15 / 22
"Marlo. Is. Incredible!! Our shoot was so much fun, she is such a nice person. She knew what poses I should try, and exactly what angles and lights would look best. My photos were returned super fast and I was amazed at how beautiful they were! Thank you Marlo!"
15 / 22
Reviews
Shannon Collins
16 / 22
"It’s always a pleasure to work with Marlo! She is very professional and makes all the photo sessions very fun. I am horrible when it comes to posing, and Marlo always has the best suggestions on how to pose. Her photos always come out so wonderful.
She is very talented and I highly recommend booking her for your next shoot!"
16 / 22
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Leila Ben Belfadhel
17 / 22
"Takes excellent pictures, is always ready to talk and figure out what you want and perfectly highlights the best parts of you and your cosplay! 10/10 will shoot every time I can!"
17 / 22
Reviews
Tori Harmon
18 / 22
"Honestly one of the first photographers I've had the opportunity to be in a shoot with! They truly capture the beauty of everyone photographed. They also have such a positive and friendly attitude. All I can say is thank you and I highly recommend this photographer for others too."
18 / 22
Reviews
Tohru Nguyen
19 / 22
"Marlo sets up a friendly, comfortable work environment. She will work with you on your level, one-on-one, and guide you. Marlo is talented and dependable. There is no better photog I could ask for."
19 / 22
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Julian Abel Konstantin
20 / 22
"Such a kind, caring, and amazing photographer! Really cares for their clients and the outcomes are stellar!"
20 / 22
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Daynah Grant
21 / 22
"She's very nice and knows how to direct you while taking pictures, Plus the finished pictures look great."
21 / 22
Reviews
MANKANSHOKU
22 / 22
"My experience shooting with the Marvelous miss Marlo Louden: 100% would recommend you book Marlo for all your future shoots!
Marlo was not only punctual and well beyond prepared for our shoot, but also very fun to talk too throughout the time we were there (which was about two hours) and was able to clearly understand the tone we were going for with some of the reference photos / playlist we provided in advance for her :)
I would rate her 10 freshly baked chocolate chip cookies out out of 10! Book her!"
22 / 22