Photographer Creates Tangible Memories For Her Clients

FROM WEDDINGS TO BABIES TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, NORTHEAST LOUISIANA PHOTOGRAPHER MARY DAWSON CONTINUES TO CAPTURE POIGNANT MOMENTS

BY LAURA W CLARK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

When newly-purchased, expensive lighting equipment crashed to the ground during a photo shoot, photographer Mary Dawson’s composure never wavered. In that moment, Tracy Ledford, Mary’s assistant and lifelong friend, treasured her colleague’s ability to simply “keep going.”

Mary and Tracy had recently attended a photography conference where Mary invested in some high-end lighting. When they returned to Monroe, they decided to use the two new lights, which were on stands with umbrellas. Tracy was overseeing the lights when a gust of wind arose, caught one of the umbrellas, and quickly smashed the light into the cement.

“I wanted to scream and cry with everything in me, but not Mary,” Tracy said. “She simply picked up the broken equipment, calmly walked to her car, and returned to the photo shoot with a different technique. That photo shoot ended up being one of the most beautiful ever. After we were finished, she looked up at me and said, ‘It happens, and it’s fine. We can always figure it out.’ I remember thinking, ‘How did I ever get so blessed?’ You can be vulnerable with Mary at all times. She is honest, pure, authentic, and always wants to be the best version of herself. She is self-taught and a lifelong learner. If she doesn’t know something, she will immediately say, ‘Let’s figure it out.’ I admire so much about her, but mostly her unending patience.”

Mary’s patience and her ability to “keep going” have served her well. The youngest of eight children (including two step-brothers and two step-sisters), Mary’s sisters said her middle name might as well have been “Go” because their little sister was always plotting her next move and adapting to new challenges. Mary was only eight years old when her parents divorced in the 1960s, a time when divorce was not as commonplace as it is today. “I remember that time in my life being difficult,” Mary said. “I was standing outside Lakeshore Elementary, waiting for mom to pick me up, and a little girl walked up to me and said, ‘You’re the one living across town with your mom.’ I remember thinking, ‘How does she even know this?’ And the way she said it, I was devastated. However, I was really fortunate because after both of my parents remarried, I had two sets of wonderful parents. Those early challenges, the resilience I learned, and the love I gained from having four parents shaped me into the person I am.”

While all of her parents and older siblings influenced her, one of Mary’s biggest influences is her mother, Katie Hart, a strong and determined person. When Mary wasn’t playing baseball and riding bikes with neighborhood kids, or collecting coke bottles and delivering them to Fontana’s store in exchange for candy, she was with her mother, who worked in a fabric shop. Her mother would tell people that Mary could determine fabric types by the age of five. One of Mary’s earliest memories is watching her mother sit at her sewing machine at home and create cheerleading outfits for local high schools, following a full day at the shop. Mary’s mother eventually opened her own fabric store in Monroe, and she also taught other women to sew. “My mother is quite something. She is sweet, kind, generous, and so talented. I think what I admire the most about her is her strength. I like to think that I inherited her strength, her people skills, and her kindness. Watching her step out on her own and open her own store really inspired me.”

Mary would eventually mirror her mother’s entrepreneurial spirit. During Mary’s junior year at River Oaks High School, she gravitated toward art class and the school’s yearbook club. Donna Underwood, the yearbook advisor, “greatly influenced” Mary, who began taking photos for the yearbook. Mary’s dad, Rob Roberson, a WWII veteran and ALM Railroad executive, bought Mary her first camera, and Mary quickly immersed herself in all of her school’s activities, capturing football games, theatre productions, social activities, and more. “I absolutely loved yearbook photography because I got to be involved in so much. I felt like I was contributing in some way.”

Mary’s passion for photography remains a clear memory for Donna, who said, “She was so enthusiastic—she always wanted to cover the sporting events and club meetings to ensure we had both candid and formal group photos. And she always did a super job because she loved it. She has always been outgoing. I don’t know that Mary has ever met a stranger. Both as a teenager and now, if she sees someone who appears isolated, she will try to include them so they won’t feel alone.”

Donna, along with Mary’s English teacher Nelwyn Norwood, instilled in Mary a love for American and British literature. Mary ultimately decided to pursue undergraduate and master’s degrees in English at then-Northeast Louisiana University, now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She continued to shoot photographs while in college, photographing her friends in her Kappa Delta sorority. In 1984, Mary moved to Houston, where she taught English to middle school students. It was there that she met student council president Tracy through the school’s secret pal program. Tracy would become her lifelong friend and eventually, her assistant. After a few years, Mary moved back to Monroe where she taught English and history at River Oaks High School and later, Ouachita Christian School, where she also served as the school’s English chairperson.

One evening, Mary found herself, camera in hand, on the football sidelines ones again. Her son Taylor was in sixth grade at Ouachita Christian School when football coach Steven Fitzhugh asked Mary to photograph a football game. Mary accepted, and for the next several years, she continued to take sports photos of her son and his teammates, both from the football sidelines and the baseball dug-out. “It was so unique—being in the dugout while my son played,” she said. “Watching him, I realized what a leader he had become. The entire experience was tremendous, and I loved it.” Then more photography opportunities began to appear. Even though Mary had no formal training, a friend asked her to shoot a wedding. She accepted, and carried one camera with black and white film and a second with color. She remembers the experience as “terrifying, but exhilarating.”

A neighbor then asked Mary to photograph her new baby. Photography was quickly becoming a significant part of her life once again, Mary said. “I had to make a choice. I loved my 20 years of teaching, and I loved my students, so it was an agonizing decision. However, photography was pulling me. After a lot of prayer, I took the leap. And after my decision to pursue photography full-time, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace.”

She formalized Dawson Photography in 2003, and since that time, has maintained relationships with many of her students, photographing their weddings, their children, and other momentous occasions in their lives. She is often asked about her favorite subject to photograph, but she doesn’t have one. She enjoys the excitement of graduating high school seniors, the anticipation exuding from a bride on her wedding day, and the “absolute joy” of documenting new babies. Tracy, who works remotely from Houston and helps Mary edit her photographs, said Mary is meticulous about details. Mary becomes emotionally invested in each photo session, which means getting to know everyone she is photographing, including hectic wedding parties. A typical wedding shoot includes an engagement session in which Mary observes how the couple interacts with one another, a bridal session, and then the 8-10 hour “adrenaline rush of capturing the wedding.”

“The wedding day is mentally and physically challenging because I am managing all the emotions of the family,” Mary said. “Sometimes, the dynamic includes divorced parents, and I try to learn those kinds of details beforehand. Every member of the bridal party tells me his or her name, and their names stay with me. When you call someone by their name, they are more eager to cooperate. My main job is to ensure the bride stays calm and stress-free while I capture all of those moments that tell the story of her day. I’m very protective of my bride because I do not want her stressed. When you are photographing someone, the more comfortable you can make them feel, the better the images. If someone is trying to create drama or a stressful situation, I try to diffuse it immediately. Ultimately, it’s the couple’s day, and I want them to enjoy it. A wedding is exciting, and I believe it is truly an honor to be a part of that.”

Her photography philosophy—whether it’s photographing newborns, weddings, or high school seniors—is to always ensure the photographs remain authentic and not dependent on trendy photo filters or excessive editing. With the advent of digital photography and robust editing software, people sometimes ask Mary to alter someone’s image significantly. But Mary politely declines, because she believes in maintaining the integrity of her photos so that the images will remain honest, natural, and authentic. “I like to get it right in the camera,” Mary said.

Mary transformed part of her home, which she shares with her husband Rick, into her professional studio in 2004. Taylor remembers the transition well. “It’s pretty cool to think about how it all began. Waking up to random people in your home was odd, but also pretty cool,” he said with a laugh. Mary’s home is adorned—wall-to-wall—with photographs of her family and her clients. Being surrounded by those images comforts her, she said. One of her favorites is a black and white photograph of her grandfather with his beloved horse. “A photograph is a moment in time. We capture the memories of our lifetime because doing so captures our present, which becomes our past. I’m a big proponent of printed images. I like to hold and touch a photograph instead of searching for it on a screen. For as long as I can remember, even as a child, I have been surrounded by photographs.”

A significant portion of Mary’s childhood was spent with fellow Monroe native Dee Ledbetter. The two met at River Oaks High School when was Dee was 15 and Mary was 14. The best friends were referred to as “Mutt and Jeff” because while both were slender children, Dee was tall, and Mary was petite. Dee, who grew up in a home with sisters, was not exposed to a lot of outdoor activities—until she met Mary. The two rode four-wheelers, enjoyed weekend adventures at Lake D’Arbonne where Mary’s family had a house, went mud-hogging, and watched mud races with great delight. Dee describes her lifelong friend as a “little dynamite,” and not simply because of Mary’s size. “Mary has always been happy and full of fun. When we are together, we are always laughing. And, we have great conversations. Mary and I instantly connected because we have always had so much fun together. Our history anchors our friendship. I can always depend on her. If I called her in the middle of the night and needed something, I have no doubt she would rush to help me. That’s the kind of friend and person she is.”

When Dee’s daughter attended Ouachita Christian School, Mary was still teaching. Dee quickly recognized her childhood friend whom she loved so much. “When I would watch Mary with her students, it struck me just how much they adored her. She is inherently fun, so she made teaching interesting. She still says connected with many of those former students. She really cares deeply about people. I love that about her,” Dee said. “I don’t know anybody who doesn’t love Mary; she is always happy for other people, and I treasure that because that’s what the world should be about.” Mary, who has photographed Dee’s family several times, will photograph the upcoming wedding of Dee’s daughter. Dee has watched Mary capture several weddings, and she is always left with one thought: “When Mary leaves a wedding, she leaves as more than a photographer, but also as a friend. She is very relational in everything she does.”

Another of Mary’s lasting friendships is one she shares with her former high school yearbook advisor, Donna. Donna, who is now the executive director of Monroe’s QuesTECH Learning, wrote a book, “Quest for Success,” which is a series of stories about students who despite their learning challenges, all possessed the potential to be successful. Mary took portraits of each student for the project produced 10 years ago. “She has always supported my passions,” Donna said. “What I love about Mary is that she is the type of friend that you may not see for a month or more, but you know that she’s always there, and that she will do anything for you with a moment’s notice. That’s a lifelong friend. I was her teacher and mentor, and then we continued to share life experiences, such as childbirth and many of life’s other moments. My wish is that other students and teachers enjoy that kind of lasting friendship.”

True to Mary’s “keep going” philosophy, she has other dreams in mind. “I started drawing in high school. I love to draw using pen and ink. I enjoy acrylic and oil painting, mostly of landscapes. While I don’t currently have enough time to paint, I plan to make time eventually. Right now, I’m content with my camera in my hand.”