My Encore Career

I've always been the one behind the camera.... watching everyone else open their Christmas presents so I can take a picture of them and capture their joy. I've been the one documenting the family reunions, the birthday parties, the July 4th picnics, the summer vacations, the newborn babies, the senior proms. I was the one who used 20 "rolls of film" on my daughter's first trip to Disney. Maybe it was 21!

I can't say that I had ALWAYS dreamed of being a professional photographer because honestly, I knew I probably couldn't pay the bills with that career choice. But I was lucky that in my career, I was always the "official photographer" for my company...so got to do what I love. I literally have taken hundreds of thousands of pictures over the years.

Mandy Merck Photography (MMP) is Born- 8.30.21

Flash forward thirty years and I'm finally in a position to "retire" from the day job. After just a few months off, I knew what I planned to do for the remainder of my working days...I am going to be a professional photographer.

I knew I had the eye, and a decent amount of skill, but I wanted to learn more. I enrolled in numerous courses, found an amazing mentor (Emily Smith Photography), and upgraded my equipment. In August 2021, I officially kicked off my ENCORE CAREER with Mandy Merck Photography. And I love every single moment of it!