Marilyn Crocker
Photography

Observation is the most enduring of the pleasures of life. George Meredith
Marilyn Crocker first became aware of photography as a child viewing family photos taken by her father in slideshows in a darkened living room and while exploring the photographs in Life Magazine. She began creating her own photographic images by taking snapshots on a Kodak Instamatic camera over 50 years ago. After purchasing an SLR she took her first photography course from Vandell Cobb, Ebony Magazine photographer, at the Evanston Art Center. This experience inspired her to begin developing black and white photographs in her own pantry darkroom. While maintaining her interest in photography Marilyn spent 34 stimulating and challenging years as an elementary school teacher and school librarian. Photography had a way of entering her world of work whether it was teaching photography to kids or photographing them. She has spent many memorable summers of her life on lakes in Canada and Michigan at family cottages which has led her to nature photography as her primary focus. Wherever she is, closely observing her surroundings has been a constant in her life. She observes the light and shadows, the shape and form of things, the colors, the textures, and how it all works together to create a visual image. She believes her early days in the darkroom led to her affinity for black and white photography. When Marilyn retired from teaching she vowed to make photography her main creative endeavor. As a lifelong learner it was natural for her to begin taking photography courses again.
Marilyn Crocker received the Focus on Photography Certificate and the Master Track in Photography Certificate at the Chicago Botanic Garden. In 2017 she had a one woman show Seeing in Black and White in the gallery at Curt’s Café in Evanston, Illinois. She has had works published in National Louis University’s LifeLong Learning publication The LLI Review. She became a member of the Chicago Photographic Arts Society and has been a part of the society’s exhibitions. Her portfolio Where Water Meets Land was chosen by the Midwest Center for Photography's Portfolio Platform 2021-2022 to be exhibited on their website. Marilyn’s photographs have also been exhibited in the following galleries:
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Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois
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Blank Wall Gallery, Athens, Greece
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Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita, Kansas
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City Hall, Highland Park, Illinois
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PhotoPlace Online Gallery in Vermont
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Ely Center, New Haven, Connecticut
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Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota