Bio
Master of Photographic Arts, MaryEllen Nealis combines a rich knowledge of her craft with a genuine appreciation for the special moments in the lives of her clients. Her gentle spirit and fun-loving nature puts all around her at ease. MaryEllen makes the experience of having a portrait taken special; and she ensures every image captured will mark a special moment.
MaryEllen has been honoured with several awards through-out her career. Named Photographer of the Year in 1999 and 2000 by the Professional Photographers’s Association Atlantic. MaryEllen has been nominated for Professional Photographer’s of Canada, Portrait Photographer of the year twice (2007/2008) and for Artist of the Year in 2021. Along with the previous achievements, MaryEllen has consistently hung prints in the PPOC competition and accepted into the Loan Collection. Graduated from NBCCD. MaryEllen has a long history of service to Atlantic and Canadian photography community. She received her Masters of Photographic Arts from the PPOC in 2003. Has also received the Distinguished Service Award for PPOC-AT in 2005 and 2006. MaryEllen also received the lifetime achievement Yousuf Karsh Award 2021.
“I am extremely proud to be a part of WPC Team Canada and to represent my country and province. Photography has given me an opportunity to share my creative and most inward thoughts. Someone once said to me we are pointing the camera at ourselves and I couldn’t agree more.”
2022 – Commercial
I was inspired by playing with the fundamental elements of photography; using shadow and highlight to create texture and design. Pushing these elements of the art, I created an image that was both complex and simple. I feel the viewer has an active role in discovering the elements and entices them to stay and reveal their perspective.
2018 – Commercial
When I created this image I wanted the viewer to see blood, water, and abstract elements. These are all elements that are part of our makeup and the texture it creates is combined with the 3 human faces. It creates an illusion of the inside of the human head and MRI