Mary was born into the photography business. Her parents operated a well-known portrait and wedding photography studio in San Francisco. She picked up her first camera at the age of 8, and photographed her first wedding at age 17. Her love of photography continued while she earned her B.A. from UC Berkeley, and while she studied at the San Francisco Art Institute. She was honored with the rare title of Master of Portrait Photography from the Professional Photographers of America in the year 2000. Mary moved her studio from San Francisco to Sausalito in 1990.