Never Stop.

Cubans have a saying, ‘Para atras ni para cojer impulso’, which means, ‘Don’t take a step back, not even to gain momentum’.

Hi, I’m Anna Marie! I was born in Vero Beach and some time after that my family ended up in Miami. I grew up, moved away and went to college, where I grew up some more and learned about important stuff like student loans and what not to say during a corporate job interview. I’ve lived in lots of different cities (and countries), and began to realize that photos are more fun to collect than souvenirs. 

I grew up in the coolest family ever. Ten years younger than my brother, I missed out on the 8mm Home Movies and Professional Family Portraits but boy did I get an education! For Christmas, when I was 10, I was the last member of the family to receive a motorcycle.

That photo below with all the motorcycles is our Bolet Family Portrait… (mine is the light blue Honda Passport, it had 5 gears)

We learned all kinds of things, like how to fly a single engine plane, water ski, sail, SCUBA dive and even practiced Judo. It was around that time that photography advanced to the ‘One Hour Photo’ and the Instant Polaroid so EVERYONE was a photographer.

My hopes and dreams of ever getting a Professional Portrait made were shattered… my New Born Photo Session is below the Family Portrait. Wasn’t my mom cute in her blond wig?

My father LOVED Editorial Style Photography. He insisted on catching us ‘In the Moment’ and otherwise disliked the ‘posey’ type, ‘traditional’ style photography.

As a kid, I must’ve been a real pain in the rear end because in every photo I’m either screaming, eating sand or beating up on my older brother. I don’t have regrets, but man I wish I had just ONE really good portrait I could hang on my wall from when I was little.

After taking the corporate world by storm (and finally paying off my student loans), I decided to do things my way and become a Professional Photographer and Entrepreneur. That meant I had to break the news to my dad, the one who had influenced my style, who had just been diagnosed with ALS. I was always the dramatic one in the family.

After spending some time with a mentor and learning new skills in the studio, I sat down to show dad the art I was creating. He told me to ‘Never Stop’.

‘Para atras, ni para cojer impulso’

From that moment on, I knew what I had to do.

As a photographer and an artist, I believe that life’s moments should be celebrated. And when these moments are captured in a photograph, they should be in print (not just another thumbnail on social media), they should be printed BIG and displayed on your wall for all to see, so that every single time you look at them, they bring you JOY. That is what I wish I had and that is why it is now my mission to truly disrupt the conventional photography world.

Today, I am proud to have a profitable small business that gives back to our community. This year, in 2022, I have been able to raise money for a local dog shelter through my 1st Annual Pooch Playoffs event. I’m planning other cool campaigns aimed at empowering our Tweens. This year is just getting started!

Thanks for taking the time to read about me. Please enjoy my Family Album!

Big LOVE,

Anna Marie