I'm Maria Olsen, a commercial and news photographer. I take assignments that range from photojournalism to PR and advertising and my international career has included work for New York based newspapers and magazines as well as Nordic media.

Recently, I have worked with island communities of the northeast Atlantic, including Faroe, Iceland, Greenland, and Scotland including Shetland, covering the marine sectors as well as other industries. My first book, "Images of Fishermen: the North Atlantic" (www.IMAGESofFISHERMEN.com) is a tribute to those who fish for a living and bring seafood to the world. A travelling photo exhibition is now taking place in result of the book, successfully started at the National Maritime Museum in Stockholm in 2008. The photo exhibition is set to open at Nordatlantens Brygge, Copenhagen, in May 2009, and will later be taken to Esbjerg, Reykjavík and Tórshavn. The prestigious Nordic Culture Fund is one of the main sponsors of the exhibition.

Much of my work is based on the photojournalistic tradition I became familiar with during my training in New York City at the ICP (International Center of Photography). This program included internship at Magnum Photos, along with in-depth exploration of all aspects of photography, from theory and contemporary issues to technical training along with inspiring workshops. I have also worked extensively with community-related projects, which has resulted in several exhibitions expressing my commitment to images that engage social and humanitarian issues. The photographs portray e.g. victimized children, refugees, and homeless people to whom I managed to get close in very difficult situations.

I have several interesting packages on offer to my customers. Photo-ChoiceTM is one exciting concept that suits many companies and non-profit organizations in need of royalty free, high-quality photos for their communications. And for those who want to cherish their memories on both print and flash template presentations, I offer party, wedding and special-occasion packages. With an emphasis on personal service, we provide a mix of contemporary and classic high quality images of weddings. Ranging from smaller settings with a limited selection of photographs to larger, more comprehensive coverage—e.g. from studio to church through gardens and reception ceremonies—all options can be combined with gorgeous, personalized bridal albums.