Mary Big Bull, a nation member from Siksika Nation, first picked up a camera seriously after having her daughter Lily (now seven years old) when she was going through postpartum depression. It was something her husband suggested after asking what Mary might be good at to help her out of the way she was feeling. Mary said, “I’ve always wanted to do photography,” so her husband bought her a Nikon camera, and the first thing she captured was family photos for her Aunt Lisa.
A little bit about Mary: she is 35 years old, and her parents are Mona and Daryl McDonald. She also has three kids and a husband. Aside from photography, she manages Boychief Trading Company, Prairie Gift Company, and manages their social media, and she works part-time as a nurse.
In Mary’s words, she’s known in the Indigenous world for her powwow photography, but outside of that, she’s recognized for capturing fight cards such as boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA. She gained experience working her camera by asking every gym in Calgary she could think of if she could take photos to better understand her equipment—because the first big event she was asked to photograph was the Muay Thai World Cup, which was memorable for her.
Another memorable event she photographed was the Siksika Band Designate Conference back in March. She recalls, “I left feeling really refreshed and happy,” Mary said. The way people react to her photos is also one of the main reasons she has an interest in photography, especially portrait work. “I want them to leave our session feeling better about themselves because I know how it feels to struggle with low self-esteem. I know how it feels to struggle with not liking yourself,” Mary said.
There were also three other local photographers—whom she mainly asked questions to for help with her photography, aside from her husband, who also practices photography. As a photographer, there will be times when you feel discouraged looking at other photographers’ work, but the biggest advice Mary shared was: “Try not to compare yourself to others. Every photographer in the world probably thinks the same thing: My photos aren’t good enough. Just learn and be open to learning. Be open to asking questions. For me, I’m an open book, so I’m always happy when people come to ask me questions. And just appreciate the kind of style that you bring to the world, because not everyone’s photographic style is gonna be the same.” Mary said
Another important thing to Mary is sharing our culture. “I want people to have photos to look back on because photos are forever. That’s what I always tell people. Everyone passes, right? When their time is up, they go. At least with my photos, they’ll have something to look back on,” Mary said. She also explained why photos are integral to her after losing her grandma at 12—her most favorite person—sharing that having old photos of her helped Mary grieve by giving her something to hold onto.
Mary mainly uses three Nikon cameras that she switches between. To her, every photographer has a specific brand they like to work with—whether it’s Nikon, Canon, or Sony—but for Mary, Nikon holds a sentimental value because her first camera was bought by her husband, her second by her parents, and her third through a small business grant. “Each camera is different. Each camera has good things and bad things about them,” Mary said when asked if she’d work with Sony or Canon.
An all-time favorite photo for Mary is a picture of her son at a powwow, standing with just his bustles and sticks, wearing his regular clothes while looking at the men’s fancy dancers in the distance. “I found it so powerful because kids like my son experience the world differently, and I found that this photo encompassed how I felt. I don’t know if he’ll ever wear a full powwow outfit because he doesn’t like stuff on his head. He doesn’t really like stuff on his ankles for the angoras, right? So it’s like, he was just sparing himself, and he was just watching all these people, and he probably was just amazed by it,” Mary said.
Through our conversation, Mary also expressed how important it is to have a passion for other things so you come back to your main passion feeling refreshed and energized. “At the end of the day, my family comes first. When I started my photography, I was all in with my photography, and I was shooting anything I could, but now it’s like my family, and that’s how it should be, right? Your family always comes first. Honor yourself and your family, and do what you love on the side. Photography’s my hobby. So just do things you enjoy in life and take things one day at a time. Life is not easy for any of us,” Mary said about her family.
She also expressed an interest in one day capturing the UFC and a concert—specifically an MGK concert. Check out her photography pages on Instagram and Facebook at “Mary Big Bull Photography” to see her work—and one day, her UFC photos!
Thank you!
Photo of mary by mase and photos sent by mary
