Marlena is a photographer and mixed media artist working at the intersection of high fashion and psychological intimacy. Driven by an analytical mindset and an overactive inner monologue, she rejects conventional beauty imagery in favor of a subversive, hyper-focused female gaze. Her work shoots women from an unconventional, unsettling, and cinematic angle—using curated styling not to sell a product, but to construct a mood.

By bringing the lens up close and personal, Marlena isolates specific textures, fragmented garments, and raw micro-expressions to transform surface-level fashion into an intimate portrait of the interior mind.

Currently studying Psychology and Art at UC Santa Cruz, her academic background deeply influences her images by exploring human emotion through an uncanny, tactile lens. Beyond her personal practice, Marlena brings extensive production experience to her community and commercial roles, managing projects from initial concept to the final frame.

Roles & Affiliations:

• Co-Creator, Lightleak Magazine

• Social Media Manager, Shutterslug (UCSC Photography Collective)

• Project Manager & Photographer, Get Virtual Studios

Based in Santa Cruz, CA and Los Angeles, CA. Available for editorial, commercial, and creative commissions.