Wedding photographer Mallory Samson, Class of 1977, lowers her voice to a whisper when discussing something unpleasant or distasteful. It's with this tone that she admits she failed her senior exercise in photography at Kenyon.

Passing her exam on the second try with a series of self portraits, Samson received advice from Professor Emeritus of Art Martin Garhart that she caries with her to this day. "He came to me after comps and whispered in my ear, 'Never stop taking pictures,'" says the native of Princeton, New Jersey. "Those were just the words I needed to hear."

The advice from Garhart, an art department legend who recently retired, has served Samson well. In the past eight years, she has broken the mold in regard to traditional wedding photography, emerging as one the country's most sought-after photographers.

The year 1999 brought the publication of Real Weddings: A Celebration of Personal Style, her own book of wedding photography. Samson's second book, Outdoor Weddings, arrived in 2003. A special on the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) Network, entitled "The American Wedding," placed Samson and her work among the top names in the business. Her work can frequently be seen in such magazines as Town and Country, Bride's, Glamour, and Martha Stewart Living: Weddings. Not bad for a girl who failed her senior exercise.

Prior to her photography career, in a period that spanned almost twenty years, Samson worked as a fashion editor at J. Crew, served on the editorial staffs of magazines such as Self, GQ, and Bride's, and was an art buyer for Nike. As a freelance stylist, her clients included the likes of Lancome, Perry Ellis, and Martha Stewart television.

Samson thinks her early failure may have helped to develop a quality that has proven valuable in photography. "To this day, I have no ego as a photographer," she says. "It's probably part of who I am, but I also think it goes back to failing comps. I have an approach to my work that's very quiet. I'm almost invisible when I take pictures."

Contemplating her many accolades, Samson is almost sheepish. She admits that it's nice to be recognized for her work, however, and hopes that her current success represents only a beginning. "I'm doing this my way," she says. "I have my own vision. I'm not a follower."

And for that, she gets a passing grade.