Mariel Lohninger

Student

“My transfer? Maybe UCLA, maybe Europe. I think you just have to be willing to go where life and experience take you.”

This quote from Mariel Lohninger—a Viennese, through and through—has actually been fully lived out by his Austrian family. “The short version of it all,” he says with a laugh, “is that I went to New Mexico in sixth grade for a year, seventh grade I lived in France, and grades nine through twelve I lived in LA. My parents write, and Dad does movies,” he explains, “so you just go where the movies are.” And with a load of 18 credits, Mariel would seem to be readying himself for the pressure cooker of Hollywood production. But not so fast!

“I take afternoon classes because they help a lot with sleep and relaxation. I get to use more of my energies that way,” he says. “And I’m not all that crazy about jumping into the movie business, because I really love photography. I’m not a big fan of doing wedding photography,” says the native of a city that’s sometimes referred to as the ‘wedding cake of Europe,’ “but I’ll do whatever it takes to make money in a creative way.”

Speaking German, English, and French, Mariel considers himself a citizen of the world. But through the visual medium of photography—a cross-cultural form of expression if ever there was one—he’s adding yet another language to his lexicon of expression. “The Photography Department at SMC is a wonderful one, and I’ve been learning product and portrait photography,” he says. “Large Polaroids, 4x5 cameras … all the equipment and the techniques are available there. And my summer teacher, Brian Leng? I loved him! He was so funny and friendly, but also a complete professional. I tell you,” adds Mariel, “there is no end to creativity at SMC.”

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