Super Stud/Sub Doug

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐛/𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐠

Doug Pursley—who I used to call Dougie Fresh—has lived a lot of lives. He once had a successful career in marketing and sales, the kind people stay in because the money is good. He didn’t. After years of moving between places and versions of himself, he’s now back near home in Minnesota, close to his two brothers.

These days, Doug lives in a local motel, LumberJill Lodge—pink doors, flower boxes, and antique photographs of female lumberJILLS in every room. He helps run the place in exchange for a room. To make money, he substitute teaches. Somewhere along the way, he became Super Sub Doug. (Some of the high school girls call him Super Stud Doug, which makes him wildly uncomfortable.)

He walks into classrooms with an easy, open energy. The kids feel it immediately. They don’t just listen—they light up. He makes them laugh, plays games, and gives them the space to be themselves. During an art class, he asked them to draw him: hearts around his face, “#1 Teacher,” “Best Teacher Ever,” and one kid who drew him as a devil. All of it felt right.

What they respond to isn’t perfection—it’s presence. Doug doesn’t try to control the room. He meets it where it is.

A man who stepped out of one version of success and into something simpler. And somehow, exactly right.

𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬, 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧—𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴, $2 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘍𝘞, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺.

Paul Offit | Philadelphia Magazine

Shot a story on Dr. Paul Offit — a man who’s been called a lot of things, including “the devil” by RFK Jr.

But here’s what I experienced:

A warm home in Naples. A kind, generous couple. An awesome, really bright wife. A quiet presence. A sense of humor that meets you right where you are.

As I was setting up lights, I said, “Let’s make you look like an angel, not a devil.” We both laughed — and honestly, it didn’t feel like much of a stretch.

It’s always fascinating to witness the space between public narrative and private reality.

Grateful to Claudia Gavin for the trust, the kindness, and for bringing me into this story.

Some assignments stay with you. This was one of them.

Photography by Mary Beth Koeth for Philadelphia Magazine, Assistant | José Arizmendi, Photo Editor Claudia Gavin

They’re Plus-Size and Kind of Famous at Disney World | New York Times

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy. Pure chaos. Disney character outfits. Snacks. Honesty. Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.

These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic. Best shoot ever. Would do it again in a heartbeat

Writer | Madison Malone Kircher, Mary Beth Koeth for The New York Times

Sadek Wahba | Barron's

Karen Frank is an icon in the photo world. I’ve heard her name spoken in the brightest light for years, so when she reached out after moving to Barron's. The answer was simple: yes.

Editorial budgets rarely cover what it actually takes to do what we do—assistants, gear, the whole circus. After my accident, I’ve had to create real boundaries around my energy and my body. But sometimes you still go beyond.

You know the budget.

You know you’ll lose money.

You hire Jose to help with the heavy gear.

You rent what you need.

And you do it anyway.

Because you’re not doing it for Karen.

You’re not doing it for Barron’s.

You’re doing it for you.

Also…turns out I now have a whole new appreciation for photographing older men in finance wearing slightly ill-fitted suits.

Meet the delightful Sadek Wahba. I wasn’t taking about his suit.

Female Python Hunters in the Everglades

In June 2020, I photographed Florida’s leading female python hunters and spent the night in the Everglades with Anne Gorden-Vega—an art educator turned absolute legend. At 61, she’d captured more Burmese pythons that year than the other 37 state hunters combined. Casual.

We rolled out at sunset, giant lights blasting the swamp like a football stadium. She scanned for iridescent scales with expert precision. I scanned with vibes. We crawled along at 6 mph, no bravado, no theatrics—just calm women who look like they’d remind you to sharpen your pencil and then wrestle a 7-foot snake after dark.

The pay isn’t glamorous. Some nights you catch nothing. But Anne talked less about money and more about the wildlife disappearing—the urgency that keeps her out there until 2 a.m.

I left at 10:30, wildly impressed and slightly humbled. If photography ever fails me, I will not become a python hunter. But I would make an elite truck companion. Cheerleader. Moral support. Snack director. I’ve always been great at snacks.

Mary Beth Koeth for Flamingo Magazine

Wayne Gretzky. The Great One.

Wayne Gretzky. The Great One.

📷 Mary Beth Koeth

💪 Javier I Sanchez

Miami Boyfriends | Chris

There are not very many men in my life that I put on a pedestal. Chris, my former (land)lord is one of them. He’s humble to the point of correcting me when I call him my landlord, so I just call him my lord. It feels more appropriate.

When you go out to dinner with him, he follows rules that people learn in cotillion. He buys art like a fancy art collector who attends Art Basel to buy does and asks me to come over to help him hang, which makes me feel fancy. I documented his first trip to Trader Joe’s—he’s more of a Whole Foods guy—and worked with my dear friend who used to come down to Miami and live in my guest room every January and is, more importantly, an on air host and reporter for ESPN edit the video of Chris perusing Trader Joes and mocking at my TD favs (love you regardless of your taste in my favs, Christopher) I would post the video if I knew Chris would love it, but I won’t because I know it would embarrass him.

This photo, he didn’t love because of the house socks and shoes with his khaki shorts. He’s more of a tailored top, pleated pants, custom shoes type of man, so take my words and the adorable back garden gnomes as proof. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet…my lord, Christ. I mean…Chris. :)

#miamiboyfriends

Robert Raven Kraft

Known for his remarkable running streak, Robert “Raven” Kraft has run eight, then later five, miles on Miami Beach every day since January 1, 1975. People from all over the world join his daily run, after which he gives them a unique nickname. In his honor, a portion of 3rd Street in Miami Beach was renamed “Robert ‘Raven’ Kraft Way”.

Loved seeing Raven on NBC’s Today Show this morning. 🏃🏻‍♂️💨

Dan Buettner | Blue Zones

Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, and award-winning journalist. He discovered the five places in the world—dubbed blue zones—where people lived the longest, healthiest lives and shared this information with the world. 

Tigre Sounds & Ace Props + Studios

Music Discovery for Citizens of the World | Collab with Tigre Sounds & Ace Props + Studios

Petra Nemcova | People Magazine

Petra Nemcova for People Magazine

📸 | Mary Beth Koeth
Digi Javier | Sanchez
Photo Direction | Sarah Burrows
Hair & Makeup | Lola J Hair

Richard Harr | AARP

My Biggest Retirement Mistake: Moving in With My Kid’s Family. It seemed like a perfect solution for this retiree and his son...until they tried it

📝 by Reyna Gobel
📷 by Mary Beth Koeth
Richard’s Daughter, new BF Tricia
Photo Direction Michael Witchita

This shoot brought me full circle to why I fell in love with photography in the first place. Felt like coming home. 🙏🏼

Robert Raven Kraft | 50 Year Running Streak | Raven Run-Miami Beach

50 years of running, almost 15 years as a top model in my book 🏃🏻🖤 Happy Anniversary @robertravenkraftravenrun

Billboard | Venezuelan Voices Find Purpose In the Fight for Their Country

Music From Exile: Venezuelan Voices Find Purpose In the Fight for Their Country

Nacho, Danny Ocean, Elena Rose, Lele Pons and Mau y Ricky talk about music, politics, social media and activism.

By Sigal Ratner-Arias

Arina | Ace Props

When you walk into someone and feel their magic.

Chayanne | Billboard Latin

CHAYANNE for Billboard Latin
If all photoshoots were this sweet, I would never put my camera down.
—
📷 Mary Beth Koeth
Digi slash my right limb Javier I Sanchez
Location Blue Dolphin Studios
Photo Direction Jenny Sargent Samantha Xu 🤍🤍
Retouching Violaine Capra
Writer Leila Cobo

Jorge Mas | Forbes

Jorge Mas | The Billionaire Who Brought Messi Magic To Miami
📝 | Justin Birnbaum
📷 | Mary Beth Koeth for Forbes
💪🏼 | Johnny Beltran Pietro Milici
Photo Direction | Robyn Selman Gail Toivanen

Inter Miami CF

Blood Brothers | ESPN

Cameron and Cayden Boozer, twin sons of Duke legend Carlos Boozer, are two of the most highly touted high school basketball recruits in the country. But their most crucial assist came long before either set foot on a basketball court. A new episode of ESPN E60 updates the story of how the twins helped save the life of their older brother Carmani through an incredible chain of events more than 15 years ago.

📷 Mary Beth Koeth for ESPN
Photo Team Matthew Becker Nick Galac Robert Booth
Digi Javier I Sanchez
Cuban coffee bump Karla Bakery