Mariagrazia Dammicco is a journalist. She lives in Mestre, just across the lagoon from Venice. As a member of Venice's historic gardens club, she is an expert in compiling the guide I Giardini Veneziani. She is much sought after as a guide to some of Venice's finest private gardens. The photographer Marianne Majerus is originally from Luxembourg but now lives in London. She is a frequent visitor to Venice.
Her career as a photographer specializing in gardens was crowned by the 2002 award for Photographer of the Year.