Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tracey Hagen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tracey, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
This experience was created to celebrate women and sharing the stories of women over the ages of 40, 50, 60, 70 & beyond & to start a conversation around the beauty of aging and change the way the world sees & hears mature women by celebrating their wisdom, strength & beauty.
Turning 40 was a transformational time in my life to say the least. I remember when the realization hit me that my body was changing; I had to eat less & exercise more for the first time, in. my. life. I had to start making different choices. I was having a hard time even recognizing & embracing the woman staring back at me in the mirror. I met the love of my life at a friend’s 40th birthday party & at 42 was married & became a wife & mom.
I gave myself permission to start finding things that I loved about my evolving body & these newfound experiences of being a wife & a mom. In the past, I was so laser focused on my craft & now I was able to open my heart & my world to my husband and his family who is so supportive of me. Suddenly, I was free to start sharing with my clients what incredible goddesses they are. I realized it was because I was that mirror for them. I could care for them, hold space, pamper them and reflect back to them their inner and outer beauty through my work as a Portrait Photographer. If I could have a conversation with my 40 year old self, I would simply say “it is OKAY, in fact everything works out. Everything is lining up for you in ways you never could have dreamed…” and when I think about that woman I was; experiencing all of the shame and the fear of her journey and her body, her spirit, and her heart it makes me remember that I could have used a beacon of light in that tunnel. Even a ray of hope and that is what I want to create today for you.
After becoming a mom myself, I loss of my own mother passing away to cancer. My mother was a badass Goddess. My mom literally had a custom 14k gold necklace made for herself that read “Over 40”. I remember her wearing that necklace daily when I was growing up. When I was younger, I thought she was crazy to wear this necklace sharing with everyone that she was over 40 years, but now, I get it. She was proud, embracing & loving herself & wanted the whole world to know that she was a Goddess over 40 years.
Now, I am over 50, being over 40, 50, 60 + doesn’t have to mean it’s the end of your story – whatever that looks like for you. My purpose is to help you, to embrace your age & everything that comes with it, to be empowered and confident in your own SELF with being pampered for the day with a magazine photo session at my Miami studio. You will be featured in the 40 Over 40 Goddesses printed magazine with your image and story. I can’t wait to photograph you!
Tracey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I became obsessed with photography at the young age of ten. In high school, I designed the yearbook and was the one who always had a camera on her in the 80’s before cell phones. LOL I would have my friends model for me and take their portraits with film and develop in the dark room through college. I traveled a lot and photographed street photography of strangers. In the 90’s I worked selling real estate in Miami and got burnt out and inspired to open my first photography studio in 2003 at the South Florida Arts Center on Lincoln Road which is now Oolite Arts. I was accepted into a juried artist residency program there for one year and a half. Then I moved to the Bakehouse art complex in Wynwood, Miami where I was accepted into another juried artist studio residency for four years.I have exhibited my photograph at Aqua Art Fair at Art Basel Miami Beach among many other exhibitions. I realize that my favorite thing to photograph is people and capturing the true essence of diverse personalities. I won several International awards with my portrait work and have been published.
In 2020, I opened my current studio during the pandemic lockdown which is located on the Upper East side of Miami. This is when I was inspired to create the 40 Over 40 Goddesses campaign. In the fall of 2021, I launched my campaign in my latest portrait series, The Empowered 40 Over 40 Goddess Experience. The experience shares the stories of women over the ages of 40, 50, 60, 70 & beyond & to start a conversation around the beauty of aging & change the way the world sees & hears mature women by celebrating their wisdom, strength & beauty. I provide a luxury experience at my Miami studio with a day of pampering and magazine photo session with guided posing, wardrobe styling and professional make up artist. I want everyday real women who are over 40, over 50, over 60, over 70 and beyond to feel gorgeous and empowered to share their stories to empower other women.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I am very interested in learning more about NFT’s to incorporate them into my art work. I recently attended Miami’s NFT week and learned a lot about it. It’s a rabbit hole of information and I do believe it will be the future. We are just on the cusp like when internet was invented. And look at how that worked out. LOL
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think what helped me build a reputation as a luxury portrait photographer in the Miami market and why clients are flying in from out of town and driving two hours for a photo session is because I provide quality service. It’s all about you is our tag line. I want you to feel comfortable at our studio and look and feel gorgeous at your photo session. My job is for you to love all of your images.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.traceyhagenmiami.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traceyhagenphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.facebook.com/traceyhagenphotography
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/traceyhagen
- Other: My other website for headshots, personal branding, maternity and boudoir is https://www.traceyhagenphotography.com Please join my private Facebook group for ladies only: https://www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredmiamigoddesses
Image Credits
Viveca LLjung