We were lucky to catch up with Mac Elliott recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mac, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

As the first professional artist hopeful in the family, the issue of earning a living was always on the forefront of my parents minds. From the age of 12 I was pretty sure I would work in a creative field. My neurodivergent brain and inability to score higher than a B- in math and science just persuaded me even further to go into the arts. A business-owner herself, my mom would tell me, “you don’t really need to know math, that’s what accountants are for” when I expressed concern for my lack of math know how. At the time it was a funny little mantra, but as a biz owner now, I understand what she meant: it takes all kinds of people to make the world go ’round!

The kindest thing my parents gifted me was providing me with the opportunity to try and fail in my creative pursuits. I must have tried every creative hobby before I settled on photography later in high school. Fast forward to my sophomore year in the honors program at a prestigious university… I called my parents with the idea of “dropping out” to chase a job opportunity on the other side of the world. When my academic advisor warned me that my withdrawing would ruin my future, my parents helped me move out of my little apartment and pack my bags. “Life’s about experiences, Macala,” my mom would remind me when I worried I was being irresponsible. Looking back, it was the best choice I could have made in my journey to being a professional, full time artist.

Over the past two years, my mom has taken on the endearing role known as “momager.” Mendie will approach people at art shows and events and first and foremost introduce herself as Mac’s Momager- and proudest supporter. My parents and family work every show with me, rain or shine. I’m forever grateful, and inspired to show that same kindness to my children one day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve wanted to be a lot of things over the years: painter, writer, art teacher, travel blogger. Every few years, my focus would shift to some artistic hyper-fixation that never seemed to last. But since the age of 12, photography always seemed to be the constant. As a freshman in college I entered into the college of journalism at Baylor University with NO clue how I was going to make photography my career, let alone make a living from still images. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to take a break from school and take a leap of faith that I gained a glimpse of how to market your art and begin a career in photography.

I thought I had it all figured out when I accepted an unpaid internship traveling across New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and Latin America for a year, creating marketing materials in true sink or swim fashion: no guidelines, no support, simply blind ambition and the fear of failing. I was on top of the world, and traveling around it with my camera in tow. After that year of inspiration, I was so sure of what I saw my future being, until I found myself lost, alone, and in a state of depression in Tennessee. That misguided adventure to film school lead me back to Houston where I enrolled in college just as confused as I was in high school about where my future in the arts could take me.

I credit the pandemic as being the catalyst of my journey towards fish photography as a specialty. I was at the beach when the world shut down- and for a while, our little family cabin on a deserted island in south Texas was the one place where we could leave the pandemic behind. I’d spend long days sitting patiently in the boat and just wait for someone to hook up to a Redfish on the shallow water flats. Hours of my life were consumed behind my camera- not fishing, just observing the act of fishing and the amazing diversity of Redfish and Speckled Trout in south Texas. I’ve been photographing fish for about three years now, and it has been one of the most rewarding and unexpected careers that I NEVER saw coming.

As a full time creative, I offer commercial and fine art photography services to my clients. My clientele ranges from fishermen looking to spruce up their garage tackle rooms with metal fish prints, to outdoor industry businesses who rely on photographers and media producers to market their products in an over-saturated industry. One week I may sell big 30″x50″ metal prints of Redfish to supporters at a fishing convention, and the next I might be on a boat with a group of fishermen documenting their catches, the products they use, and the fishing lifestyle.

I am beyond proud of the community I have found in the outdoor space, and it has been the surprise of my life to find myself in the position of supporting local conservation efforts on the Gulf Coast. First and foremost, I believe art to be a divine gift that celebrates creation and the natural world. Being able to share my work and interpretation of the ocean/gulf coast with my community continues to be the biggest blessing in my line of work.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When it comes to social media and your “following” as a creative- it’s not so much about the quantity of your followers as the quality of your following. I manage my own account with less than 10,000 followers and have just as much meaningful interaction and support as a business account I manage that has 60,000 + followers. When you prioritize community and support over follower count, your online presence is sure to be rewarding.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’m not a reader… so when I finished “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks in less than 24 hours I was beyond inspired. This book talks about fear and self-sabotage in a light-hearted, approachable way and will make you sit back and question how you have been holding yourself back. The idea of an upper limit mindset, or letting our subconscious decide on how much happiness and success we deserve, shook me to my core. Gay presents the idea of a “Zone of Genius,” where you are the best in the world at one particular thing because you DECIDE to be. On that note, I think I’ll read it again!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.macelliottmedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macelliottmedia/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macalaelliott/
• Other: Shopify/Online Store: https://shopmacelliottmedia.com

Image Credits
Jesse Males