We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mackenzie Breeden a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mackenzie, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success, for me comes from surrounding yourself with people who embody kindness, creativity, and drive. Anytime I have had success it is directly correlated to the people I am surrounded by. I have found that if you have people who look at your success as their success, then there is no way to fail. Collaboration and team work are essential in taking steps in your career.

I also fully believe that being a good, genuine, inclusive person and caring about your work and the people around you will lead you to success. Especially as an artist, creating a space that is safe to learn together, while practicing empathy, can only lead to good things.

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

I have always been a creative. I received a BFA in Theater and after graduation was hustling working in a restaurant, for a non-profit, and any random PA gigs. After a few years of pounding the pavement, I was fed up with not being able to creative because I was so consumed with making a living.

I had a gut feeling that I should try photography, I bought a $200 camera off of Ebay and started practicing. I would shoot my friends for free or for a trade of dinner. I just kept practicing and getting better. Eventually I figured out my style and my voice as a photographer. Within a year, I became a full time freelance photographer and found myself shooting portraits of actors, musicians, and artists.

I think what makes me unique as a photographer is my lack of professional training, ironically enough. I really like to work with my clients in a way that provides them comfortability – focusing less on the technical side of photography and more on the person.

Now after a lot of long days, sleepless nights and hard work, my work has been in 11 international Vogues, I have shot multiple A-list celebrities, and shot for brands like Apple, Chloe, and Kering.

I am most proud of the growth I have had over the years as a photographer. I love being able to look at my old work and see how much I have changed and learned.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission as a creative is to create spaces where people feel seen and heard. Especially as a photographer, taking portraits of people can be incredibly intimate. Not everyone feels beautiful in front of a camera. It’s my goal for my clients to look at the final images of themselves and feel really good about how they look. I want to capture their essence.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

It seems silly at times, because I am fully aware what a privilege it is to be an artists full-time and I also actively chose this lifestyle, but it can be incredibly isolating. I have no consistency and I am constantly hustling for the next job or fighting to be compensated properly. It takes a lot of gumption to be your own boss – I manage my schedule, my finances, my contracts on top of the creative side of producing the shoot, having the shoot, and editing the shoot.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.macksfilms.org
• Instagram: macksfilms

Image Credits
For the photo of myself, the photographer is Joseph Calvo