Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maddie Stanley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Maddie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
As a kid I was always interested in the arts; theater, chorus, drawing, painting, you name it. Starting high school I had bullheadedly decided I was going to skip college and runaway to LA and make it big as an actor. Of course I had no concept of just how difficult that would be having grown up on the East Coast with absolutely zero connections to Hollywood ha. During my sophomore year I took my first photography class and dedicated myself to taking a picture everyday for an entire year with my $50 point and shoot camera without skipping a single day. Looking back at those photos on my ancient Facebook account now is hilarious but it’s what started my passion and love of photography which changed the whole trajectory of where I wanted my future to go. By my senior year of high school I was being paid to shoot friends graduation portraits and family portrait sessions, and by my freshman year of college I shot my first 3 weddings for $700 a pop with absolutely no prior wedding experience. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend jumping in blind like I did but it worked out for me! Fast forward 10 years later, my career has not only provided more financially than I ever thought possible but has brought me to 38 states, 15 countries and counting, and has introduced a deep, incredible network of new friends all around the world from doing a job that invigorates me every day.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I don’t love to refer to myself as any specific type of photographer but weddings and couples are my true passion. There is something so magical to me about creating and preserving memories for people on their most joyful day. I am personally invited and trusted to share the same laughs, tears, and joy as my clients and their loved ones and that is something I am forever grateful for. In 2019 I discovered my other love which is travel, and knew I wanted to learn how I could marry my two greatest passions. I started booking my own travel and set up free shoots while abroad. It took a few years and a good chunk of change but eventually I started to book paid destination work. 2024 will be my biggest travel year with 10 international weddings! It is wild to think that a high school hobby has turned into a catalyst for adventure and my wildest dreams becoming reality!
I remember peers in my college photography courses scoffing at and looking down on anyone that wanted to pursue wedding photography, claiming it was a shallow field requiring little artistic ability. That never stopped me from proudly standing by my love of love!
Outside of shooting couples and weddings, I enjoy creative branding shoots for other small businesses and documenting my travels which I lovingly refer to as my “for fun photos”.
As a young photographer I always worried about how I would set myself apart as a business and as an artist. I mean, scroll around for 5 minutes on Instagram or do a quick google search and you will be inundated with dozens of incredibly talented photographers. That is SO intimidating. What I came to realize is that, at least in the wedding industry, it goes so far beyond hiring someone who can take amazing images and edits them well. A photographer’s personality can quite literally make or break your experience. That’s where I think I set myself apart from others in my industry. Although I have worked years to hone my artistic vision, my skills, and my editing style, I believe my biggest gift from God is my genuine love for people that has made me successful in my career and keeps my passion burning bright. I always tell potential clients that although I’m practically a complete stranger, I want it to feel like I’m a familiar presence not just to you but to your friends, your family, and your guests. I’m fortunate enough to be intentional with the business I accept these days, so I look for strong chemistry and trustfulness among other criteria when choosing who to book with. I want to work with couples that value their marriage as an overall experience versus checking off a to do list and in doing so have built lifelong friendships with many of my clients. I think of a wedding photographer as an investment that you’re stuck working intimately with for a year plus, so you’d better get along well with them!
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
It’s amazing all the education resources that have popped up over the last few years for wedding and elopement photographers. Up until the very end of 2019 I was completely self taught, did and learned everything on my own which as one could imagine led to a somewhat slower growth. I had to rely on a lot of trial and error which looking back I am grateful for but also feel like some time was waisted. I knew I wanted to break into booking travel work so I started looking into photographer workshops, which at the time were still relatively new but gaining popularity. I was very wary when researching as I had heard some horror stories, but after extensive research found one that was being hosted by two established photographers Tyler Rye and Jeremy Chou and it truly changed the course of my business. Not only did I get to learn from two very well known and incredibly successful industry leaders that were booking the work I wanted to book, but for the first time got to meet and befriend others in my industry.
Since then educational resources and workshops have spread like wildfire, everywhere you look there is a new photographer promoting their education which is both a blessing and a curse I think. I’ve noticed that younger photographers who started their careers after 2020 blow up way quicker than people who started in the 2010’s because of all these newly available resources which is so cool to see! I will say though, using discernment is even more crucial now when deciding what education to give your money to! Look for established, experienced educators that align with your business goals and read plenty of reviews from previous attendees.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I think every creative hits the point of the comparison game, and just by getting themselves out of that is one of the biggest measures of resilience. Even after 10 plus years I still find myself comparing to other artists at times, but I’ve learned that keeping your head down and keeping your eyes on yourself and your own work is the only way to grow and achieve exactly what you want. Getting caught in the comparison game is so easy but it just rears the ugly heads of jealousy and contempt. Once I learned to step out of that and shift my mindset, I was able to jump over hurdles with ease and genuinely celebrate and draw inspiration from the same people I used to be jealous and critical of and boy is that a freeing feeling.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maddiekayephotography.com
- Instagram: maddiekayephoto
- Facebook: Maddie Kaye Photography
- Other: TikTok: maddiekayephoto