We were lucky to catch up with Madison Green recently and have shared our conversation below.

Madison , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

This business is focused on Fashion and Lifestyle Photography. Madison Jewel Photography seeks beauty and always finds it. It’s a business based on bringing visions to life, making individuals feel beautiful (emphasis on this), capturing culture, and fashion evolution. Madison Jewel Photography sprouted in 2017 and has been growing since. The intention behind Madison Jewel Photography is to work with clients to help bring their visions to fruition. Madison Jewel Photography is a visual communicator; it’s a form of art. Therefore, the artist is communicating through the lens of a camera and her creative direction. The idea is to capture moods, emotion, memories, culture, fashion, and more through digital and film photography.

Madison Jewel, myself, is the person behind the camera. I strive to seek beauty in every individual I work with and I find it. I believe that my work is honest and intuitive. I work determinedly to empower all who stands in front of my lens. My relationship with photography began much earlier than 2017, but 2017 is when I decided the kind of art I wanted to make. I was inspired during a school project in 2017 at Stephens College, a Fine Arts school known for its intensive Fashion Program. I fell in love with the process of creative directing, styling, and using a camera to communicate visually. A year into using a camera with intention, I found myself creative directing shoots by making mood boards, style boards, and sourcing styling pieces and props for shoots, meeting other photographers, networking, marketing myself on social media, collaborating with others, internships within the creative industry, and building a clientele.

Now, 5 years later, I continue to grow into my mission for my business, evolve as an artist, and dream without limitations.

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

My love for photography sprouted during my teenage years. I loved to dress up my little sister and take her photos. I loved taking pictures of life around me. It wasn’t until my freshmen year of college at Stephens College, a Fine Arts school known for its intensive Fashion Programs, I realized what kind of art I wanted to make. Madison Jewel Photography was founded in 2017. I was assigned a project where I had a choice to make an editorial spread, a fashion design collection, or marketing plan for a dream fashion brand. I chose to make an editorial spread. The assignment was to creative direct a shoot, capture the images, and use Adobe software to put the images together into an editorial spread and print it out as a zine. I decided to call my project “Agender” meaning, fashion has no gender. I made a mood board, a style board, found 3 models (1 male and 2 female), and went out to source the styling pieces and props for the shoot. I fell in love with the process of creative directing, styling, and capturing photos. This was the moment I knew that I had dreams of being a Fashion and Lifestyle photographer.

A year into using a camera intentionally, I found myself creative directing shoots, meeting other photographers, networking, marketing myself on social media, collaborating with others, and building a clientele. Five years later, I continue to evolve with my cameras, gain experience in several areas of photography and my business continues to grow in fashion, beauty, weddings, lifestyle, traditional, and boudoir shoots.

Madison Jewel Photography offers my time, my knowledge with a camera, and my personal creative vision in order to bring your vision to life. The business is located in Missouri (Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis with a willingness to travel). During your session, I offer my clients a comfortable energy to help my models to relax and prepare for their shoot sessions. Madison Jewel Photography offers you finished edited work in a timely manner through a professional site – an access code will be given to you to ensure your photos are protected. From that site you can download your photos and do as you please with them, and it gives you access to order prints, canvases, CDs, and much more directly from the site itself. Madison Jewel Photography offers several packages known as a Minimal Package, Authentic Package, Creative Package, an Elopement Package, Wedding Package, Event Package, and videography.

Something that Madison Jewel Photography does that sets me a part from other photography businesses is that I offer film photography as well. I offer 35mm and 120 format film rolls in my Authentic and Creative Packages. With my Creative Package I offer a crafted mood board and style board for my clients to communicate the mood and inspiration for our shoot. I ask my client for 3 describing words they would like their shoot with Madison Jewel Photography to embody, and that is what I use for my creative direction.

Some of my proudest work stems from the art I created during my women’s retreat/event known as Unbecoming – Divine Society | The Movement. Madison Jewel Photography and Diamond Israel Photography collaborated to create an all inclusive event for women and the LGBTQIA+ community. Both myself and Diamond Israel Heller, photographers with extensive backgrounds, powerful advocates and
leaders for the women and LGBTQIA+ empowerment movement, combine forces and form a movement like no other. An opportunity to experience an annual event centered around the divine feminine experience, self love, and togetherness. Breaking down systematic beauty standards, redefining what it means to be feminine and being able to recognize the power we hold within
ourselves.

Divine Society The Movement is a jam packed boudoir event that brings an edge to your typical photoshoot with guest speakers, an incredible location, activities, a chance to hear other’s stories and share your own, group photos that will be up for publication, an individual boudoir session with both Madison Jewel Photography and Diamond Israel Photography, and last but certainly not least; A lingerie sleepover at our stunning venue. The goal of this crossover movement is to bring light to the trials and tribulations we experience as women and within the LGBTQIA+ community, to create a safe space to not only reconnect with ourselves but also with each other in togetherness. This movement is a safe space curated to allow divine individuals to share their voices, lean on one another, and learn from one another. An opportunity to redefine what ‘beauty’ and ‘self love’ look and feel like. A moment to remind individuals of who they truly are and allow them to step into their power; The Wild, Intuitive, and Divine beings that we are.

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?

Individuals who are fearless in their approach to living tend to appreciate my work, and vice versa. I like to think of my work and my creative journey as an ode to challenge cultural norms, societal beauty standards, and perception. I want my work to be a voice for the wild divine. Each individual that stands in front my lens, I want to capture them empowered and strong. I have endured losses and comments that were meant to water my creative journey down, but I still create nonetheless. I believe that what is understood, doesn’t need to be explained. For those who may not understand my intention behind my work, I have a quote for you: “He Who Seeks Beauty, Will Find It.” – Bill Cunningham.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is when the individual in front of my lens eyes light up at seeing what I have created using them as a muse. Some of my clients have never modeled or been in front of the camera before, and for them to leave a shoot with me and express that they have never felt more beautiful in their life, is the most rewarding aspect of being a creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.madisonjewelgreen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisonjewel____/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madisonjewelphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madison-green-2b704716b/