We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Magdalene Mahairas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Magdalene, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?
As I sit and think about how to answer this question there were so many things that came to mind but I think these might be the most important and the top things I would do differently. There is a huge misconception in the industry that in order to succeed and be the best photographer you must have the best and most expensive gear. They say an artist is only as good as their tools however I believe the best artists knows how to master any set of tools and make something great from whatever they have.
When you are able to make something amazing out of less when. you need to upgrade or at a point where it is more feasible financially it will just make the art that much better.
When film photography was the medium (before digital) the only way to truly learn was as an apprentice but with that the ease and lower cost of digital it gives you more room to fail (which is great with trying new things) However, I think it took away the value of learning under someone. I certainly wish I would have invested into education and a mentor much sooner when I made the switch to digital. I feel it would have accelerated by growth, not only in my art, but also my business skills. When you are learning under/besides someone you are expected to not get it right every time, but once you are on your own the margin for error is much smaller and you are solely responsible for capturing someone’s memories that oftentimes can not be duplicated (such as a wedding).
Magdalene, 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 started this photography journey in the military, it’s something that as of 2023 I never even really shared. While there are really cool things I got to capture, people jumping out of planes, bullets flying, etc, there wasn’t truly raw emotion. You have you put emotions aside in order to carry out a mission-it’s critical. Everything we do is met with precision, grit, and barring. Once I started to transition into the civilian world photography became my outlet. Art was my safe place. I was able to test boundaries in a healthy environment, without repercussions. The shot list is important, but more importantly is that I use my intuition guide my clients and share their love each image comfortably.
I think the problem I solve for my clients is their fear of not only what to do in front of the camera, but the fear of the “what-if’s” that could happen on their wedding day. I make sure they have zero fear that nothing will be missed and their day runs as smoothly as possible because their images reflect their love to another and the love they share with all the guest there.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
I started off learning photography in the military and after 8 years decided to end my time in the service. I went back to college as a single mother of a toddler and started doing photography on the side while also working several other jobs and taking a full course load for my undergraduate degree. During this time I was making around 20,000 a year without putting much effort into a business. 2 years later, after completing another bachelor’s degree and starting graduate school, while working a very low paying career I decided to leave that and pursue photography full time. I had to work several part time jobs while pursuing my business full time.
I found someone well established and gained a mentor to help me walk through learning how to run a business (nothing any of my degree fields had anything to do with). Her and I are now very close friends. I furthermore continue each year to further not only my education in photography but in business by attending several conventions, one-on-one mentoring, as well as programs to better myself for my clients.
I also now am breaking into the education field for photography and launching workshops as well as have had the oppetunity to speak at a conference of 400 people.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I think meeting people where they are and relating to them. They are not just some inquiry email. It is so important for us to form a relationship with our clients. It is important we are there supporting them along the entire way.
We assure that we not only build a relationship with our clients but also building trusted relationships with other vendors in the industry. Not only is it a great referral base but we want our couples to be served with the upmost love and respect.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maddnessphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddness.photography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaddnessPhoto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magdalene-maddy-mahairas-40a40185
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/maddness-photography-clearwater
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@maddness.photography
Image Credits
I am the photographer: Maddness Photography