We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maggie Irelan – Holmes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maggie below.

Alright, Maggie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I started the idea of photography when I graduated high school 5 years ago. I was struggling to find something that interested me as a career. I never thought that I could be where I am today just by simply taking my talent for taking photos to the next level. A lot of people gasp at me when I tell them that I do not have a photography degree, nor have I ever taken a photography class. Everything that I have learned is all self taught. I think that taking a photography class would’ve been helpful if I had taken it in the very beginning. There was a LOT that I had to learn very quickly. Most things were learned from mistakes. Lots of tears were shed – LOL. However, I am very proud of how far I have come!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hey! My name is Maggie, I’m 23 years old, and have been doing photography professionally for 4.5 years now! I am a wife, an adventurer, and lover of all things boho! I also just had my dream wedding in Arizona! My story goes like this – It all started when I was 10 years old. My grandfather had gifted me a Kodak point and shoot camera for our family trip to Yellowstone National Park. I quickly fell in love with capturing every memorable moment. Upon returning from our trip, my grandfather was going through all of the images I had taken from the trip. There was one shot that we kept coming back to – a landscape view of the medicinal waters of the Shoshone in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We entered the photo in a few different photo contests, and I ended up winning first place in all of them. At just 10 years old, I was an award-winning photographer! At this point, I knew that this was my calling in life. Ever since then, I have fallen in love with creating and sharing my photos throughout the years. In 2018, fresh out of high school, I created my own photography brand, and it quickly took off. Through lots of trial and error, success, and tears, I have landed on my current brand of Desert Luna Photography – and I could not be more proud.

My style is considered very boho, and somewhere on the moody side of editing! I aspire to capture my clients in their natural state. I like simple, candid photos, that simply capture my subject’s personalities in the best way possible. I like to find locations that transport my clients to what looks like a whole new region. As much as I would LOVE to move to the desert, the Midwest is where my family is, So, finding the beauty in some unique spots that Missouri and Illinois have to offer allows me to capture some very unique photos!

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

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is the simply capturing my client’s time in their lives, In the moment, these photos we take together are fun, effortless, and sometimes stressful. But, in the grand scheme of things, these sessions are their memories. I have watched their children grow up, I have captured their loved ones that are no longer with us, to me, these photos are not just a photo, but a memory, that my clients can hold onto forever. I am absolutely honored that these people chose ME to capture these moments.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My overall goal is to eventually become a traveling elopement photographer. I aspire to put in the time doing smaller scale sessions here in Missouri, but eventually, I would love to be able to travel and capture love stories all around the world. I currently have a few destination elopements in my books for 2023. I cannot wait to gain that experience!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.desertlunaphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/desertlunaphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/desertlunaphotography