Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddie Ray.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My passion for photography and telling a story existed before I even recognized it myself. When I was ten years old, my mom bought me my first point-and-shoot camera. I carried it everywhere to document everything that was happening in my life at the time. During high school, I took photography, I was the yearbook editor, and I was still photographing everything happening in my life. I moved on to college in 2013, joined the yearbook staff at the University of Texas and took the opportunity to photograph some amazing events, but I was still a little lost.
In 2014, I met my future husband. We got married around a year and a half later, and he whisked me away to Virginia where he was stationed in the Navy. This is where my dream of using my passion for photography to start a business started to grow. Yet, I was still pushing myself to finish college. Obtaining my degree in education was right around the corner, so I stuck it out.
2015 to 2017 was a complete whirlwind. These were the years my little photography business took off, all while I was still being a wife, finishing school, and practically living back and forth between Texas and Virginia. After my graduation in 2017, I took a teaching job. A job that I loved, but I was struggling with balancing my business, my family, and just life in general. In the spring of 2018, a sense of peace came over me. A peace that encouraged me to follow my heart I quit my teaching job, and I took the plunge into taking this dream of a job full-time. So, here I am today!
Please tell us about your art.
I believe in documenting the stories of couples, seniors, and families in an authentic, loving way. I love photographing moments as a story highlighted with natural light, nature and the gorgeous afternoon sunshine that God blessed this great state of Texas with. I want my photos to feel as real as you are – full of genuine love and laughter.
There’s something to be said about the tiny moments that take place on wedding days, during a senior year, or even in parenthood. Whether it’s when he sees you in your dress for the first time, the way you blossom into a young woman, or the crazy looks you share when parenting is rough – these moments deserve to be remembered. Because when the wedding dress is hung, the college dorm room is decorated, when the babies are all grown up… the one single piece of those tiny moments that remain are the photographs.
There is nothing I love more than serving as a storyteller for my clients by creating images that speak to your heart when you first see them, and to later generations when they are hanging in your home. All the good stuff, the little moments and the big moments, I believe in capturing it all.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
In the beginning, you will have to save your pennies, you may have to work two jobs, and you will likely lose lots of sleep. Building a business is not for the faint of heart, but I’ll be the first to tell you that the reward is worth the hard work. Here is what I want any struggling artist to remember the most: CHARGE WHAT YOU’RE WORTH. The people who respect your work and want to work with you will gladly pay for your fee. These people will be your ideal clients. They will trust your guidance and your ideas, and they will be the people who make your heart soar when you work with them. Those people are out there – I promise!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Feel free to take a look around my website or follow me on Instagram or like my Facebook page. I also run a print shop, With Love from Texas, where I sell fine art, high-quality prints. I never knew how much Texas pride I carried until I moved away. I wasn’t gone long, but now more than I ever I see how my home inspires me to photograph anything and everything with a passion as deep as the heart of Texas. The shop now gives people the opportunity to own a little piece of Texas for themselves: prints.maddierayphoto.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: maddierayphoto.com
- Email: maddie@maddierayphoto.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/maddierayphoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/maddierayphoto
Image Credit:
Maddie Ray
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