Today we’d like to introduce you to Macy Muzljakovich.
Hi Macy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The first time I picked up a camera was during an art class in high school. My teacher, Ms. Green, gave us one assignment: take a photo of something you like.
So I took a photo of a dingy old red wagon that has been through many generations of kids at my grandmother’s house, and with that photo, I ended up winning a state competition. I’ve been in love with photography ever since I took that picture and I still have the same passion for taking pictures as I did at 15.
I went to UNT as a photography major (ca-caw!), and am classically trained in fine art photography, but fell in love photographing people.
Today I work primarily with families and people who want to capture their joy and passion for one another and especially themselves. I work with all walks of life and I pride myself on have a 100% satisfaction rate!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not! Like many other young adults with a passion for art, I majored in photography in school. Unfortunately, I was not cut out for the hard, hungry life of an artist, and I ended up working for a portrait studio and for someone who would inevitably take advantage of my hard work and skills. I was young (and dumb) and signed a non-compete, so even though I moved on from the portrait studio, I was not able to work as a photographer for nearly 18 months.
Thankfully, while I worked at that studio, I had gotten my master’s degree and gotten a corporate job, so I was able to support myself in the meantime and found a separate passion for marketing. I can now happily say that I have two thriving careers, but it was a long journey getting to where I am now.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I don’t necessarily have a specific niche that I photograph. I don’t photograph studio newborns (too hot and too hard!), but my style is more documentary than a traditional photographer. At the beginning of a session, I always tell my clients that for the next hour, we’re simply on a walk. We might see a cool rock, and I’ll ask you to sit on it, and then we’ll move on.
I like to photograph people experiencing the moment. For me, it brings out who they are and we can get genuine emotions rather than forcing it.
I’m most proud of the fact that once I photograph someone 9 times out of 10, they will want to work with me again. It gives me so much pride to become friends with my clients, especially if I visit their homes and my work is on the walls. My friends can attest that I’ll tear up every time it happens.
I think what sets me apart from some of the other photographers in the area is my speed. My contracts promise a 2-week turnaround, but I rarely take any longer than 2 days to return images to a client – even weddings. I have always had a passion for both photographing and editing photos so I am almost always too excited to wait to go through the galleries when I get home from a shoot and at that point, you’re halfway done so why stop?
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
The Facebook community set up by Kendra Swalls (another photographer) called DFW Clickin Moms has been an incredible resource. I lean heavily on these women for reassurance, advice, and to show off work when I am loving a specific shot.
I also love LOOKSLIKEFILM – another Facebook community. It’s a global community filled with photographers of all kinds and I find the work both breathtaking and inspiring. Some of my best work has been sparked by ideas from that group.
I’m also an avid Muderino – shout out to my favorite girls on the My Favorite Murder podcast. I’m a sucker for true crime and they never fail to make me laugh.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@macyalexphotography.com
- Website: macyalexphotography.com
- Instagram: @macyalexphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macyalexphotography
