We were lucky to catch up with Macie Torres recently and have shared our conversation below.
Macie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Finding one’s purpose comes with a lot of self reflection and humility. My former experience is in Special Education, not photography. I primarily worked in a severe and high risk behavior unit. I was trained to de-escalate crises and support elementary aged student regulate heavy emotions. I was pursuing a degree in early childhood studies to focus on a career in education. I balanced school, my job in education, and photography. Throughout this time I felt like I was starting to lose myself and my purpose. In September of 2023, my aunt invited me to the Sparrow Collective Identity course. This course opened up and range of healthy self-reflection. Is my purpose in special education or is there something else out there for me? Soon after putting my all into my work as an education, I felt the lord tell me that it was time to move on. I saw that although I was successful in my career, this was not my purpose. After careful consideration, I decided to quit my full-time job and pursue photography full-time while in school to complete my bachelor’s. I am so excited to learn so many new things about myself and experience a new genre of life through the creatives of photography.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My business, Macie Eliza Photos, is in the next steps of full-time photography! As of January of 2024, I decided to pursue photography full-time as I finish up my last few semesters to earn my bachelor’s. Starting a full-time photography gig while doing 19 hour of online college work is very chaotic, but I still have joy every second of it. My goal as a photographer is to capture life’s most memorable moments. Most photographers have a niche, My niche is life moments. This involves weddings, couples, maternity, mommy and me, and graduates. These are all moments in your life that deserve recognition. Through this life moments I have captured beautiful first-time moms, engagements, cancer warriors, and so many amazing stories. Because I have pursued photography full-time, I have added a new service; weddings! I am so excited to be capturing small and intimate weddings this year. In March 2024, I will also be releasing my very own wedding planner that will be available to my wedding clientele! This project has been in the making since November 2022. It has been so fun creating this planner. I cannot wait to connect with 2024 brides to capture your special day.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three main things to know entering into the photography field would be: have thick skin, know your camera, and try all the types of photography. Coming into this business, I have had to learn that people will have opinions. Sometimes it hurts to have someone criticize your photo, but you will soon learn that it does help to have more perspective. I heard another photographer once say, once you recognize the person in front of the camera then you can make art. There are going to be shoots where the client chooses not to download the photos, they do not like the images provided, or worst case scenario they want a refund. That all will hurt and your feelings will be valid for being hurt or upset. Stay professional and strong, do not let this hold you back from finding your dream client! My second tip would be to know your camera. As you are starting to learn your editing style, you will need to know how to work your camera. Once you understand the craft of the camera settings, you will find that your editing job is much easier. Learning the camera add-ons such as an external flash is essential. You will not always have natural light and this will elevate your brand. Lastly, try all different types of photography. Photographers who ask you to “find your niche” are the equivalent of asking a high-schooler what career they are planning, no one knows because they have not experienced anything yet! Try everything out at least once! Join in styled shoots, content days, and education courses. By doing this, you are adding experience under your belt and finding the photography you gravitate towards.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking to connect and collaborate with new faces! This industry is all about networking and connecting with others. I am currently looking for makeup artists, hairstylist, and venues to work with. We can connect with a content shoot. I want to promote and support other businesses. If you are trying to get your business moving forward, let’s work together in order to get that goal started for you. I needed people to spread the word for my business and to give me a chance, I would love to provide this for others. I am also always available for warrior sessions! You may be asking yourself, what is a warrior session? A warrior session is for anyone who has fought or fighting cancer. These are donation based and all you need to do to inquiry about this session is email me “Warrior Session” and share your story. I have worked with Mustard Seed Mountain Ministries and Leia’s Kids which are both non-profit organizations that provide a level of care to those fighting through Pediatric Cancer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://macieelizaphotos.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macieelizaphotos?igsh=MWZ2cGFjOGZoc284YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macieelizaphotography?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Macie Eliza Photos
