Photographer: Tracie Maglosky
This week’s featured photographer is Tracie Maglosky. Tracie Jean Photo Studios is the Official Photography Brand of Tracie Maglosky. Tracie is an International Speaker and Public Figure, Olympus Visionary, Profoto Legend of Light, MagMod Ambassador and Millers Speaker. This amazing insightful interview will make you fall in love with her work.
When did you know the photography/video industry was for you?
I pretty much accidentally fell into photography. When I had my first son I received a camera as a gift for my baby shower and I started taking pictures of him when he was born. At the time I had no idea the journey upon which I would be embarking. Later friends begin asking me to take pictures of their children and I did it for free for some time. Soon people were asking what I charged and trying to give me money for my work and eventually I was in a place to receive it. Still I didn’t view photography as a full-time job kind of thing. It wasn’t until I was at my first wedding as a second shooter for free that I realized that I had something that was valuable that I could offer to the world.
How did you get your current position?
That’s an interesting question. The path probably looks like a disheveled ball of yarn far more than a tidy list of steps. I’m willing to take a guess that the future might look similar. I’ve always colored a little bit outside of the lines. I’d say mostly my experiences have been born of luck, hard work, and a belief that I could do anything if I really wanted to badly enough.
How did your training or schooling prepare you for your job?
As a portrait photographer, I would say the most invaluable part of my learning was learning about learning people. The most important job I ever had was when I was a teenager and I learned how to wait tables. Fast forward a few years to college where I went to a Bible college and majored in pastoral studies. This educational experience fostered a desire to teach and help others grow…which has helped to shape my passion for teaching photographers now in my current career path. Fast forward a few years after that, I finished college and like most college graduates decided on a completely different career path. I found myself in a sales position with a Fortune500 Company. As one of their top sales reps, the experience of learning how to sell has catapulted my business in portrait photography to amazing places. In an effort to not make this too long, the next most important contribution would be becoming a mother and learning how to anticipate the needs of others.
What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your career?
Myself. It may seem like a weird answer but I have been always my greatest competition, my toughest critic, and at times my own worst enemy. Most of any struggles that I faced were internal. It’s taken time for me to recognize that others will see me as I see myself. When I began to see myself as valuable others begin to recognize the value that I beheld. When I begin to recognize myself as talented and creative the world began to chime back to me those same sentiments.
Who would you name as the most influential person in shaping your career? Why
It’s really tough to just list one person. So I won’t. I told you I color outside the lines a little bit. First of all, my children. They were my original inspiration Photography and continue to inspire me every day. They have believed in me every step of the way on this journey and continue to support all of my travel and my time away from them and make me feel like I’m the best mom in the world. Next would be my mother who instilled in me and unstoppable work ethic. She has always believed in anything I’ve wanted to do and supported me 1,000,000%. Of course, my gorgeous husband, who loves me unconditionally and believes in me more than anyone on the planet and inspires me every day to continue on this journey. The last mention is every female photographer who has gone before me in this industry and opened a path for me to be able to be both mother successfully and a photographer successfully and apologize for neither of those things existing together in the same exact moment.
If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?
Travel and seeing beautiful things and having new experiences. When I travel I feel I lose time and space and I become so inspired by beautiful places and new experiences. I often think that my most creative moments are when I am in a place that I’ve never been, having an experience that I’ve never had and I can feel myself expanding to receive that experience.
To see more of Traci’s work, visit: https://www.traciejeanphoto.com
