“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
For 12 years, I thoughtfully grew my photography business and had some of the best years meeting countless people and families, many who became wonderful friends. I am tremendously fortunate to have been able to create the body of work I have- I owe it to you, my clients, my people who believed in me and my photography! But now I’m calling my energy back to myself and my passion for taking photos has reverted to being a sacred hobby. That’s pretty darn special.
Truth is, I’ll always be a photography nerd. I’ve been a wee bit obsessed with portraits for as long as I can remember, influenced by the likes of Herb Ritts, Vivian Maier, David Bailey, and Annie Leibovitz. To me, faces tell stories that encapsulate the essence of an individual. At home, I have the prettiest yellow cabinet that houses my now overflowing vintage camera collection, many of which still work and inspired me to learn how to develop and print photos in the darkroom! Long before I became a pro photographer I printed every single photo I took and to this day they are still in albums or boxes. Even now, nothing beats the feeling when I open a package of prints and see my work staring back at me. It just never gets old and I will never stop taking photos.
Now that I’ve officially hung up my ‘working photographer’s hat’, a large part of my art focus has been on printmaking and I am crazy in love with it! Pulling a print and seeing an image unfold before your eyes has that same element of magic that film photography has. Whenever possible, I continue to take art mentorships and classes, immersing myself into mixed media work like collage. I also like to make stuff like photo wood transfers when the mood calls. This art journey and exploration is good for the soul, especially given the times we are living in.
I love good food, thrifting for old, smelly cameras, film photography, supporting everything local, the eighties, learning new things, music, and having a good laugh with my amazing friends. At the end of the day though, home is what makes my heart the most happy.
Maki
