Today we’d like to introduce you to Mackenzie Madriaga.
Hi Mackenzie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I joined a photography club in middle school and my love for the medium grew from there. Learning that you could share stories without words interested me and my weekends were spent taking pictures of my friends and family, or marches and protests; anything that took space in my heart, I made space on my SD card for. The subject of my work has primarily been street photography and portraiture, as I have always had a fascination for people and the impact they leave around them
At 14 I had the opportunity to showcase my work in a youth exhibition for the San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts and that sparked my interest in pursuing photography. It was life-changing to see the emotions and conversations that images could provoke and to this day I strive to create images that are impactful, engaging, and honest.
Since then, I have been sharing my work at shows and galleries, and even won a few gold keys in the Scholastic Art and Writing competition! Photojournalism and documentary photography piqued my interest and I got to have my images displayed on the front page of business for the newspaper ‘The Oregonian’. I’ll be attending my first year of college as a photography student this year and I’m excited to hone in my craft and explore all the avenues it has to offer.
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?
I’ve always known that I wanted to be an artist. Although there wasn’t a sudden Epiphone, there was definitely some doubt keeping me from really going for it. I worried I might not be good enough to make a career out of art. However, a moment that really gave me hope was putting on my first art show. I was so excited to set up my own booth, proudly displaying my photographs, drawings, and prints for sale. Selling my art and talking to people about it was a great experience in itself, but the part that really stuck with me was that there were other people there who had the same dream as me and they were able to pursue their art and live happily doing something they love. Being a part of that art community made me believe that this is an achievable goal and that if I work hard enough, it is something I can do.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I currently work as a ceramic artist and freelance photographer as I attend school. I specialize in candid portraits and street photography as I love documenting people as they are. I’m the most proud of my use reflections and lighting in my work as that’s always been something I’ve loved playing with.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I originally thought I wanted to be a painter and then realized I hate painting. Although I do think that starting off as a fine artist has helped me with my photography.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/driiaga/
