Meet Maggie Dunn | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maggie Dunn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maggie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work life balance is a huge, ongoing struggle that I am constantly in, but I feel like I’ve gotten better at managing it over 8 years of shooting. I think that it’s important to be a person and life a full life in order to show up well at your job consistently. If you’re looking for longevity, finding a flow between your work and your life is imperative. I’ve gotten better at being attune to a pull in one direction over another, and not fighting too hard if I feel like my life is taking me in a more personal-life direction or a work-life direction. Both will get done, but if I’m sacrificing one for the other, neither are doing well. Ultimately, I work more than I put into my personal life most days, but I know that if I don’t take a break, my body will take one for me, and I’d rather have control over when that happens.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run wedding photography business, based out of Athens, Georgia, and I travel all over the southeast working weddings for all different kinds of couples. My approach is outwardly calm and laid back, but when I’m photographing, my mind is constantly looking for moments of magic and beauty, so my work is a result of that balance. I’ve been working at this job for over 8 years, and it’s had lots of different iterations, as my personal life has changed, and how my art has changed. It is still not easy by any means to be a freelance artist, especially with ever-evolving economic changes and expectation changes. The wedding market looks completely different from when I began in this job.

Taking one project and one lesson at a time is how I’ve gotten through it. I’ve gotten less afraid to take risks and go for things if I didn’t know the end result would be good. I’ve gotten way better at putting myself out there for rejection, and understanding that there is a greater picture for why someone doesn’t choose to work with me.

I grew up in a big immediate family, but not with a ton of photos of my extended family, and I had a lot of extended family members pass away young. As I get older, I want to have evidence of those people and their lives, and I’m always thinking about that when I’m photographing a wedding. I am never thinking about how well an image will perform on social media or how it will convert people on my website. I’m thinking about a couple’s grandkids, and how much they’re going to love these photos in 40 years. I’m thinking about the treasure that timeless photos are, and that our stories are all important, especially to those people in our families.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t spend as much time in Atlanta as I do Athens, but in Atlanta, I’d definitely walk around Virginia Highlands or West Midtown. They’re different vibes but both super fun! In West Midtown, I’d take a friend to Le Chateau Atl, for the best antique shopping.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shoutout my friends, Zach Barron (@byzachbarron), Maura Davidson (@mauradavidsonphotography), Darby Bobo (@darbybobophoto) and Kate Phillips (@katehensphillips). I couple of years ago, I wanted to create a small community of people who could chat regularly about goals and ambitions, and we have talked on a video call once a month, for nearly three years. I thought initially our conversations would be about how to set goals and reach them, but I’ve found so much understanding and solace in those people, more than I could have imagined.

Website: https://www.maggiedunn.co

Instagram: @maggiedunn.co