Meet Mackenzie Ramans | Wedding and Event Photographer

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

Hi Mackenzie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Much like every millennial that has chosen an artistic career post-college, I never thought owning a creative business was in my future. I was living in Tampa, Florida back in 2019, paycheck to paycheck, working jobs within the degree I earned but not feeling fulfilled in the 9-5 lifestyle. I’d taken classes in photography in high school and was currently working a stint as an elementary and middle school yearbook photographer, but I thought that was the ceiling for me. Enter, a world-shaking life altering event– and I’m not talking about Covid, just yet. On the job at an elementary school one late September day I had two Grand Mal seizures back to back as a result of stress, not sleeping, working with flashing photography strobes, and an undiagnosed case of generalized epilepsy. Emergency personnel was called, no pulse was found, the firefighters started CPR on me and 10 seconds later I was back to the land of living, like no time had even passed at all. I wish I could say I saw God or Angels or had some kind of other worldly experience but I didn’t, and I think that was what felt so big about it. I don’t remember a thing from being “gone,” just black. After 3 days in the hospital and a script for a cocktail of prescriptions the parts of life I had worried about before seemed inconsequential. Getting another chance at life set me on a path for myself that I wasn’t ready for, but I knew I couldn’t spend another day, doing the same thing, and have the possibility that it could all be ripped away from me again. I wanted to have an impact on people’s lives past a 2.1 x 1.6 image, and thus Mackenzie Grace Photography was born.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s said time and time again but rings true today– the most incredible thing about Art is its subjectivity. What makes one piece beautiful to someone can be the exact reason it turns away others. Take a look at an image in a museum or magazine and you can decide pretty easily whether it speaks to you or not. Yet, within the photography industry I’ve chosen to immerse myself, the places that most of my art lives is on your wall, or in the homes of your loved ones. Wedding photographers have to be able to create art that people will enjoy looking at forever, while also capturing it in an authentic way. The entire wedding day we do a delicate dance between fully controlling a moment and simultaneously leaving space for one to unfold in front of us. If you can’t capture a split-second moment aesthetically, you won’t make it far in this business, but if you can’t anticipate a real moment, you won’t make it at all.

Something I’ve always been able to do was observe and figure people out; their mannerisms and reactions, the way certain things make them laugh just a little deeper, how to push their buttons just right, or the words they say every time they’re about to tell a joke. The way people work has always intrigued me. Even to this day I can see a couple outside my car window or in passing, and notice the beautiful little subtleties of the relationship. The way one partner slowly places a hand around the other before they step off the curb or just the look in their eye as speeding cars blow their partners hair in their face. I used to be ashamed of how deeply I felt and the way I day-dreamt stories whilst listening to my royal blue portable CD player in the way back of my parents suburban.

I guess all in all I’m proud of my ability to take control when I see a need, observe, step back and leave space for moments to occur, and bring exciting energy throughout. A lot of wedding photographers say they can bend time, but in reality I think we just understand people.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
What’s interesting and unique about both Washington (where I live) and Arizona, is the access to nature and its beautiful views! While Washington is filled with a more diverse landscape, we don’t have desert or red rock like Arizona. Not to mention, the rivers cutting through vast canyons are a photographers dream to say the very least. If you asked me this question in college I think my answer would have included the best restaurants, shopping, or nightlife. Yet, as I get older I am finding myself drawn to the land and taking in earth’s beauty (responsibly) while we still have it. There’s some truly gorgeous and iconic spots in Arizona that I would love to photograph clients at, but just experiencing them yourself is worth it I promise. Here the places I love to go when I’m in the area: Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Havasu Falls (permit needed), Saguaro National Park, Sedona, Superstition Mountains, Coyote Buttes North (the wave), Glen Canyon, and the Painted Desert.

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 believe people are a combination of everyone who has ever loved them! I owe everything to every single person who has touched my life in both a positive and negative way, but I can’t thank everyone here. I’ll keep it simple- as a product of divorce when I was very young, I was BLESSED to grow up with four parents (mom + dad divorced and remarried other people) who loved me unconditionally and gave up so much for me to be able to even follow my dreams. My Dad instilled in me a sense of work ethic — he’s the type of man to get joy from rising at 5am, working all day, getting home at 6pm, and then finishing off the night by working on the yard or one of his various muscle cars. My step-mom was born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico and after she married my dad she gave this little white girl the sense of culture I’d been missing. She taught me to salsa, bachata, and make authentic Mexican dishes, all while speaking with an honesty I didn’t appreciate the beauty of until I was older. My step-dad was the first emotional and nurturing man I remember in my life, and he didn’t join the family until I was 5 years old. Not to say that my Mom or Dad weren’t nurturing, they just had been through circumstances that had hardened them in a way my step-dad hadn’t. Life got so much funnier and softer after he came around. And lastly my mom; my mom is the toughest person you’ll ever meet, I promise you. She’s been through so much and the sheer strength it takes to carry on and love the way she does gives me the strength to run this business by myself!

Getting this far is a product of my skill and hard work, but staying the course is a testament to the way I was raised.

Website: www.mackenzieramans.com

Instagram: @mackenzieramans