Meet Maggie Syfan of Maggie Turner Photography in North East Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Syfan.

Maggie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was in high school, I excelled in cosmetology class. I loved every bit of it, so much so that my teacher invited me to join a national organization called SkillsUSA and compete in aesthetics. In this competition, I would give board certified facials, then apply casual and creative makeup to the model’s fresh skin (placed 1st in region and 2nd in state!). Two years later, our school made the switch to become a charter school and we moved all cosmetology classes to a career academy down the street. This is when my friends and I decided to take up photography.

I was not one to ever be competitive, but photography flipped a switch in me and made me want to work outside of the box. I got a local photographer to give me lessons on a camera I didn’t own yet, I bought studio lights to put in my parent’s basement, and took every assignment from that class outside of the classroom. The projects I had from photography 101 were very simple… things like “contrast” and “rule of thirds”… however, I would post the projects to my social media accounts and started noticing that they were getting major feedback. Seniors from other schools engaged couples families, you name it! People started reaching out from all over asking me to photograph them. I can remember checking out of school, to go shoot out of town and my parents being 100% okay with it. They could clearly see the drive I had to make something out of my growing hobby.

A few months later, it was spring break. I was inside editing while all my friends and family were down at the beach. I got to thinking how weird it was that I was posting strangers photos on my personal pages. The only way I figured I could make it “normal” was to create a facebook page for my work. (Instagram came later!) It took all of about 2 seconds to come up with the name… Maggie Turner Photography. Haha, creative right? The summer after I graduated, I took more photography classes in Atlanta and finally meshed my talents together. Soon I was offering hair, makeup, and portraits all in one. I didn’t realize how game changing it was until clients started telling me how wonderful it is to have a professional “one stop shop”. The news grew quickly throughout town, and my schedule became busier than ever. Eight years later, my business is still growing with a following of almost 8,000 people simply by word of mouth. I would have never dreamed of a camera taking me on such a wild, adventurous journey, but I am so thankful I ended up in that photography class nearly a decade ago.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oddly enough, it has been a very smooth road. Struggles of “spreading myself too thin” have come and gone, but it’s been a learning process trying to figure out when to pencil in some me time. I believe wholeheartedly that God brought all clients in my life when I needed them; clients for growth, clients that have expanded my creativity, and so much more. Always thankful and forever grateful!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Maggie Turner Photography – what should we know?
I specialize in the art of high school senior portraits and creative portrait photography. An average session would first start with hair and makeup, then packing up and venturing out to a few unique locations based on the outfits that my clients bring. If any of my gals ever need help choosing outfits, I offer shopping appointments at the mall/ shops of their choice. We grab some coffee, talk all things bright and inspiring, and hit their favorite stores. The concept of helping my seniors hands-on throughout the entire process is what I believe I am most known for and also what sets me apart from everyone else. The idea came to me in 2013 when I started lending out costume jewelry for each shoot.

My hope was to put each outfit at it’s highest potential and possibly even give it the one thing that it was missing. I even let some people borrow complete outfits from my personal closet if they were too nervous about the ones they brought themselves. I saw comfort in how each person reacted to my suggestions, and a year and a half later, shopping appointments were created and became a huge hit. I am proud to say that I have truly built this brand from the ground up with nothing but passion to start with. All based off of ideas that came to me when I was simply trying to make a great photograph. I can’t take all of the credit though… God was definitely on my side throughout the years (and still is!).

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Honesty, generosity, and kindness all meshed together! Being a photographer and having constant social interactions requires so much more than a fun/creative personality. Clients want to feel beautiful, valued, and confident from head to toe. I feel that it is so important to go above and beyond for each person and give them wonderful memories to go along with their great photographs.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.maggieturnerphotography.com
• Email: maggieturner12@yahoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggieturnerphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maggieturnerphotography/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/magnasty12

Image Credit:
Personal headshot: Brandi Sisson Photography

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