On Harnessing Creativity and The Beauty of The Female Form

Hello,  We just got back from being on tour with work as a family in Byron Bay, our baby girl Goldie turns one this week + we just started her daycare journey so it’s been a wild old time in the Maggs household. 

So, today I am enjoying this glorious sunshine, before jumping into life admin and turning my attention to development and planning for projects I am currently working on for my photography series, Wildfemmes. 

Wildfemmes is the celebration of the female form, through ethereal underwater imagery, and powerful storytelling inspired by strong and feminine muses.

I've been living by the sea for nearly 12 years now, and I’ve come to realise that it’s a part of me. It calms, reinvigorates, frees and on occasion humbles me. 

It’s a daily ritual to be in or around it, and Wildfemmes was born and evolved so organically. It just made and continues to make sense.

My family and I have been living on the Coal Coast for nearly three years now, and love our sweet slice of paradise that we get to call home. 

 

Nestled into the palm jungle, and close to the water, we feel pretty lucky to be situated on this beautiful coastline.

 

I have been a producer and director in tv and the content creation space, for the better part of two decades with photography purely being an outlet and hobby. In 2019 I felt a real pull to dive a little deeper (like what I did there?) into this medium, inspired by the incredible women I am surrounded by, and the experiences of those women and myself - mainly in relation to our physical/ mental health, and our sheer strength in our professional and personal lives.

 

I am in awe of what the female body can endure and achieve, especially after giving birth and moving through my postpartum phase. 

 

I am also extremely lucky to have some incredible mentors such as Shannon Glasson, a big wave surf photographer, who guided me in the water when I needed to up skill and hone in on my direction. That type of one-on-one time is priceless! 

I think what I like the most about shooting underwater portraits such as Wildfemmes, is that it is so fluid. Everything is a variable; the water clarity, sun position, wind, the muse, the movement, everything. Very contrasting from my work in TV where logistics and forward planning are incredibly crucial to the success of the production.

However I always start with the location. When you find that body of water which is crystal clear and perfect for shooting in, you can’t wipe the smile off my face.

 

This is toughy, as each creative and their work is so unique. 

However, as a starting point I love getting a big piece of paper and mapping out what I want to achieve, what I want to create, the messaging, offering, who I want my clients to be, who is my audience, your core values you’d like to instill, the works. I find this really helps with direction and curating your professional journey.

 

Then… just do it! You don’t have to have everything perfect to start. Never be afraid to ask questions, having a mentor is like gold (especially in a few different areas), work-life balance is a mythical beast and most importantly, don’t forget why you started.

 

For example, I love connecting with inspiring women who are making an impact in their own special ways, telling stories through my craft, empowering those around me, and creating magic through my imagery. 

Oh so much good stuff to come! 

Very soon we will be launching the Wildfemmes interview series, where we are chatting to some incredibly inspiring women such as Laura Wells (Scientist), Caroline Groth (Health and wellness advocate), Charlotte Chimes (Actress), Ema Taylor (Naturopath and fertility educator), and Zoe Condliffe (Founder of She’s a Crowd) and so many more. 

Plus I am excited to share that I will be officially opening my books for private commissions at the end of August. The response to my work has been heart warming and I get people every day reaching out asking if they can work with me. Up until now it just didn’t feel right, mainly as I was in the thick of breastfeeding, new mum life and functioning on half a brain. Being a big believer of flow and alignment, timing is everything so this will be an exciting new chapter for me and Wildfemmes.

 

I am also developing some products to come under the Wildfemmes brand and ethos, but you’ll have to wait a smidge longer for an update on those. 

I’d love to leave you with a quote from Meryl Streep who is the ultimate muse, that really resonates with me and my work:

 

 

Thank you for taking a moment to learn a little about me and what I do.  

 

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