Meet Mazie Cain | Photographer

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

Hi Mazie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had recently graduated from college and was starting a job with a major accounting firm but there was a pit in my stomach. I felt called to another position with a different company which did not pan out. I was in a weird position. I could either find another accounting job locally, that I was not well suited for, or I could try to make my side gig become my full time gig. I talked with my husband and he was fully supportive. He said, “If you don’t do it now, it may never happen.”…essentially. So, I went for it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I am a photographer based in Southern Colorado. I focus on true to life, bold colors, emotional shots, and candid moments. Any session that breaks me out of the norm is where I want to be. I am always ready to collaborate with my clients about maybe an unusual location, different styling, or talking through a concept they have been toying with. I am able to move from in the studio to outdoors, which is not necessarily the case with other photographers. I’m most proud of my ability to visualize my clients vision and help bring it together for them. They have a hazy idea of what they want for their business or portrait session and I can take the ball and run with it. I am excited to be doing photography full time and pursuing my passion. Not everyone is lucky enough to be paid for their passion. I love my clients and being able to create art on a daily basis.

It was a long road to get where I am professionally. In high school, I wanted to go to college for film, but college was expensive and it just wasn’t in the cards. I bounced around thinking about different career paths and finally landed on accounting, literally the most logic based profession around. It is very black and white, but ultimately very stable and I could work in whatever field I wanted. While in college, I was drowning. It wasn’t how hard the work was, but who I was as a person. I was working, going to college, raising a family, and terribly depressed. My husband encouraged me to get a hobby. I thought back and realized I really missed taking pictures and making videos. My kids were (and still are) particularly adorable so I picked up a camera just for fun. That was that. I was hooked. It started slowly and with the help of a friend, I learned the camera, how to adjust the settings, the jist of editing and I took off! In the spring of 2021 I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Accounting and my MBA with the fancy job offer at a Big 4 accounting firm taboot. Long story short, it wasn’t right for me. I took the plunge into full time photography. I knew there was no way I would be successful as an accountant because my heart was not in it. It has not been easy, and I work I think longer hours than if I was at a firm, but I wouldn’t trade this for the world. I’ve struggled immensely with the administrative side of my business. This has been the most difficult part. I have ADD/ADHD and so sitting down to file paperwork is the equivalent to nails on the chalk board for me. But! I’ve worked hard to come up with systems and processes to address and overcome these stuggles. It’s definitely not perfect, but better than it was.

Lessons I’ve learned along the way:

1. Always have wet wipes. Always. They have saved me more times than one, and not just in photography.
2. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
3. Come in with no expectations. Have a plan and a general idea, but never have anything be set in stone because that is when it will turn out wrong, Flexibility is your friend.
4. Take opportunities as they come because they may not always be there in the future.
And probably the most important lesson
5, Talk with everyone and listen with an open mind and open heart. I have learned so much from people I would never have thought to talk with about different ideas or even what hasn’t worked for them and why. You gain perspective and insight from talking with people who are different than you. This has helped me grow my business and my mindset.

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?
I would take them to the Royal Gorge, which gets forgotten about quite a bit here in Colorado! I would show them around Canon City/Fremont County area. There’s so many great restaurants and activities. There is Skyline Drive which has a full view of the town and you can get out of your vehicle and follow the fossils on the wall there. We have tunnel drive which is a hiking trail with several tunnels in the mountain to walk through. When we were done, I’d probably take them out to Nirvana in Canon City for some amazing Indian food. Of course, I would probably take them to Garden of the Gods.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to dedicate this to my husband, Matt. He was the one who encouraged me to take the jump. Without his support and continual encouragement, I would not be where I am today. I would also like the thank my parents who have always encouraged me to explore my creative side.

Website: cainscandids.com

Instagram: cains_candids

Facebook: facebook.com/cainscandidsphotography

Image Credits
Headshot: Nikki Hoyt Fey
All others: Mazie Cain