Say hello to Mag Hood!

Rare Earth is overjoyed to have Mag Hood join us for the June 2023 50/50. Mag Hood is a lighting obsessed wedding and portrait photographer who has recently become an avid film enthusiast. She was also one of our Challengers' favourite Panel Judges from Season Two of The Shooting Range: A Photography Challenge. This is no doubt because of the warm, open, accepting, loving, honest, genuine human being she is, and  We encourage you to get to know Mag better by visiting her website, checking out her Instagram, seeing what she's been up to with her film cameras, and maybe even joining the Offbeat community...

Website | Instagram | Film

What's the best (or worst) advice you've ever gotten?

Best advice I have ever gotten was from my Ph.D supervisor. I was in grad school when I fell in love with photography and was attempting (unsuccessfully) to manage doing both full time. I decided to quit school and pursue my photography, so I went to talk to my supervisor to tell him, assuming he would be upset and try to talk me out of it. He instead looked at me and said "This is no time in your life to be doing something you don't want to do." To have the support and understanding of someone I respected so much meant the world and gave me the courage to keep going.

What was the last piece of equipment your bought or class you attended?

Another Hasselblad 500cm. I took a tumble while on a trip (ironic) and banged up my first one. By far the most beautiful camera ever made in my opinion.

What is your most or how do you deal with your most challenging professional struggle?

My most challenging professional struggle is probably not knowing when or how to turn my work brain off and relax. I try to designate time at the end of each day that I don't work and I do my best to not focus on work. It has been an ongoing struggle from the start.

If there was one thing you could change about the industry or an insider secret you think shouldn't be a secret, what would that be?

I think an insider secret that shouldn't be a secret (and maybe it isn't?) would be that there are so many benefits to shooting what you love vs shooting what you think will make you money. When you're shooting what you love, people can see and feel your passion and your work will resonate more with the viewer. And from there, you're more likely to be successful as people will pay for that passion.

What do you do to remain grounded, connected, balanced, and/or centred when life feels overwhelming?

Getting out to shoot and create something just for me. Sometimes that means creative portrait shoots for fun, shooting film or photographing my pets.

What is something you haven't done or tried yet, either as a personal or professional goal, that you hope to achieve in the next year?

I don't know about the next year, but I've started working on a film project. There is no end date as I think it will take a while, but I have loved the process. More info can be found at https://loadedfilm.ca/a-film-project


When and how did you know (or suspect) that you had found your calling as a creative?

I had always felt like I had a creative mind but with no creative outlet that I was skilled at. I tried painting, drawing, writing etc and none of it ever resonated strongly with me until I found photography. When I purchased my first DSLR 12+ years ago, I felt like I had found the thing I had been searching for. I've been hooked since I shot my first official portrait session.

If "Today" you could go back and tell "Last Year" (or Month or Week) you something, what would it be?

Get your ass in gear and shoot more for yourself for fun in addition to your client work.