Meet Magda Gamreklidze of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Magda Gamreklidze.

Hi Magda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
35 years of long and adventurous journey started in the beautiful country – Georgia, located in Eastern Europe. As 90’s generation, I feel blessed to get to live such a versatile life. Home, traditions, my culture and family shaped big part of me, it gave me a foundation which always feels as solid ground I can stand and rely on. Pre digital childhood, simplicity of life, connections, joy, love – everything felt so different back then.
As life went on, it unfolded in ways and places, I couldn’t have imagined.
Soon after I became an adult, my overseas chapter begun. 22-years-old left my tiny homeland and since then it’s been quite a journey. First stop was Toronto, Canada, then United States – NY, Miami and for past few years its been LA.
14 years of on going growth, change, learning and unlearning, from culture shock to calling USA home,
Only one word comes to mind: Grateful.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some? this brought a huge smile on my face. I would say I lived multiple lives past 10-15 years. Being alone in Immigration pushed my limits and stretched me in ways, I never knew I was capable of.
But hey, I love who I am now. Along the way, I built this character and those challenges happened for me, not to me.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Very often I pause and I say to myself : right this moment, I am living my dream!
I always had passion photographing things and beings but never thought I could call it a work, until one summer, when I dared and bought a camera. Countless hours spent on YouTube tutorials, months of shadowing other professionals, test shoots and various side jobs, multiple “right place, right time” moments later, I managed to have my own photo studio, built meaningful connections and have been attracting wonderful projects.

7 years of being in the industry taught me so much more than just photography itself. It’s a complex field, you need to balance artistry and logic to survive and then thrive.
As a freelance creater, I find it more of mental game than anything else. You can have all the skills, all the right equipments, great experience as well as wonderful work ethic, but the mindset is the key, to want and believe that you can achieve it.
Today I am simply proud of myself for holding on to faith in me.

What does success mean to you?
I have asked, defined and redefined terms of success many times in life. It changes with you. At this moment I feel I am successful when I feel fulfilled, when I am in service, when I know I add/bring value to others, when I am a part of something way bigger than me. Many times, after wrapping up the big project, I have walked out feeling so fullfilled and happy, in those moments I have truly felt that I am successful.
Also there is a money part, as an adult I have a responsibility to be true to myself, to look back and assess what and how I am doing, what needs to be changed. Seeing steady growth year after year pushes me to pursue this career even further.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mag-photo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mag._g/

Image Credits

Christopher brown
Faiza Rahman