Meet Margaret Wheatley | Film Photographer, Videographer & Creative Director

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

Hi Margaret, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
There is no work-life balance as a creative. When you are doing your passion (for me that’s photography) it is latched onto your personal life with an unbudging grip. What you call balance more closely resembles a boat on the open seas swaying side to side with no rhyme or reason. It’s just that when you care a lot, you learn to take life as it comes. Being your own business is not going to be a perfect 50/50 split of work and relationships/personal time, because my personal time is spent doing what I love with the people I love, they’re incorporated as one. I am photographing my family and friends on both an intimate level and a professional level constantly. The bands I work with become friends, the prints I sell are from vacations. Some of the rawest moments I treasure are simply moments with my partner or sister. I have never hesitated to share all aspects and diversities of my work; but in order to accomplish that, I have realized, I am the work I create. When it comes to what I do there is no debating “the art vs the artist”, we are synonymous.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Talking about your own art is definitely a learned skill, and one that I am still working on. I am primarily a film photographer with an unwavering photo journalistic style. It’s evident in my editorials, concerts, neighborhood walks. whatever it is I am shooting; there’s a “it is what it is” lack of perfection to it. My art and I have that in common. In my photos I value capturing the intimacy of my existence. That’s why I like things as they are, when they are, where they are; almost absent of me. If my style was a novel, it is not in first person or an epistle. It is a third person narration of inconspicuous days in South Florida and across the US. Another aspect of my photography is color. Although we all love a good black and white photo every once in a while, color is what I see. The color controls the energy, the subject controls where it goes; my job is to guide them together.

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?
This is really the question I have been waiting for. If you are coming to South Florida, there is so much to do that does not revolve around the typical Miami bubble.

Food and Coffee is are must but in Miami it’s too common to overpay for coffee that isn’t all that worth it. The ones that are work the hype

AM-

Wells Coffee Co. – Their coffee diversity is extensive

All Day – genuinely the most preciously made americano I’ve ever had

ThreeFolds Cafe – everything about coral gables deserves love, simply walking through is an activity. But walking after having breakfast at threefold is pretty unbeatable.

PM-

Lambardi’s Pizza in Sunrise is far from the beach but indisputably the best pizza in Florida.

Holly Blue – a newly opened bar in Ft. Lauderdale has the pretty drinks and courtyard to enjoy them. Good vibes all around.

Krakatoa (Hollyywood Blvd) – a hidden gem but maybe the best food I’ve ever had in the continental US. A small, dimly lit Indonesian restaurant with unbeatable rice.

Glitch Bar -a never-not crowed arcade bar in fat village where once I was on the pac man leader board. It’s a pretty proud moment for me.

Beaches:

There are three beaches in Florida that outrank any other for various reasons and we are hitting them all:

Deerfield Beach – Island Water Sports shop is there, good coffee is a walk away, during summer storms there are always surfers and its the closet we have to a San Diego chill.

Ft Lauderdale Beach – Easy parking, no fuss, clean, 10/10 sand castle beach

South Point – the whitest sand and always something interesting to observe

Since photography is usually a must when I’m taking someone around, I think a drive down south US 1 to stop and shoot the old Miami motels is just a super cool experience at night, especially with the right sound track.

Revolution Live – I love this venue. It barely matters who’s preforming, a show here is always fun and high energy.

And finally, a vacation pretty much requires a museum visit and The Frost Science Museum is incredible and not overhyped in any way. It is worth followed immediately by driving 15 minutes north to

Twigs and Daisies Florists to get the prettiest bouquet you’ve ever seen.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shout out to the greatest professor I had, Bill McGuire for 1) being truly honest during our critiques. Maybe sometimes it hurt, but the honesty and time you gave me are invaluable. and 2) for showing me Joel Meyerowitz “Cape Light” which showed me a work I had always craved to create, done in a way that is untouchably beautiful.

Website: https://margaretwheatleyphotography.mypixieset.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheatleymags/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6-WOsdLEgRmkt8gittvmg

Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/4B1yuVSdpJRzH5bLvigHe5?si=834b1e1440674427

Image Credits
Margaret Wheatley