If you have laundry everywhere and dishes piled up in the sink, don’t worry about cleaning it up for Max Grey. The Carle Place photographer loves capturing people in their natural environments, just as they are.
“People always want the perfect portrait, but outside of photography what they cherish most are those crazy moments,” Grey said.
Grey is the mind behind Grace Photography, which opened up a new studio at 351 Westbury Ave. in Carle Place at the beginning of November. But you’ll rarely find Grey shooting in her studio; her passion is in-home photography.
While Grey started Grace Photography taking pictures in the basement of her Carle Place home, she soon found herself weary of taking photos in the same spot. She began to do in-home photography, going to her clients’ homes to capture them in their natural environments.
While finding the right room in the home to take the pictures is important, Grey says it’s not the first thing she’s looking for.
“I look for relationship. Not for props or pretty scenes or clothing—all that stuff comes together but it’s not crucial,” said Grey. “I hone in on the dynamics of the family. I want people to see their families and relationships, not just a pretty picture.”
Grey’s specialty is newborn and family photography. She is passionate about not just getting a beautiful picture, but capturing a family’s story and their dynamics.
“We’re so used to going through social norms in every aspect of our lives. In photography that’s everyone smiling against a backdrop, but that’s not documenting who we are as people,” Grey said. “With families, there’s so much to it because it’s the most crucial part of people’s lives. There are so many wonderful, different families and we all have the same thing in common—that we love our families and we want to preserve that.”
Through her realistic pictures, she seeks to preserve the picture of a child or family just as they are. Whether it’s parents tickling their kids on the couch, a newborn wrapped in a hand-knit blanket, or a toddler in her favorite dress jumping on the bed, Grey isn’t looking for a posed shot as much as to capture the essence of her subjects.
“There’s an innocence to children and babies and something so unapologetic. And it goes so fast. We always say as parents we miss when my kid did that. Let’s document those moments so that you can look back and feel that nostalgia again,” Grey said.
A Carle Place native, Grey grew up with a love of photography, taking classes in high school and in college. Though she loved writing and poetry, she said she never classified herself as artistic, graduating with an English and Speech Pathology degree. When she got married, she worked with her wedding photographer and later began assisting him on different shoots, just for fun and more experience. And like every mother, she loved taking pictures of her child. But there was something bigger than capturing her child’s special moments that excited Grey.
“I was drawn to how my kids were on a day-to-day, and I wanted to capture that for other people,” said Grey, a mother to two daughters. “It’s something more than photographing my children and people I like. I love to explore the depths of people and dynamics of families and the realities. And I know that the perspective I can provide is something that can be really grand and profound.”
Grey lives walking distance to her new store-front studio, a space she says she fell in love with at first sight. She’s already begun holding workshops for other artists in her studio and exhibits the work of other local artists.
“I like to encourage the art community. So much of my own growth has come from the influence of fellow photographers. I want to help encourage the community and help other photographers help each other,” said Grey.
Find out more at www.mwgracephoto.com
