Macy Muzljakovich knew she had her work cut out for her. On the floor of her late grandmother Doris Jeanne’s modest home was a seemingly bottomless pile of tattered, dusty bags stuffed with countless photos, and it was Macy and her family’s task to sift through those memories, organize them, and determine what could be preserved.
For the most part, they found what they expected. Doris Jeanne, a remarkable woman known for making quick decisions and sticking with them, was 99 when she passed away in May. She lived as complete a life as one could hope—and then some—with her devoted husband, 10 children, 80 grandchildren, and an ever-growing list of great-grandkids. Naturally, she saved every photo she could. Family barbecues, birthday parties, weddings, graduations, anniversaries—you name it; practically every moment was accounted for.
What Macy and her sisters and cousins were thankful to find were the older legacy photos that had gone unnoticed for decades.
For instance, a candid gem of grandma as a young and carefree lady dancing with her adoring sister in the front yard. Another photo captured Doris Jeanne posing with the love of her life at a local bar they once owned for a decade.
“We’re talking photos from the 1920s … crumbling-in-your-hands type old,” Macy said while reminiscing. “You can say someone lit up a room when they were alive, but seeing it for yourself in photos that capture different times throughout their life creates an entirely new understanding. My grandmother was 66 when I was born, so I only knew her in her later years. But this same lady did some pretty amazing things before that, including owning a bar. That place and moment don’t exist anymore beyond the photo, and we have it.”
As the proud owner of Macy Alex Photography in Lewisville, Macy has long championed the power of photographs to preserve memories and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. This belief was further validated by the hours she spent sifting through her grandmother’s hidden treasures, and she cherishes every opportunity to capture and preserve similar moments for families, couples, children, and everyday people who want a gift that will last a lifetime and beyond.
This is especially true during the holidays, when purposeful and heartfelt gift-giving is on everyone’s mind.
“It matters that you get your photos done and preserve a legacy,” Macy said. “People naturally think about gift-giving this time of year. If that gift is for a spouse or family member, why not choose something that will last a lifetime?”
Macy uses a documentary style of photography and specializes in families, weddings, and branding. She has served over 180 families this year alone and rarely turns down a photo op idea. Her work went viral earlier this year when she captured the once-in-a-lifetime moment of a couple’s proposal in Flower Mound during the total solar eclipse on April 8.
The photo was timed at the moment of totality and justifiably racked up millions of online views.
That said, there are many more non-viral moments that are equally as valuable, Macy said.
“Recently, I did a smash cake shoot for a local family, and while there, the little girl took her first steps. We captured that moment,” Macy said. “A lot of what I do are photoshoots where I’m going on a walk with kids and families—we’ll stop at a cool rock or neat tree to take a few photos, and then we’ll keep going until we find the next place to stop. We’ll joke around, laugh, and do things that create a genuine experience. Posed photos are great, but real life and candid shots are the moments people need to be capturing.”
These rare moments were never lost on Macy—especially if Doris Jeanne had anything to do with it.
When Macy was 15, she wanted to be a lawyer or doctor and was less interested in school subjects that didn’t align with those life goals. One such subject was art class.
Well, as the story goes, Macy was pouting one day about a photography assignment her art teacher handed out. She had zero interest in taking photos and wouldn’t stop complaining as she sat at her grandmother’s kitchen table. Rather than console her granddaughter, Doris Jeanne booted her out of the house and told her not to return until her homework was done.
“She lived in a house in the middle of nowhere, and as I was walking around in the backyard, I noticed an old red wagon,” Macy said. “It was rusted and filled with dirty leaves, but I started taking pictures of it and fell in love with the different patterns of light and rhythms of the camera. It was mid-morning, so the sun was still coming through the trees.”
The photo, named “Almost Forgotten,” won Macy an award at school.
More importantly, Doris Jeanne framed it and hung it on the wall in her house, where it remained until her death.
“She always said I was good at creating pretty things,” Macy said. “I think she saw a lot of herself in me.”
As Macy reflects on her journey, from photographing an old wagon in her grandmother’s backyard to capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments for families and reconnecting with her grandmother through those disheveled bags of old photographs, she is forever grateful for Doris Jeanne’s influence. In many ways, her spirit lives on in every child’s smile, every embrace, and every dance in the park.
Every moment deserves to be remembered. Doris Jeanne believed that, and it’s time for you to give that gift to your family.
I never imagined doing my own thing like this, but I can hear my grandma saying, ‘Suck it up, Buttercup. Go do the thing,’” Macy said. “It made sense to try it, and here I am. Whether it’s with me or not, it’s important to create your legacy through pictures.”
Learn more at macyalexphotography.com or call 832-888-9292.
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