Megan in Photographyland – How I Got My Start
The short answer to how I got my start is: I wanted to take pretty pictures of my family….like everyone else. I don’t think there is anything outstanding in my story of getting started but I think it’s an important question to answer both for myself, my clients out there and for anyone who is scared to get started learning. Marc and I joke around about the rabbit hole into Photographyland (a magical place where everything is white, the light is always just so, and kids smile on command and hold poses). We may laugh about it now but that is really how it happened for me (and many others I think). I basically stumbled into it. I made a resolution one year to learn more about photography so that I could take pictures of my own family. I have several friends who are professional photographers and I understood (thought I understood) why they charged so much for a session so I felt bad asking for any favors. All I really knew was that I couldn’t afford it and any time they gifted me with a photo, I was out of this world excited about it and so so so grateful. I felt guilty hiring a less expensive photographer that I might be able to afford for fear of offending my friends. So, I felt my only option was to learn myself.
I like taking pictures anyway! How hard can it be?
I’ve seen professionals taking pictures before. It doesn’t LOOK that hard. Plus, my husband had bought me a DSLR camera for Christmas two years prior. I’ve got this!
It was late in the year at that time so I decided to make it my New Year’s resolution to learn about photography the following year (I get really serious about my resolutions). While I waited for the New Year, I did what anyone SHOULD have done upon opening their camera box for the first time…I read the manual that came with my camera. Mind blown. There were settings specifically for portraits, animals, kids, parties, just about anything! There is this dial at the top of the camera that spins around to use these settings. What!?!?!?! So, THAT’S how they do it! There were other settings on there for M and A and S and some other things but why would you use those when there were already these pre-made settings for any situation? SO cool!
We took a trip to NYC with Andrew and Isaac to see the city between Christmas and New Year’s. It had been on my bucket list to see NYC around the holiday and they had always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. Armed with my DSLR camera and the new 55-300mm lens Marc had bought me for Christmas (because the kit lens the camera came with didn’t zoom very far to my frustration) we headed off and I took the most amazing pictures of that trip that I had ever taken before. If you are a true photographer at heart, taking the best picture of your life is like a drug and you…must….learn….more and do it again. The background was blurry the way I had always thought was done in photoshop. I was astounded that you can do that in the CAMERA! And, I DID THAT! I posted those bad boys all over FB and IG and reveled in the compliments. I will never forget getting a compliment from one of my photographer friends about one of the photos. Well, that was the end of it. I knew I could do it now. If she thought I could take a good photo, then I can totally do this. I didn’t even bat an eye at the price tag when I signed up for my first wave of online digital photography classes on January 1st. I had an amazing full-time job making the most money I had ever made in my life. Plus, I was investing in myself!
I blew through those classes at light speed, soaking it all up and loving every second. I would complete modules on my lunch break and any chance I got I was practicing with my camera. I took pictures of my family, my dog, my horse, my friends snowboarding, and anyone who would let me take photos of them. Life. Was. Good. Then, someone I knew asked me to take their family photos for money. I’ll never forget how amazing that moment felt. Wow. I took the pictures and turned down the money of course. I didn’t have a business to be taking someone’s money but the fact that they would pay ME to take their photos was so cool.
Life went on like that for some time. Marc and I got pregnant with Finn and I toyed with the idea of starting a business so that I could stay at home and be a better mom to all three of the boys. (like so many others thinking I could do this “in my spare time”) I wasn’t ready for that though. The thought scared me. I didn’t know anything about business and I knew I needed to learn a lot more about photography. I’m just a people person…ya know?!
Finn was brought into our lives on a beautiful day late in March. I took my 12 weeks of maternity leave and upon return to work, I was laid off 9 days later. I searched for work but found nothing that compared to the job I had lost and that could tempt me away from being at home with my kids. So, I stayed and learned and learned and learned about photography. I suddenly had a very willing subject to practice on regularly (Finn) and the time to really focus. With every class I took, I fell deeper and deeper into Photographyland. I learned that the lenses I owned really wouldn’t get the job done. I learned about how to take full control of my camera in manual to control every aspect of every image. I learned about white balance and light and posing and….business. I learned that the hardest part of photography is making it appear to be easy to onlookers while still making it fun for everyone involved. I learned that it wasn’t easy at all. I would learn one thing and realize I needed ANOTHER piece of equipment or software or service to continue learning more. In the end, I learned most importantly that there was no going back. I was living in Photographyland and I loved it. I ate, slept and breathed photography. I joined groups and read blogs. I read book after book and took so many pictures, I am surprised my original camera still works. I made mistakes and learned from them. I fell down. I got back up. I pushed and did the work and the business I have now is what I have to show for it. I have taken photos of everything you can imagine in my learning process and really like it all but have found that I LOVE taking photos of couples and couples with their kids and animals. This naturally lead me to engagement, wedding, anniversary and maternity photography. It is where I feel at home the most amidst everything else I still do.
Even though I live in Photographyland most of my working time now making 6-figures, I do not live in a mansion with a white desk and neutral coffee mug where the sun sets perfectly in my backyard each night. I live in a very normal neighborhood with my husband’s beat up old truck on the top of the driveway and a basketball net at the end with our minivan for all of our kids parked wherever there is room. My kids certainly do not always smile for the camera and neither does my husband. I still have lots to learn which I also love. I don’t think there will ever come a time in my career that there won’t be something new to learn or someone new to meet to give me a new perspective and inspire me.
That’s really it. Nothing out of the ordinary. I just found my niche. I feel very lucky to have found it even if I’m not in my 20’s anymore. Yes, there are TONS of other photographers out there in my same area “competing” for business. It’s a tough market and a tough business to be in but I look at it more so that I am happy to not be alone. I’m glad there are so many others to talk to about what I love to do. That’s pretty cool actually. Helping others learn is also something I love and have toyed with the idea of holding workshops for those who, like me a few years ago, want to learn how to take pretty pictures of their families and pets. I’m not sure. All that I am sure of at this moment is that I’m not going to stop taking pictures….ever. And, I am super excited about serving all of my couples this year.
I am also finding that I love blogging too! If you haven’t realized it yet, I am a terrible speller. I don’t know why I am terrible at it, but I am. I decided I am not going to let it slow me down. I’ll do my best and realize that sharing my thoughts is more important than it being perfect. No one is perfect. If you have stayed with me to the end of this post with zero pictures to look at, I applaud you and I encourage you to post a comment. I really have no way of knowing if anyone is reading these blogs unless you comment so please let me know if you like the blog so far and if you might be interested in workshops in the future…or just say HI! If you are interested in workshops, let me know what you want to get out of them.
I should be having this sweet baby girl ANYTIME NOW so please excuse my delayed responses over the next few weeks. I have so much to look forward to in the coming months and years and, as always, thank you for being here with me.
XOXO - Megan
