Fort Myers Florida Senior Photographer Blog

PPA Cover Photo Contest! Vote for me!

The time of the year has rolled around where PPA (Professional Photographers of America) is avidly looking for their upcoming magazine cover photos!

I am participating in the contest with the photo below of the fabulous Sarah...if you'd like to vote for my photo, please click the link below!

Vote Here!

Xoxo,

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What to Wear Wednesdays| Photographer Edition

I always struggle with what to wear to portrait sessions! I want to be comfortable for moving up and down to get "the shot" while still upholding a certain professionalism! I have put together a couple of outfits below that I think would be great to wear to any portrait session!
With the summer heat quickly approaching, choose a tank top or short sleeved top along with a pair of shorts or capris. Also add a cute pair of sandals that will allow for breathing room and comfortability while hopping up and down throughout a session!

Don't forget to carry your camera in style, too! I've included a Kelly Moore Bag below, but there are tons of other great stylish camera bag shops, as well!

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Megan Mondays | Choosing Your Photographer

I have recently gone through the process of looking for my own photographer for my upcoming wedding (and of course, engagement photos, as well). There are so many things to be aware of when you are looking into hiring a photographer for yourself and it is important that the photographer you hire meets all of your expectations up front.

Here are some tips to consider when choosing a photographer:

Style

Compare photographic styles between photographers in your area and decide what style best fits your taste! Photographers are artists who paint a picture through the lens of a camera, and just like any other artist, carry a different perspective than the next! Choose a photographer who shares your taste!

Reputation

Does this photographer run a reputable business? Ask your friends who are previous clients! You want to make sure that the photographer you hire carries his or herself in a professional manner and cares about his or her clients and their desires for their custom portrait session!

Communication

Communication between you and your photographer is very important! I always try my hardest to make my clients aware of my office hours and am quick to respond during those office hours! I never want to keep a client waiting longer than needed! Be sure that the photographer you hire is conscious of their client's time. But always remember and respect that they do have lives outside of their business that must be tended to, as well!

Relationship

Does your photographer make you feel comfortable? You want to make sure that the photographer you choose to hire will make you feel comfortable and natural in front of the camera! Choose someone who can have fun and laugh with you!

Price

Don't let price stop you from hiring the photographer that you want to hire. If price becomes a hinderance and you settle for less based on price, you may or may not get what you pay for! When you hire a custom photographer, you are paying for a custom experience, even if that means saving up for many months prior to your session!

I'm Megan, and I am a custom photographer, offering a custom experience to all of the clients who walk through my door. I hope that this post encourages all potential clients to find the photographer that is best fit for them!

Xoxo,

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My Turn in Front of the Lens | Fort Myers Photographer

I had the opportunity in March to model for a lighting workshop in Naples, FL. by a husband and wife team, Travis and Jean Smith of Boka Studios and Jean Smith Photography. I was nervous to step in front of the lens, rather than my usual behind...but I had a lot of fun and learned a lot from a client's perspective!

Here are some of the shots from the fabulous Jean Smith!

Thanks again, Jean!

P.S. For those of you wondering, these shots were all done with Off Camera Flash!

Xoxo,

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The Value in Purchasing Prints | Florida Portrait Photographer

I find myself quite often chatting with other photographers who share the same views regarding the purchase of digital files of one's photos vs. the purchase of actual prints. Today, everybody is involved in the world of technology in one way or another. For Pete's sake, even my grandma is on Facebook & yours probably is, too! :p It has become important for clients to have the opportunity to purchase digital files, as they typically want to share their special moments captured with all of their friends & family via social networking sites! Of course, all of this is so important, as well! I am SO with you! However, I also find it very important to take an extra step to cherish those photos forever.

Due to the world of technology still being perfected all the time, purchasing digital files will not save your cherished memories forever, as everyone thinks! Sadly, CD's & DVD's have a great potential of deteriorating over time. What if all your family had to remember your grandparent's wedding day was a disc of photos, in which none of the photos had the ability to load any longer due to the deterioration of the disc? How devastating would that be! (& I'm pretty sure that Facebook swallows my photos right up sometimes! Can't rely on that to save photos either...not to mention the lack of quality)!

Recently, my pc had crashed on me & I lost a ton of data. My tech guy was able to get the computer back up an running so that I could pull some things off of it to store on my new macbook, however, some of the most important family photos had been lost! When it hit me that I had lost my grandpa's last year of life, or my senior year of high school photos, I was just devastated! Looking back, I so wish I would have taken the time to have made an album of these important times, or at least purchased prints to store in my photo box.

If you have ever lost important photos from a period in your life due to technology, then you understand the importance of purchasing prints rather than a CD or DVD only. Now, this post is not to say that purchasing a disc of your photos is a bad thing at all! As a matter of fact, I sell digital files on a disc to my clients & this is my most popular package! BUT, I still encourage all of my clients to take the time to purchase prints as I find it very important to savor those memories!

Xoxo,

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Following the footsteps of MKP

2011 has been a huge learning curve for me the whole entire way. I am coming up on my one year anniversary of being in business as MeganKathryn Photography and I have been looking back at where I began and where I am now. I see a huge improvement not only in my photographic skills, but also in my love and desire for photography and the business of photography {and that's not to say I still don't have a loooong way to go}.

When I first began my business on February 25th, 2011 I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I have loved photography since I was a freshman in high school when I took my first photography class. I was inspired to become a photographer "when I grew up," and here I am, grown up, and living my dream.

I thought starting a photography business meant buying a "nice" DSLR, booking sessions every weekend, snapping and horribly over-editing the photos. Let me just tell you, I was WRONG! Super duper wrong! As a matter of fact, couldn't have been more wrong! Operating a photography business is one of the toughest things that I have taken on, but one of the most enjoyable opportunities that I have taken on, as well.

One of my favorite photographers and biggest inspirations {RB} taught me that there is so much more to running a photography business than just the photography aspect of it. Actually, as stated by Rachel, there is more business than there is photography involved in operating a photography business. I would've have disagreed with Rachel back in February of 2011, but now as I have continued to grow in my business skills, I would have to agree with her 100%. I have learned how important it is to have a business & marketing plan first and foremost. My business will not continue to grow, as long as I do not have a major goal set in mind.

One of the most important things in growing and becoming a better photographer is asking to hear the tough things. When I decided that I was ready to hear what a more experienced photographer had to say about my work, I asked. I was more pleased with what I had heard than I thought I would be, but I still have so far to go.

Now to show you a little of where I have come from over the past year...yep...here we go...