Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Fifer.
Hi Megan, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My love for taking photos started when I was about 12. I used my little LG smartphone to take photos of anything I thought was pretty, from flowers in my neighborhood to public art downtown. I starting taking photos of people a little later. My cousin and I had little photoshoots at the park or in our backyards just for fun. We didn’t always post them anywhere, we just enjoyed taking photos together. I had my first proper photoshoot freshman year of high school. My friend is an equestrian so we went out to her barn to take photos with the horses. I was able to capture barrel racing action shots, posed portraits of her and her horse, and landscape photos of the barn and other farm animals. When I got home I downloaded and starting learning how to use editing software to prepare my first gallery. When I finally showed the finished product to my friend it made me so happy to see how much she loved the photos. I realized I not only loved the creative aspect of photography but also how it made my friends feel to see the photos I had taken for them.
Throughout high school, I continued to take photos with my friends but I was always the one to reach out. No one had ever asked me to take photos for them. The first time someone asked me to take photos for them was during my senior year of high school. One of my friends reached out and asked if I could take his photos so he could have pictures of himself where he felt confident and fully himself. I knew that his family wasn’t the most accepting and that he didn’t feel like he could fully express himself at home so I was so honored that he saw me as a safe space and someone who was able to help him feel more confident.
That photoshoot helped me realize photography is so much more than an art form for the photographer, but a way for the subjects of the photos feel accepted and beautiful in their own skin.
Not only did that shoot help expand my mindset of photography, but it helped kickstart my business. Later that Spring I was paid to take several of my peer’s senior photos. Throughout every shoot, I made sure to make it my priority to be a safe person where people could be themselves and feel beautiful and valued in front of my camera.
Now, after graduating from high school and moving to a new college town, I want to continue to expand my business and provide an avenue for self-expression and confidence building for my friends and clients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest struggles has been balancing school and my photography business. I just recently started my freshman year of college at Texas A&M, which has turned out to be the busiest season of my life. I haven’t had time to take out my camera and take photos for fun, let alone paid gigs. It has also been a challenge to get my name out there in my college town. I went to a small high school where I was pretty well known for taking photos to a giant university where it’s hard to make friends let alone get my name out to potential clients.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in portrait photography. My highest priority is to make my clients feel as comfortable and safe as possible in front of the camera. As someone who prefers to be behind the camera most of the time, I know how intimidating it is to have your photo taken, especially for the first time. I like to create a low-pressure, judgment-free environment where people can build their confidence in front of the camera as the shoot progresses. I make sure to start out with easy, natural poses and slowly build up to more creative, dynamic photos. I also like to show people photos on my camera throughout the shoot. One of the scariest parts about having your photo taken is not being able to see how you look or feeling stupid while posing, so being able to see how the photos are turning out helps people feel more comfortable and more confident in how they are doing. Who you are as a photographer is so much more than the finished photos, but how you make people throughout the entire process.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My cousin Heather, who is also a photographer, has always been my biggest cheerleader. We started our photography journeys together and from the start she has always been there for me from modeling for photos to hyping me up in the comments of my Instagram. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have her supporting me from the beginning. I also owe a huge thanks to my parents. Throughout the years they have provided me with camera gear, car rides to photoshoots, and more love and support than I could have ever asked for. I am so lucky to have parents that support my hobby and business as much as they do.
Someone who helped me out a lot when I first started taking photography seriously is Aaron Bensko, a photographer a visual artist who worked at my church with my dad. He sat down with me and answered all the technical questions I had about how cameras and editing software worked and helped me build my base knowledge about how all of those moving parts fit together. Not only did he take time out of his busy schedule to answer my questions, but he encouraged me to keep practicing working towards my goals.
Pricing:
- Premium Session – $175 (2-4 outfits, 2 locations, 3 hrs, 75+ edited images)
- Standard Session – $100 (2 outfits, 1 location, 1-2 hrs, 50+ edited images)
- Mini Session – $50 (1 outfit, 1 location, 45 min- 1 hr, 20+ edited images)
- Family/ Couple Session – starting at $100 (starting price at 4 people or less, $15 for each additional family member)
Contact Info:
- Email: meganfphotos@gmail.com
- Website: meganfphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_meganfphotography_/
Image Credits
Kylie Govinchuck
Megan Fifer
