Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Randles.
Megan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started doing photography because I had a life altering event that happens to me. You always hear of bad things happening and you never think it will happen to you.. Until it does. It is such a surreal experience.
January 17, 2015 became one of the hardest days of my life… My boyfriend and I got into a bad wreck. I would like to change it to, I was involved in a really devastating wreck. One that resulted in the death of a 15 year old girl, Kendall Clark. We were completely heartbroken and struggled with survivor’s guilt. It was so close to home and everywhere we turned, we were constantly reminded of the beautiful life that was lost. We both struggled with living, and we couldn’t stop the pain. Anxiety and depression kicked into full effect. Getting out of bed and showering were dreaded chores and I couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t have just taken me. I was convinced that I did not deserve to live and I had lost all faith in a God. I searched for answers that I could not find and I spent many days and nights screaming and cursing at God.. And nothing changed, Except for me.
Although my my ex-boyfriend and I experienced this pain together, we had never felt more alone. Grief is something everyone deals with differently and depression isolates you. It is like you are at the bottom of a hole and you see your loved ones at the top, outstretching their hands to pull you out. You attempt to grab their hands but you just can’t reach them. You must climb out of it yourself.
So I gave up on God and attempted to control what I could of the situation… From abusing alcohol and drugs to searching for anything that would make me feel alive or to numb the endless feeling. Something to take the constant pain away. I almost gave up on life. I could no longer see anything beautiful in this life and I went down a very dark path. But an amazing friend gifted me with an old camera of his. And everything slowly changed. Change to – Thankfully an inspiring friend gave me the gift of an old camera of his. My perspective on life slowly changed and my dark clouds began to dissipate.
Here I was, with a device that was made to capture the beauty of life. And so I did exactly that. My mindset changed and I found a purpose again. I could see more clearly through this lens than I ever could when my mind was clouded with depression and grief, and it helped me see that this life was worth living! This life is SO finite and you never know when it will be the last time. This camera re-instilled life in me again and opened my eyes to all the precious little things that we constantly take for granted. So that has been my purpose for living.
I want to help people see the beautiful moments that we all take for granted. I want to help capture what is important in our lives… The people in it that we love. I am so very thankful for hitting rock bottom.. because the view after this hard climb has been truly rewarding!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a rocky road full of challenges. Mastering the camera has not been easy and I still struggle with it to this day. There are many times when I feel down because I could have done better or I could have worked harder at this… But it is an art.
Sometimes I forget about my WHY. And I get discouraged because there are SO many other people who are photographers now. Anyone can buy a fancy camera and decide they are a photographer. This is not living for me; it is a hobby. Of course, I would like to be able to make a living off of photography, I am doing this for the experience and to remind myself how great this life is. How precious a genuine smile is. Those are my favorite pictures to capture.
But why I started is what makes me different from the rest. My eye is unique and I bring something that others do not. I am not competing with anyone! Only myself.
Tell us more about the business.
It is just a small business that I do for the enjoyment of it. I still very much love it and I hope it never feels like a chore to me. What sets me apart is that I am not in this business for the money. I am in this to spread the beauty of life and hope that I can touch people’s hearts by what I capture. I am doing this to show them the other perspective. The perspective we often overlook. I want to capture the joy of life. I want to see the picture and remember the belly laugh and snort someone just did. The raw beauty is what makes me want to do this. I am most proud of the way that it changed me as a person and I hope that others can find a hobby that does that. Changes you, for the better.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Well, I am not sure that I would say luck has been much of a factor. But there have been times where I feel that I am under qualified and I just show up and shoot. I just wing it and then I always end up surprising myself.
Pricing:
- $100 for a few hours and 20 plus pictures.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.megamomentsphoto.com
- Phone: 817-706-5504
- Email: mega.moments.17@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megamomentsphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.randles.3
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