Photography by Megan Sneak Peek Blog!

Adventures in Arizona - Going Home

My trip is coming to an end, with my flight leaving today around 3 p.m.  I'll travel back across two time zones and hopefully get home late tonight.  Then the REAL work begins!  I know I've got tons of e-mails to return so you'll be hearing from me soon.

I had such a fabulous time, and I am especially thankful for my wonderful friends Grant and Kelli for letting me stay with them.  Last night I gave them a little photo session as a thank you (their full sneak peek will also be up later... expect many Arizona sneak peeks for the next week or so!) but I wanted to post just a couple.   These guys are great and if any of you have been reading me for awhile I also shot their wedding in Mexico back in October 2006.  As I predicted, our session was so much FUN!

Can you spot the jet plane in each shot?

Adventures in Arizona - More Peeks

Wow, the time sure is flying by!  Today is my last full day of shoots and then I leave for home tomorrow.  I'm sad it went so fast but I've had an AMAZING time.  The wedding was gorgeous on Saturday and I had a family shoot last night with another round of incredible evening lighting.  I don't think I'm ready to leave Arizona just yet!

Here are some more previews of some of my MANY favorites...

Adventures in Arizona - Checking In

I just had a quick moment this morning and I wanted to check in and update everyone on how my trip is going after my first full day here.  I'm having a GREAT time; the weather is amazing (of course), the people are fabulous (my friends put me up in a guest room in their condo with my own bathroom!), and I've already taken two photo sessions... one "impromptu" and one real one!  Later today is the wedding.  I even got to meet the lead singer of Jimmy Eat World last night at an art gallery because he is friends with the people I am staying with.  It was a really cool experience; he and his wife are totally laid back and it was a fun night.

As I mentioned above, I'm staying with my friends from college, Grant and Kelli, and they are dog-sitting for some friends who have two English Bulldogs--Winston and Georgia.  They are amazing animals, and completely hilarious, with their pushed in snouts, short legs, and stocky build.  When we took them for a walk the other night on Mill Avenue in Tempe we couldn't go half a block without people stopping us to pet them or say how "cool" they were.  It was crazy!

I also had my first official session yesterday with a terrific family of four, with one on the way (they'll have a more detailed sneak peek when I return) but I had to share just one--because it includes one of my favorite intricacies about Arizona, the saguaro cactus!  I really hope to capture Arizona in all of my sessions.  To have this change of scenery is like an explosion of creative ideas for me.  There really is no limit around here, and the awesome weather just makes it even better. 

So--pictures!  The first one is a shot I grabbed from the family session with the saguaro.  They were so happy and fun!  I can't WAIT to post more from this session, it was one of my favorites.

Ok, ONE more.  The light was absolutely PERFECT for this session. 

And here are some of Winston the Bulldog!  (Georgia was sleeping).  I might have to give these guys their very own post when I get back, because I'm sure I'll take more of them throughout the week.

I caught him mid-yawn!  Love it!

So, I hope to update more if I can.  I don't have too much time on the computer so hopefully I can get on again and post more shots and news from the trip!

Jared and Beth's Engagement Session

Well, first up, the computer news.  I've got myself set up temporarily on my MacBook laptop, and I have transferred what I need for the time being.  I'm bringing my iMac desktop to Grand Forks tomorrow, so hopefully they can take a look at it and let me know what to do from here.  Again--all photos are safe and backed up, so no worries there!

Now.... BACK TO THE PHOTOS!  We left off with my posts from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area sessions...  I took Jared and Beth's engagement shots near downtown Minneapolis (St. Anthony's and Main) on a brisk March morning.  It seemed we had the place to ourselves, as not many shops or restaurants had opened yet--which was perfect for photos!  I loved shooting in this area.  There were so many neat backgrounds to choose from and the possibilities were endless.  Here are just a few of my many favorites!

When It Rains, It Pours

I awoke this morning to discover my trusty iMac wasn't feeling up to booting up.  In fact, it wasn't up to much of anything.  And after 2 hours on the phone with tech support, it appears my computer needs to take a trip to the computer doctor.

I do not know the fate of my hard drive, however I DO know that all my pictures (and yours!) are safe and sound.  Luckily, I practice a stern habit of backing up my images to external hard drives EVERY DAY.  So, everything is here!  I just have to wait and see what happens with my main computer before I am completely back up and running. 

In the meantime, I am working from my MacBook, which will still allow me to get things done, but a little slower.  I'll be back as SOON as I can with some updates.  In the meantime, send good vibes to my iMac so it's back to new in no time!

I'm Teaching!

I have to apologize that I have not been blogging all of my amazing clients from Minneapolis this past weekend just yet!  They are coming soon, I promise.  The same with e-mails.  I'm still un-burying myself from being out of my office for the past several days!

Additionally, I have had to take a quick break to concentrate on preparing for an upcoming class I'll be teaching!  I've been asked to do an introduction to digital photography at the high school this Thursday afternoon.  I'm very excited to be meeting the kids and sharing a little bit of my knowledge.  I am currently working on a FUN, INTERACTIVE presentation to show, and then we'll be taking our cameras out to do some real-life shooting and experimenting.  Of course this preparation is taking up some of my time right now, but as I said--the class is this Thursday, and after that I'll be done!  Wish me luck!

Here's a sneak peek at the cover page; I'll be presenting this on a giant screen and I'm creating it with Keynote on my iMac.  It's fun, colorful, and packed with images!

Fun in the Cities!

I'm still hangin' out in the Minneapolis area, shooting sessions all over town.  I've been in so many different suburbs I don't know which way is north and which way is south--luckily I have my trusty GPS to lead the way!  I have a couple sessions tomorrow (Saturday) and then I finally start the 6 hour trek home.  I have SO many amazing pictures to share when I return, so keep checking back for lots of new blog posts!

Today I had a special treat and got to hang out with fellow photographer Mandy Birdwell (the one with the fabulous canvas prints everyone has been raving about!) and we had fun chatting about photography, camera gear and iMacs for hours.  Jayden even let us use her as a model while we tried out Mandy's new softbox in her home studio.  We only took a few shots, but I just had to share this one.  It looks like she's got somethin' to say!  So cute!

Three Posts in One!

I've got lots to write about this evening! 

1. First of all, I'm leaving tomorrow and heading to Minneapolis for the Twin Cities Sessions!  I'm looking forward to working with all the great people involved.  I'll be shooting appointments on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is supposed to be in the 40s!  To me this is like summer compared to the weather we've been having so far!  So I am looking forward to being OUTSIDE hopefully and getting some awesome outdoor shots.  As usual, while I am away on these sessions I will not be checking/returning e-mails regularly so if you don't hear from me right away that is the reason.  I'll return all e-mails when I'm back in my office on Monday.

2. Speaking of nice weather, I went outside this morning to find a beautiful, clear, WARM day (20 above and no wind) and I just had to take a quick picture.  The sun was so incredibly bright and the contrast of the blue sky against the snow was amazing.  I rarely take pictures for myself anymore so I just HAD to share this one....

3.  And last, but not least, I was so excited to start getting some e-mails in response to my post Photos into Art.   Christine sent me a picture of this beautiful collage frame in her home, with photographs from the session I did with her daughters Claire and Emma back in December.  It looks great, and what a classic way to display black and white photos!  I love it.  Keep 'em coming!

Published!

I meant to post this a week or so ago, but my eclipse photographs were published on the front page of my hometown's local newspaper!  They accidentally got my name wrong (used my maiden, instead) but luckily everyone in a small town knows who you are, so I wasn't too concerned!  It's been awhile since I've had a photographed published, but it's always a pleasure to see something in print. 

The original design is below:

Photos into Art

It's rare that I get to see my photographs in their finished form, on display in a client's home.  Even when I return to take their pictures again and glance up to see one of my photographs in a beautiful frame or collage, I'm too busy concentrating on taking pictures that I really don't get much else than a glance.  Yet I'm always curious to see how so many people turn my photographs into art--something I don't often get a chance to do myself.

Luckily, photographer Mandy Birdwell, who I had the pleasure of working with last fall, posted on her blog recently about what she did with my photographs.  With her permission, I am posting the pictures she took of MY pictures, which she had printed on beautiful canvas and arranged as a collage. 

This all made me think of something I was actually considering for some time.  I'd like to occasionally do a "Photos into Art" post; showcasing how clients display my photographs.  I'm either going to remind myself to take a couple shots the next time I'm at a repeat client's home, or request of YOU to send me some!  If you are a client who would like to submit a photo of something interesting you did with my pictures, please e-mail me at meganphoto@gmail.com and you could see your picture on my blog and, of course, receive something in return!  It truly is rewarding to see my images where they were always meant to be!

Shoot the Moon

I was lucky enough to be able to witness the Lunar Eclipse last night, and even more lucky that I finally figured out how to properly photograph it!  I had to do a few experiments and tried out a couple different lenses, but once I had my setting I was ready to shoot!  My husband and I drove out to an open field to watch it and it was truly amazing. 

Here is the full moon, about an hour before the eclipse began.

We didn't get out there right away when it began, but enough so it had started to really show the shadowing.

Even more!

This one was hard to see...there was almost no light left!

I don't know much about the scientific facts, but I guess the next thing that happens is the moon turns reddish/yellow.  I had to have a longer exposure to capture the colors in this but it turned out awesome!

Please do not copy these images without permission; I left my logo off as to not distract from the photograph itself.  Thank you!

Kajsa and Quin

I love my niece and nephew!  They are so much fun to photograph.  You may remember seeing Quin's newborn pictures a few months ago and of course my usual posts about Kajsa, who has been my baby model since day one.  I can't believe she's already three!  Kajsa loves dresses and My Little Ponies and of course, dinosaurs!  Quin is growing fast, too, and at just over three months, he was very curious about my camera.   Here are some of my favorite pictures from their session... as usual I had way too many to choose from! 

HOME!

Finally, after a WEEK on the road, traveling through EIGHT states--I'm HOME! 

It was definitely tricky with intermittent e-mail access and carrying around my iMac but I did manage to get a little work done.  My husband was happy to load his combines (and subsequently dropped them off in Kansas so they are ready when harvest begins) and, as a bonus,  I got to see how the big machines were made at the John Deere Harvester Works factory in East Moline, Illinois. 

But, yes--now I'm home!  If you've been patiently waiting to hear from me on e-mails, sessions, sneak peeks, etc... it will be much faster now!  I even have some fun news--plans are in the works to FINALLY UPDATE MY WEBSITE and galleries will be filled with all NEW pictures from my favorite sessions of 2007!  It's been too long and I'm sure many of you are ready for some fresh portfolio work.  So stay tuned and I'll be back with more updates!

For fun, here's the view I had most of the trip... riding shotgun in the big Volvo semi!

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year!  I will be heading up to Lake of the Woods with my husband and some friends for our fourth annual ice fishing/New Years party at Sportsman's Lodge.  It's lots of fun!  I will be back posting all my latest sneak peeks on Tuesday or Wednesday, so check back then.  I have loads of great new photos to share!

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Thank you to all of my wonderful clients for making this such an amazing year for me.  I truly appreciate each and every one of you!  I look forward to another great year and hope to be seeing all of you again soon.  I also wanted to share our family Christmas card with you, and also a few shots of our home all ready for the holidays.  We're hosting both of our families this year!

Guess Who?

Okay I just HAD to share this quick shot.  My aunt Nancy found this while going through old photographs and I can't believe I'd never seen it before. 

Yep, that's ME--maybe around 9 or 10 years old--attempting to take a picture with my dad's trusty old Pentax at the lake!  I guess it was meant to be that I become a photographer!

Horses, Too!

I don't only take pictures of babies and weddings--last weekend I added a pair of horses to my list of clients!  Meet Noah and Hot Rod, two beautiful Arabians owned by my mom and dad.  We had a gorgeous evening at the cabin last Saturday and took advantage of it by going for a ride in the woods and of course taking pictures.  The boys did great at their headshots and are looking forward to more photo shoots in the future!

Here are a few of my favorites!

Baby.... Megan??

Can you guess who THIS baby is?

Hard to believe I was once as little as all the babies I photograph today!  My mom sent me this photo because today is my 26th birthday... my GOLDEN birthday!  Yay!

Early Spring and Aspens

It's been so beautiful lately that my husband and I have spent the last several evenings out at the cabin, riding fourwheeler in the woods and grilling for supper.  Tonight I grabbed my camera and of course had to attempt to capture the beauty of the woods.  It really is amazing out there! 

Here are some of my favorite shots...

I couldn't resist!

Just before sunset.

The pond trail.

I've also got lots of new pictures to share, including a baby session and, finally, wedding season kicks off tomorrow!  Keep checking back for new updates! 

Watch Our Wedding Video Slideshow

We had an AMAZING time at our wedding in Telluride.  We also had a BLAST at our reception this past weekend in Hallock.  We had a great turnout for both, and it couldn't have gone any better.

Click here to watch our wedding video slideshow!

Again, I promise more pictures will be posted soon... we're now in the middle of trying to get settled into our new home and open all of our wedding gifts.

Stay tuned... new portrait sessions are coming up in January, too!  I can't wait to get back into the groove!

And We're Off!

We're on our way to Telluride, Colorado!  Nathan and I are very excited for our destination wedding in the mountains.  I'll be sure to post photos as soon as I can!

In the meantime, I apologize for any unanswered e-mails for the next couple weeks.  Once I am settled in I will be returning all emails and making sure all inquiries get answered!  Thanks for being so patient while I make this major life change!

19 Days!

Where did the time fly?

19 days until I am a "Mrs. S."  19 days until I tie the knot.  19 days until all of this chaos will hopefully be winding down!  It's been crazy as usual, trying to balance the wedding plans, work at UND, and this little photography thing I've got going on here.  At least in 19 days, one of those three will be crossed off the list!

I've got plenty of new photos to share, and even some new card designs... I just have to find the time to get them sorted through, edited and uploaded.  Also, as of now I am closed for any new projects until January.  I have one more wedding to shoot on December 2nd, as well as catching up with my previous work in the next few days, and then it's MY wedding time!   

Here's a picture from our engagement session back in August, shot by Christy Doyea Photography!