Tell us a little bit about yourself, Megan.

I’m kind of a chill person. I am married. I have a niece and nephew who are my life, and I relax by going to the lake. Editing photos is my life. My world revolves around photos and my family. And I eat tacos every Tuesday. Taco Tuesday.

Taco Tuesday! Classic.

If you ask me what my favorite meal is, it’s tacos, and my favorite food is cheese. In fact, if I don’t have cheese to have while I am editing, I will drive to the grocery store just to buy cheese.

So you have to have cheese in order to edit?

No, it’s actually true. Tim [my husband] laughs at me all the time! He’s like, “Did you go to the grocery store today?” I’ll say yes and he’ll be like, “And you didn’t buy any other groceries?” “No, I needed to buy cheese so that I could work, and I can’t work if I don’t have cheese.” That’s me in a nutshell.

Speaking about Tim, you recently got married. What was that like?

A little stressful but truthfully, it was a fairytale. Everyone has their own picture-perfect wedding, and mine was what I dreamed of: It was simple, beautiful, and traditional just like me.

How did you find your way to Ivory House Photography?

I had just moved home after deciding to not do accounting, and my dad basically told me that I needed to either make my hobby my career, get a job, or go to school. I did both. I decided to go to school, and I got my internship with Whitney.

Whitney’s mom and my dad are friends, so they were able to exchange our contact information. I texted and emailed Whitney and said, “I don't know what you need, but I’m here.” I started at Ivory House just by shadowing Whitney, carrying her camera bag, and changing her lenses during shoots. I just wanted to be around it.

What do you most like about photography?

You know how you picture something in your head, and you want to make it a reality? I like being about to do that with photography. I get to think about what other people can’t see out of a situation and make it come to life. I like the creative side of seeing something and making it happen.

How would you describe your style of shooting?

Ivory House’s style is crisp, clean, and true to color. I wouldn't call my style that far off. I would define my style as artistic. I use a lot of yellow tones so maybe Golden. I would also say classic too. I gear my shooting towards who I am shooting. If I am photographing a family of 14, it’s going to be classic, but when I am photographing seniors, I want to gear it towards that high school vibe where they are a little bit more edgy or vintage.

How do you prepare for your photography sessions?

I like to drive by where I am shooting. I always like to know where I am shooting when I show up. I will literally show up an hour early if I have never been somewhere. I do all of the technical work like getting the camera ready, packed, and by the door hours beforehand. I’ll triple check it in the car, and in fact, there are some days when I pull over to the side of the road just to do the peak back to make sure it’s still there!

Sometimes I’ll look on Facebook to see who people are so that I can see their style because I want to do people justice. If people have a vision, I want to know their vision because I want to deliver on it.

Some of us are really nervous about being photographed. What tips do you have for getting comfortable in front of the camera?

If it’s little kids, it’s easy to gage when they are uncomfortable. If they won’t smile for a posed picture, I’ll have them hold hands with someone and run around because they are going to smile. Then I’ll get to do more candid photos.

If it’s adults, I’ll tell them that the shoot is only 15 minutes. I get to tell you what’s happening and you just get to follow directions. If you follow directions, everything will turn out beautiful. I do my best to listen to everyone’s concerns, and I like to explain everything while I am doing it. Photos don’t have to be stressful.

Do you have a favorite location to shoot?

Art Center. The white building…there is no other place like that, and the backside always has perfect greenery. You get a combo of both looks in one. We can get literally any style you want. In any scenario, I know that I am going to get perfect pictures that someone likes.

What should a client expect when they sign up for a session with you?

All the work that a client has to do is before the shoot: figuring out when they want to shoot and what they want to wear. I do all the rest, so once they show up, there is a sense of ease.

I am a pretty go with the flow type of person. Infants will cry, parents will get stressed, but that doesn’t bother me. Kids don’t want to smile at me, and it doesn't hurt my feelings. I am still going to take good pictures. I feel like you could throw any bad scenario at me, and I can handle it.