An Interview With A Photographer: Meg & Kate Photography

It’s time for another interview! This week I’m interviewing Megan from Meg and Kate Photography. Megan is a fellow Bruin and is also graduating in two weeks.

Thank you Megan for taking the time to do this interview!

Meg and Kate Photography

Hi Megan, thank you so much for agreeing to do this! Could please introduce yourself and tell us three fun facts about yourself? Oh, and could you please introduce Kate too and tell us three fun facts about her!

Well, hello! First, I would like to thank Becca for thinking of me for this interview! I feel blessed to be able to do something like this. My name is Megan Ella Mc Lean and I am about to graduate UCLA with an Anthropology B.A. I’m an amateur photographer from Los Angeles, born and raised! Fun facts about myself? Oh boy. Besides photography, I love to paint, sing and dance. My favorite television show of all time is Lost and I still have yet to get a Dharma jumpsuit and wear it for Halloween! And, this past weekend I spent an afternoon co-shooting an engagement for a friend of mine. We had to stealthy and discreetly follow the couple down a trail, follow them to the beach and wait for the moment. It was a truly beautiful moment!

Kate, my baby, is smartest and cutest kitten in the world. She’s not really a kitten anymore, she just turned one last month but, she’s been one of my main muses for photography! Kate is toilet-trained and loves to un-roll the entire toilet paper roll after using the restroom. Yes, that means she does her business in the toilet! Also, Kate’s favorite game is fetch, water bottle caps are her equivalent to a ball. And lastly, Kate enjoys sticking her head in empty tissue boxes and marches around my apartment occasionally bashing herself into walls.

Meg and Kate Photography

How did you first start in photography?
I’m still very new to the scene, but I always had a creative streak in my blood. Ever since I held a camera in my hand, I loved capturing moments on film. In high school and throughout college, I’ve always been “that” friend, taking photographs and posting them online. However, with the help and encouragement from my closest friends and family I decided to pursue photography on the side to see how far it will take me during my last year as an undergraduate. So far it has been such a thrill ride! I hope that I’m blessed to only grow and expand from here.

What do you mostly like shooting?
I absolutely love shooting portraits and couples. I find so much joy in capturing a moment between two people in love or when I get the person I am photographing to laugh at my corny jokes. I hope to expand my career in photography to the wedding industry. I’d love to start shooting more couples, engagements and weddings.

How would you describe your style of photography? What drew you to that style?
I don’t think I can pin myself down to a particular style. My photography is, most importantly, expressive, tasteful, and colorful. My shots reflect the people I work with, so the location and vision for the shoot strongly affects the style of any given shoot. It’s all about context. I like to shoot raw most of the time, and I’m a natural light photographer. For example, the light at sunset can be a great tool to capture outstanding lighting in photographs. That allows me to be very flexible and independent.

Meg and Kate Photography

You use tools like facebook, blogging and twitter to get the word out about your photography! Have these things helped you as a photographer? 
Yes, mostly Facebook. It’s the easiest way for me to showcase my work to potential clients. But I’ve received most of my work through referrals and that has been really rewarding and awesome! I’ve been creating such a great network of people and it’s only expanding.

What type of camera do you use?
I am currently shooting with a Nikon D3000 but, would eventually like to upgrade to a Nikon D7000! That’s going to take some saving 🙂

What is your favorite lens?
I am still exploring lens and haven’t found a favorite lens yet. I do like wide-angle lenses and I’m looking to buy a fish eyed lens too.

If you could photograph anyone in the world who would it be and why?
I have two picks. I would have loved to had the opportunity to photograph James Dean. I think he’s a classic icon and his demeanor is raw and emotional. My second pick would be to get the opportunity to have a non-royal engagement/wedding shoot with the newlyweds, Prince William and Princess Kate. They are a beautiful couple and I would have liked to see more creativity in their engagement photographs, even though it’s understandable being royal and all. 🙂

An Interview With A Photographer: Emily Nguyen

In pursuit of trying to learn as much as I can, I have had many great conversations with many fantastic photographers!!! I especially love talking to photographers my age.  I admire them so much, being able to risk everything to start their own photography business.

This is Emily Nguyen. We went to high school together and she is now a full-time student and photographer! We have been talking about photography with each other for a while. We’ve been on shoots together and check out each others blogs. And one day I decided to ask her if she would be kind enough to answer some formal questions for a blog post. I’m so excited that she agreed to do so!!! I hope someone out there finds her answers and advise as interesting as I do!

Questions:

Hi Emily, thank you for agreeing to do this! Could please just introduce yourself and tell us three fun facts about yourself?

I’m Emily Nguyen. I’m a photographer from the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in portraits and model portfolio. I love Japanese culture, definitely a anime/manga fanatic. I’m actually learning Japanese right now at DVC. I like to play World of Warcraft and Munchkins in my spare time. I also love to bowl! I bowl on a league every Monday, but I’m taking this season off due to school.

How did you first start in photography?
My interest in photography started in fifth grade. I used to take my dad’s Canon EOS 350 to school and take photos of my friends by the school’s garden and playgrounds. In middle school, my best friends and I would dress up and go to random places to take photos of each other all the time. I was always taking pictures. It was the same in high school as well. After high school, I took an interest in modeling and started working with a lot of photographers. It was a great experience. I learned so much from the photographers, like what sort of camera to buy, what type of lens to purchase, how to work with lighting, etc. I even had a photographer teach me how to edit photos. He walked me through step by step while editing my photos. If I didn’t model, I wouldn’t have had the experience that was necessary for me to start my own photography business.

I started the official photography business in August 2008. I started out with a Canon EOS D60 and a Quantaray 55-200mm lens. I made a Myspace for ENPhotography, started spamming friend requests, and posted bulletins for free shoots. After three months of free shoots, I started charging. I rely heavily on word of mouth for advertising, and I also advertise on Craigslist and Facebook.

What do you mostly like shooting?
I like to photograph models. Models, primarily because I get to be really creative. I love the different looks that goes into modeling. The locations are really cool too, like the Byron Hot Springs Hotel. I always go to the thrift store and buy outfits that I think would look good for a photo shoot or sometimes I would try to make outfits for the shoots. I love coming up with ideas for photo shoots and exploring photographs for inspiration.

How would you describe your style of photography? What drew you to that style?
My style of photography is portraiture with a vintage/retro touch. I have always loved the look of vintage and retro. The colors are vibrant yet dull. It’s a unique combination. I love browsing around the internet to find actions and textures to work with, and its fun to create my own as well.

What type of camera do you use?
I am currently using a Canon EOS 40D but I really want to upgrade to a Canon EOS 7D or 5D. If I had the money, I would buy the 5D, but I’m most likely getting the 7D since it’s more affordable and it’s still very high quality.

What is your favorite lens?
My favorite lens is the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L lens, primarily because I like to shoot mostly full body and I like the ultra wide angle. Though sometimes, it does distort the body depending on the distance between the subject and I. I would prefer to use a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L lens, but there is no way I can afford that yet. I will probably get the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in a couple of weeks though, which would be great for macros and portraits. I love the bokeh effect that it has.

If you could photograph anyone in the world who would it be and why? 
Hmm, if I could photograph anyone in the world, it would be Audrey Hepburn. I love her style, and she is so gorgeous. Actually, I would love to photograph anyone from the 50’s and 20’s jazz era. I love the fashion from both those eras.

Thank you Emily for agreeing to answer my questions!

If you are interested in shooting with Emily you can contact her at ENPhotography@rocketmail.com

Getting In Front of the Lens

I don’t often get in front of a camera lens.  I mostly like my role firmly behind the camera.  However I feel I’m at the point now where I have to do it.  I have to instruct people on how to pose and feel comfortable in front of the camera.  How can I do that for them if I can’t do it myself?  So, it’s time.  Time to get out in front of the camera.  We will see how if goes after todays shoot.  Hopefully it wont rain on me.

25 Things I’ve Learned About Photography

1) Shoot in RAW. Always.
2) Animals don’t always cooportate when you are taking pictures.
3) The same thing applies for people.
4) Look at other photographers work and learn from them.
5) I HATE grain. ISO 200 or even 100 is my best friend 🙂
6) Be accepting of feedback.
7) Don’t throw out your little point and shoot camera just because you have a fancy new DSLR.  This is the biggest mistake I ever made! A big honken DSLR at a party is a bit odd.
8 ) Don’t be afraid of manual settings.
9) Camera backpacks are annoying.
10) Lighting is everything! If you have too much or too little light you are in trouble.
11) I ❤ comments and thus I should comment more on other blogs!
12) Don’t put your camera strap around your neck. Wrap your camera strap around your wrist three times and hold on to it.
13) Be able to instruct models on how to pose.
14) Having a snazzy photography website doesn’t make you a photographer.
15) Take several shots of the same image.  – I mean really, always have a backup.
16) Try taking your photo from a different angle. See if it’s more interesting.
17) The only way you get better at photography is to take more pictures.
18) The rule of thirds is a good rule.
19) Show your photos to everyone! Use Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs!!!
20) Don’t be afraid to ask people to model.
21) The light right after sunrise or right before sunset  is the most beautiful thing in world.
22) National Geographic Photographers don’t have real jobs…so being a photographer means a lot of freelancing.
23) It’s better to underexpose than overexpose.
24) As much as you might like someone elses style, don’t copy it.  That is like being that kid in high school that dresses however the popular kids dress like. It’s better to be yourself.
25) Carrying a tri pod up a hiking trail is really impractical. Really.

More of the Fablous Morgan -Senior 2010

These are some my pictures from Morgan’s senior photo shoot.  If your in Contra Costa and want your senior portraits done please leave a comment and I will be in touch.

I love how Morgan’s shoot turned out btw!!!