Today we’d like to introduce you to Meagan Bronson.
Hi Meagan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Driven by coffee, crisp photography, new adventures, and all forms of creative marketing, I started experimenting with photography back in 2009. After taking a lot of bad photos of ugly plants and pleading with friends who didn’t want to be in front of the camera, I realized I had finally found my passion: to create something stunning out of nothing.
I ended up becoming my high school’s first professional student photographer to take senior portraits. At the time, it was only $35 for an hour session. I did about 30 senior portraits my first year as a true photographer (while also being a senior myself). I started realizing I loved portraiture photography so decided to embark on my first wedding, which I did when I was 17.
Though I had a passion for photography, something inside me told me I wasn’t ready yet to make it a life-long career. I decided to attend college for what started out as a psychology major and later ended up being communication studies. I am super driven and that ambition didn’t stop in High School. After attending a small college in Boston, I decided I needed more of a challenge so transferred to a more prestigious school.
I now have a Bachelor’s Degree from Northeastern University. I worked my ass off all through college (and afterward) to push my limits, learn, and gain valuable skills beyond just photography and digital marketing. I worked as a Project Manager for marketing agencies for about 7 years before coming back to my roots in photography. Some clients I have worked with include Smuttynose Brewery, Burton, Cisco Adler, Zevia, LuLaRoe, Scotty Lago, and K2 Ski and Snowboard.
Today, I consider myself a talented published creative photographer for lovers & brands with over a decade of experience with a passion for travel. I believe traveling brings me closer to who I am as a person and helps fuel me creatively into being the photographer I want to be!
I like to think the experience with me as a photographer is unique. I’ve been told on multiple occasions that I am a “Magician”. That I truly create magic behind my camera. So much so when the client gets their gallery they’re stunned at what I could produce.
But for me, it goes beyond the skillset. It’s also about making my clients feel GOOD. Bringing out their inner beauty and sexiness that they didn’t think they had. Couples sessions can get intimate and it’s also a great bonding experience with your partner to regain that romance you might have lost through working a crazy job or having kids.
The whole process from start to finish for my clients IS an experience and I love that I can provide that for them using my outgoing, creative, and vibrant personality that will put you at ease, creating a final product that will leave you in awe.
Beyond the camera, I really like being outside as much as possible. I like yoga and meditation (you gutta to stay sane when you are a business owner). I finally learned how to ski at the age of 24 and how to downhill mountain bike at 26. Growing and expanding my horizons every day keeps me excited about life, and I’m always up for a new challenge.
While I do love lounging at home with my cat, staying active and exploring is incredibly important to me and that drive has helped me get to where I am today. I try to pour that energy and determination into every project I work on, and that effort is apparent in the end results.
Additionally, I LOVE TO TEACH. I just launched my mentorship program this year and I couldn’t be more excited to teach AND learn from people who feel like they align with me in their careers and want to invest in thriving in their business and growth.
I have a ton of knowledge of the industry and I love sharing my skillset with like-minded people to encourage them to get after the life they want to!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is it ever? My struggles are directly correlated with what makes me successful today. I struggled a lot with comparing myself to other people and figuring out my consistent style until I reminded myself how different every photographer is and how each photographer should be celebrated for what it is that makes them unique.
I always tell this, but you can have 10 photographers be at the same place, at the exact same time, taking the exact same image and every single person would edit them differently.
That’s SO cool to me. Our vision and eyes are so unique to the way we see life and how we want to approach our artwork that there’s no point in comparing yourself because it’ll just keep you from creating authentically.
Additionally, I think one of the hardest parts of being a photographer (or any artist, really) is believing that you are CAPABLE.
I also struggled a lot with feeling like I had so much to learn but didn’t want to put in the WORK for it. I was lazy and would be self-deprecating, but I didn’t realize at the time what I needed to flourish. I finally came to a point where I snapped out of it and got into a better rhythm that kept me moving forward.
So now when people are feeling the same, about feeling “stuck”, I can’t stress enough to them that in order to grow you need to be open to constantly learning new things. New ways of editing, new photoshop tools, new communication soft skills, new techniques to better enhance your client’s experience, etc.
When you’re willing to learn and be self-taught, that is when you will really start to thrive.
We’ve been impressed with Meagan Explores, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I think one of the most impressive things about my business that sets me apart is that I take the time. I take the time to understand my clients, get to know them personally, understand their goals, and what poses they’re comfortable in doing and I take A LOT of time in editing their gallery after their session.
I think in life in general it is really easy to get in the habit of just going through the motions and sometimes work can be really daunting. We all get bored with what we’re doing and the way we’re living that we sometimes just want to get through the day quickly, and that can mean giving up what we honor and value within ourselves to do so.
I try really hard to avoid falling into that trap of just living day to day and letting my work get stale or daunting. It’s hard to be strict about it, but I do this by really prioritizing my mental health and allowing myself realistic breaks for me to disconnect myself from my art and work to really reset.
Because of this, it really fuels me and gives me the mental space to focus and treat each project/client as its own. I’m not quickly editing or sifting through galleries just get paid. I really take the time to invest my skillset and creativity in everything I do and I think that really shows in my work.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Probably how young I was when I found my passion for photography! I also really love to cook and spend my money on fine dining and nights out with friends. It’s the Taurus in me!
Pricing:
- Couples sessions begin at $500
- Weddings begin at $1,600
- Brand sessions begin at $475
Contact Info:
- Website: www.meaganexplores.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/meaganexplores
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeaganExplores
