Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Dwyer.
Hi Megan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2016, after graduating from GVSU with a degree in mathematics, I started work as a software developer. It was an incredible job at an incredible company, but pretty much right away, I knew that something in my life was missing. Around Christmas time, I received my first bonus check and immediately purchased a red Nikon camera. This camera came EVERYWHERE with me over the next few years.
Enter the love of my life – Alex. We were introduced by mutual friends in 2017. Long-distance dating got old quickly, so I moved down to Kentucky to be with him in 2019. For the first time in my life, I found myself… bored… which I do not do well with. I took this opportunity to learn everything that I possibly could about that little red camera. I genuinely felt like a little kid with this new hobby – every day, I was practicing something new and was gobbling up information quicker than it felt like I could even process it.
My little hobby took off faster than I could have ever imagined it and before I knew it, I was being asked to shoot WEDDINGS. People were trusting me with their WEDDING DAY. (Kelsey & Kyle, I will never ever forget you!) I cashed in all of my savings bonds from my grandparents to upgrade my camera. By the end of 2020 I had so many weddings on my books for 2021 I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage it along with a full-time job anymore.
So, I quit my job. Took the biggest leap of my life and left my super stable corporate job for my photography career. I had so much support from my family, Alex, and my friends. They will never know how much it meant to me, and I will never be able to repay them for it. I moved my little booty back to Michigan and moved back in with my parents at 27 years old. (My client base was in Michigan).
My business took off quicker than I could even keep up with. I just can’t say enough times how truly grateful I am for everyone’s support, especially during those first few years. In early 2022 – just a YEAR after starting my business we had a bit of a surprise when I found out that I was expecting a little girl in September. Alex moved back to Michigan in a hurry, and somehow, we managed to make it through the year with a full workload, a high-risk pregnancy, and a LOT of really sweet and understanding clients. Becoming a mom was hands down the greatest gift that I have ever been given.
I am now a full-time mom and a business owner. This is a balancing act that I don’t think I will ever quite get the hang of, but I love EVERY single second of it. I wouldn’t trade this life for anything in the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
OH BOY – A few bumps in the road
Moving back to Michigan to begin my photography career came with a lot of challenges. My parents supported me without question. After helping me through college they ENTHUSIASTICALLY welcomed me back home to start a brand-new business that had not a single thing to do with my degree. Alex pushed me to take the leap even though it meant leaving him a few states away. It was a TOUGH year trying to get off the ground, but I am so happy that I did it!
2022 was another equally tough and magical year. I have some underlying health concerns that made my pregnancy high risk. I had a lot of sickness and hospital visits throughout the year. It wasn’t something that we had planned ahead for, so my year was already jam-packed with weddings and traveling! I shot my last wedding at 38 weeks pregnant. I had a lot of support from the photography community as well as my clients, and I know that I couldn’t have gotten through it without them!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a photographer! YAY! I love shooting my clients with the people that they love. Whether it is on their wedding day or simply hanging out with their children at home! I accept a small number of weddings/shoots every year, and I think that the genuine good time that I have with my clients sets me apart – I hope that they would agree HAHA
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
GO FOR IT! You have to just take the leap. Put everything you have into it. There will be a lot of late nights, but it is WORTH IT.
Photographers specifically – don’t buy all of the gear. Don’t buy all of the courses. Learn your camera settings and PRACTICE. You do not need to spend a fortune to start, I promise you! Social media is an incredible tool to put yourself and your work out there. DO IT YOUR OWN WAY! Follower count does NOT equal good photos, number of clients, or success. Period. Give each client the love that they deserve and focus on your art, and your business will take off!
Contact Info:
- Website: meggydphotography.com
- Instagram: meggydphotography
