Movement

I know this a weird title for a blog post on a photography blog but stay with me:

I LOVE movement in photographs.  I think it helps add life into images. It can add a sense of whimsy and fun as well! I often get my clients to walk for me, run, jump, and skip. You get the drift. Of course, I usually stick to age appropriate behavior. I don’t tend to get my engaged couples to jump on the bed…. I usually reserve that for the kiddos (side note: I am  not saying that you are too old to bounce once you hit a certain age…I am still quite fond of jumping on the trampoline). I have heard rumors that Bill Gates has a padded trampoline room. Who knows if it is true but it certainly sounds like fun! It especially sounds like fun to a mom of toddlers. Those rainy days can be hard to fill (thank you Cartwheels and Coffee).

Anyway, back on topic:

People sometimes look at me like I am crazy when I ask them to do such things but I love it as much as I love a good hard laugh in photographs (That is another time that I get some crazy looks). When I say “Could you just look at each other and laugh? I know that you are going to feel silly but then you will laugh for real and it will be beautiful.” I am sure that my clients think that I am crazy but it’s all to get you guys comfortable with the camera, to get you comfortable with me and to interact with each other during family or an engagement shoot. Ryan (my brother who second shoots with me) always cringes when I say “Just pretend like you like each other.” Of course, I am joking and it helps lighten the mood. We have to make you all comfortable somehow! Anyway, I hope this preps you for when I am getting you to truck down the street for the 6th time to get the shot!!

You all have a fabulous day!

Here are a few examples:

An engagement session at the VMFA

Dottie, Barry and I headed over to the VMFA last Sunday to shoot their engagement session. They are getting married there shortly after the museum reopens. So they thought it would be fun to incorporate the construction into their shoot!  I am taking no credit for the fun direction of this shoot and will hand that over to Barry, my new art director! We had a blast and I always love being able to incorporate a story into my portraits. I have to extend a HUGE thanks to Beth Ritch at the VMFA for escorting us throughout the museum and the grounds. I am so excited for the museum to reopen in it’s entirety. Aside from the fact that I am ecstatic to get to shoot in the new wing with it’s glorious natural light, I am incredibly excited that there is going to be ART again at our Museum. Whoo hoo! I hope that you enjoy your sneak peek (and my horrible run-on sentences), Dottie and Barry! I can’t wait for the wedding!

All the best,

Meghan

A little sweetness

I think that we all need a bit of sweetness to get us through the last month of winter. I don’t know about you but I am so looking forward to warm weather!  I am so looking forward to warm weather, spring time, playground time with my kids, field sessions with my clients that I almost can’t talk about and/or think about it because I want it to be now!! I adore how green everything is those first few weeks of spring.  As a photographer, those bright green leaves just make everything more cheerful as we move towards wedding season in Richmond! As it now, I am filling my days with sweet, chunky babies and toddlers that always keep you running.

I just wanted to give you all a heads up about spring time photographs. I tend to book my weekend dates very quickly! I try to schedule Family Portraits and Engagement Portraits for Sundays so that no one has to take off work. Of course, if I run out of Sundays then we can do late afternoons once the sun goes down a bit later. As always for babies and young children, the morning tends to be the best for them and can be scheduled a bit easier during the week! I hope that you all enjoy these photos of Miss “V” hamming it up for the camera!

All my best,

Meghan

Blog Issues

Hey, Everyone!! Please excuse a few blog issues that I have happening right now. Unfortunately, it looks like the folders to my theme/formatting have been misplaced. Please bear with while I am working towards getting this thing beautiful again :)

I hope you are enjoying the snow!

All the best,
Meghan

Yummy Shoes

So I am in the midst of working through a wedding from a few weeks back and just thought that these shoes were fun and wanted to share… gotta love the Manolo’s:)m_p_0235

Katie and Andy: A Sneak Peek

So last weekend, we shot a wedding in Virginia Beach. It was supposed to be on the beach and as we were driving down there it started pouring. Ryan and I chatted as we got there about how it couldn’t possibly be on the beach still and I assumed that we would be at the Museum. Well, needless to say if you check out these pictures, our assumptions was wrong and thank goodness for it. The light came out right at the end of the ceremony with the dramatic gray (grey.. never know the proper spelling of that one:) skies in the background, the waves crashing and then wind blowing up a storm. It really was dramatic and stunning. Here are a few glimpses into the day. I will definitely post a longer blog about it later but until then here you go, Katie and Andy! I hope that you all enjoy!

All the best,

Meghan

P.S. As you all can tell, these images are sized differently than before… I am just playing around with my image dimensions and speed to see how quickly things will load for me etc. Please bear with me as I figure out what I like the best(… feel free to let me know your thoughts as well!)

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Audra and Daniel

We had a beautiful day for Audra and Daniel’s wedding…..granted it was raining but sometimes you just have to roll with it and this couple did! The wedding ended up being a completely delightful and relaxed affair. Enjoy!0023_v_s_03870014_v_s_02140028_v_s_06480010_v_s_01180029_v_s_06630016_v_s_02570012_v_s_01260018_v_s_02920040_v_s_09090056_v_s_11400074_v_s_16310075_v_s_16370084_v_s_20360082_v_s_20060095_v_s_25430098_v_s_28820099_v_s_29670100_v_s_29850102_v_s_30170107_v_s_3165

Little ones

I adore the “H” family. I have known their mommy for years. It is always such a blast to catch up and see how things are going. I have also been photographing the big “H” since he was one so it is fun to see all of his changes. Since the family added a new little one into the mix, we had to document the occasion! I hope that you all enjoy! On a different note, I adore your comments. Please keep them coming and don’t be offended if it takes me a while to “approve” them. I get about 250 spam comments a day and there really isn’t a super quick way to sort through them (at least that I have found) so eventually your comments will be up for all their glory. Definitely know that I appreciate them completely!!

All the best,

Meghan

There are certainly times when it takes a little while for things to get going when shooting a toddler! As a children’s photographer and a mom to two toddlers, I am completely aware that it takes a bit for kiddos to warm up. I get some of my favorite pictures of the shoot during this “warm-up” phase. They are always so funny but, of course, after a little while they get used to the camera and then eventually forget that I am even there. When you are getting your children ready for a shoot, make sure to get them excited about me coming over to photograph them. If they start to think of it like I am coming over to play, sometimes that helps a bit  to ease into the shoot. I always try to meet the kiddos without my camera so that they get more comfortable with me without a giant camera in hand. There is definitely an art to photographing young children!

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I love the movement and laughter in this next one:

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Jillian and Ben: An Engagement Session

Hello, All!

In my life and in my art, I find that I am drawn to unfettered joy. That is why this engagement shoot was such a blast to shoot! Jillian and Ben are completely in love and such fun to be around. I absolutely can not wait for their wedding day which I am sure will be filled with as much laughter and joy as our afternoon spent together.

On a side note, obviously I am definitely a photographer and NOT a blogger. I am going to make an ATTEMPT to post at least once a week be it a wedding, portrait or personal work.  I definitely want to use the blog as a way to reach out to you, my clients and friends, so please let me know of anything specific that you would like to see or read about from me! J_B_0158J_B_0288J_B_0351J_B_0096J_B_0122-2J_B_0145J_B_0246

All the best,

Meghan

Senior Rep Program

Hey, Everyone- I am just getting ready to launch my senior rep program and would love to have a few more kids from different schools. This is what we do… you get a discounted rate on your session and your images. You can also earn points towards print credit by the amount of people that your refer. Also, the top five senior reps are entered into a drawing for an ipod touch. So that is a fun thing and besides that we get to run around and take pictures of you that represent YOUR style and YOUR story! Seniors from all of the greater Richmond area schools are eligible for this private or public! Please email me or call if you have any questions! meghan@meghanmcsweeney.com or 804.647.9412

Thanks so much. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Best,

Meghan

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