Diverse Reflections

for KING & COUNTRY concert 2015

November 17, 2015 By: Megan2 Comments

The concert started at 7:00, and I was running a few minutes behind. I rushed up the grandstand steps, brought up the rear of my three other siblings, found my seat. Only, I’ve never really enjoyed sitting down much during a concert, so I remained standing. Just listened for about 10 minutes. Enjoyed the music, the stories. Then, I unclipped the straps on my bag and removed my camera. Second time in the grandstand, now with a 70-300mm lens. I set up my camera and snapped a few photos. I listened. I watched. I took a few more photos.

And that’s basically what I do at a concert.

Joel and Luke of for KING & COUNTRY. Two brothers, along with a mess of instrumentalists and an awesome drum that’s probably been banged on a lot in its lifetime. They’re full of funny stories, and at times they find a place to introduce a very moving story that off-sets the bright atmosphere in an inspiring way. And the words “O wise one” have become a regular phrase in my vocabulary (due to a story about one of the members getting married.).

Since life is short and I tend to not enjoy life as much as I should, I enjoyed the concert while still taking many photos. Now, it would be a different story if I had 3 songs to photograph in the photo pit, but this is how I live life when I have a ticket to a concert.

This photo is one of my personal favorites…

And another personal favorite…This one was taken as Luke walked up the grandstand with his drums. I darkened the photo enough to erase all the people (and, boy, there were a lot of people!), then converted it to Black and White. Best photo of the night.

I didn’t remember taking this photo of the cymbalist until after I looked through my photos after the concert. He’d jumped around the stage, banging those cymbals together like no tomorrow! I have learned that the cymbalists, guitarists and *even the drummers* are equally important in concert photography, not just the main singers (however amazing they are already). Keeping an eye on the background musicians is a good idea, especially when you have a passionate character like for KING & COUNTRY’s cymbalist!

If you enjoy for KING & COUNTRY’s music and like these photos, send me a shoutout in the comments below (or, if you’re viewing this as an email, click over to comment)! For more photos from Diverse Reflections, click HERE to visit my Instagram page – and don’t forget to follow me! @megan_diversereflectionsphoto

And thank you to for KING & COUNTRY for the amazing night of stories and songs! It was a blast!

All for One, one for all.

Autumn Baby Photoshoot

October 27, 2015 By: Megan2 Comments

It’s Fall, y’all! October went by fast! I’m still wondering where the time went because it seems like I just decorated yesterday.

Since Fall is one of my favorite times of the year (apple cider, boot socks, warm fires…), a Fall photoshoot seemed like the thing to do. So, with few props straight from nature and a sweet little baby, I put together my own setup for a fun Fall photoshoot. Hope you all enjoy! Watch for my next post for a behind-the-scenes look at how I set up this shoot!

Photography Inspiration For When You’re Stuck

August 5, 2015 By: Megancomment

Every so often (and sometimes quite frequently), I get in a place where I don’t know what to do with my camera. I can’t find anything new. Every subject seems old and stale, and the words “I’ve taken a photo of that before” run through my mind. I’m looking for something different.

When that “nothing to do” day comes, make a list of all the places and things you can possibly think of. Where’s a good place to take photos downtown? When is the best time to go there? What might you find in that place? What style of photography (street, portrait, nature, etc) do you want to try out? Finding inspiration is easy if you expand your creativity’s borders and try something new.

Here is a list of some of the best things I find inspiration in.

Magazines: You know those countless portraits for perfume and makeup ads, rescue shelters and fun vacations at the beach? The faces are smooth and engaging, the animals usually have heartbroken looks (you can’t help but feel sorry for the little puppy-dog), and the beach photos show you what it’s like to have a good time. These portraits make you feel a certain way. Looking at photos like these is a good way to study lighting, story-telling and poses.

Concert Posters/Album Covers/Promotional Shots: Even though you might not go to the concert, you can still check out the portraits. Apart from the lighting, props and backgrounds, this is fantastic because the poses are fun to look at. I like the photo on Matthew West’s new Live Forever album. He looks so happy, so real and just fun like he is (or maybe I like it because I remember how awesome it was to “meet” him!). This is what you want in a portrait: real feelings, comfortable poses and a good setup.

Nature Magazines: Not long ago, I visited my Mimi’s house and I was drawn to an Audubon magazine, the 2015 Photography Awards issue (so much so that I borrowed it from her and took it home). I loved the fun bird photos…it was a little hard to get past the awesome aerial Flamingo photo…and to add to the cool photos, there were a few pages for nature photography equipment and clothing!

Pinterest: It’s a time-drain, yes, but it’s my go-to when I need something new. Pinterest has everything from Senior photos to DIY newborn studio setups. You can find a lot of fun poses, cheat sheets, lighting tips and loads of other helpful things. When you find a photo you like, study it. Then, during a photoshoot, twist it to make it your own.

Family Snapshots: Nothing…nothing…is better than going through an album (or your hard drive) and looking at family photos. I recently found a photo of me and a wonderful family friend who passed away two years ago. He was one of the best friends and mentors I’ve ever known, and I miss him a lot. The photo of us is a tad blurry and slightly orange-ish, but it reminds me of some of the best times of my life. That is called a memory and that’s what makes a photo become a story, even if no one else but you can read the pages.

Other Photographers: This sort of goes with Pinterest, but watching other people take photos in real life is inspiration all its own. Back when I had had my DSLR for less than half-a-year, a friend and I went to the city garden to have fun and photograph the flowers. As we found a patch of blooms swarmed by monarch butterflies, a small group of photographers with large tripods and hefty DSLRs walked toward us. “Oh, guys” announced one to his friends, “Make way for the real photographers.” I thought that was so funny, and it’s been my motivation time and again: to be a “real photographer” and take photos that, if we ever crossed paths again, would make that photographer know he wasn’t joking.

Do you have any other sources for inspiration while in a rut? Tell me your ideas in the comments!

The Advantage of Being a Teen Photographer

July 11, 2015 By: Megan2 Comments

I am a teenager. I like stuffed-crust pizza, Pinterest, Instagram and I don’t always like to get up early (and I’m homeschooled).

But I also love photography. I love it.

So, what are the advantages of a teenager who is an aspiring photographer? What are the cons of being young? Well, through my eyes of being a teen, here’s what I have to say to other teens.

THE PROS:

Being younger than the average photographer is a fresh, upbeat place to be. There is (usually) room for mistakes, and many people expect you to be way less than perfect. This is a great advantage in surprising others who don’t think you’d have anything good to show them…when you actually do. Or, if you do happen to make a big mistake, you might get off a little easier than if people had really high expectations for you.

You are an entrepreneur (a big word for being the boss of the job you created)! You can work for yourself, set your own prices, work your own hours, and photograph nearly whatever you want to. No one tells you what to do. Also, you can advertise your work and tell people about your photography business. This is a great way to start because you can build your portfolio and improve with each photoshoot or project.

You are old enough for Facebook and Flickr! This is fantastic for getting the word out that you would love to do family portraits, etc, and for showing off your work. A seventeen-year-old acquaintance of mine (who uses her Facebook album to showcase her ballet photos) was hired to shoot a wedding. Wow. When people see what you can do, they might just catch your passion and ask for more.

You’re more available and open to trying new things. If you don’t have a job yet, chances are you might have some extra free time. I was “hired” (I worked for free) to shoot a Boy Scout dinner event. I was the only photographer there that evening, and the Lieutenant Governor of the state was speaking at the event. This was my first event photography experience, so to be trusted to take photos of a VIP was an honor. One of the only reasons I was able to do this was because the adults know about my photography, and people need to know what you do. Later on, I was “hired” again to take photos at another event. One domino can usually cause the rest to fall.

As I said before, I’ve been working for free. This might seem like a waste of time (“Just charge the people $100 an hour and get the cash!” you might think), but when you’re just starting out in the business area of photography (say, portraits), you don’t want to take the industry by storm and think you’ll be a professional the first time you’re hired. There is always room for improvement, and making money should be an after-thought in the first test runs of your business.

You can use your family as models. I have a lot of siblings in my family, and I’ll be taking my big brother’s Senior photos soon. You can use these types of photos for your portfolio, but only use the absolute best.

THE CONS:

Business-oriented photography takes money. There are accessories galore in photography. Flashes, lenses, light diffusers, editing software, backdrops and on and on. Unfortunately, you probably don’t make a lot of “fun money,” maybe you have no income at all. This means you can’t buy everything you need (or want) to build up your camera bag until you’re really in business. There’s a saying, “no mon’, no fun.” But if you are a true entrepreneur and visionary, you work with what you have (I have one extra lens and some simple props) and learn to take great photos without all the extras. Then, down the road, you can collect the accessories you desire and keep getting better.

As a minor, you can’t get into certain places.

You can’t legally be listed in the phone book as a business. You have to rely on email/Facebook contact.

Two words: Low expectations. You’re young, so nobody takes you seriously. “So, what do you do, kiddo?” “I’m a photographer. I’d like to do Senior photos, family portraits, blah blah blah…” “Oh, that’s nice. (cough!)” Keep dreaming. You have to show how upbeat you are about your job, so shine bright and let them see you’re open for business. Show the skeptic your fantastic portfolio and offer your free services. It’s worth a try.

You may have to get over the fear of what people think of you and your photos. Many potential clients choose a photographer based on how much they like the person’s work. If you want to take way-out-there Senior shoots (fantasy, underwater, etc), but you’re afraid someone will see your creativity as weird, you’ll never be brave enough to just try. So, try.

Some potential photographer-searchers (such as seniors looking for a wonderful graduation shoot) may look down on you if you’re new to the whole teenager thing. If you’re really young, some people don’t think you can be good enough. This means, as always, you need to keep improving your photography, building a showstopper portfolio to show them, and not get too discouraged if someone says no.

If you’re not driving yet, you might have to work with your parents’/friends’ schedules. You need someone to drive you downtown to a great place, or have a buddy to scout out locations. Buddies are great for posing as well. Best friends are usually the ones who aren’t afraid to do things for you.

Starting a business is slow, hard, and full of obstacles. Jealousy has a tendency to creep in as you work towards a business (especially if you have a photographer friend who’s doing things you haven’t). It can strike a low blow to the dreams you thought you wanted because seeing another young person’s accomplishments can make you forget about the big stuff you have done. This form of discontentment can quickly turn into a competition (even if the other person knows nothing about it!) as you try to be a better photographer than so-and-so. It’s OK to work hard, but not just to be better than your BFF. At this stage (and maybe at any stage), your only competition should be yourself. Congratulate your go-getter buddies on their work, but stay focused on your dream. Even though I’m really happy and excited for them, I have to admit that I’d sometimes like to have gotten there first.

Your big dreams and bigger visions have to wait. Patience is no fun. I want a booming photography business now. I want to contact big-name people now. I want to have a dozen clients now. I want this, this and this now, now, now. Start small and be content (but not complacent) and you’ll find your dreams getting closer and closer. And sometimes, some dreams are just too big to ever do. That’s when you have to let go and find another dream to follow.

So, although there are plenty of pros and cons to go around with being a teenaged photographer, this doesn’t mean you can’t offer your free services to family and friends. Having a “real” business is basically just taking your free practice photoshoots and using them for paying clients, along with a healthy dose of advertising and such.

A quick piece of advice: be you. You are yourself, your own photographer, not Jeremy Cowart or Valerie Jardin or your best friend who takes “better” photos than you do (or, if you are Jeremy Cowart or Valerie Jardin, well, hi, I love your photos!). You make your own mistakes, take your own photos and have your own inspiration. If you can be yourself, nothing can stop you.

Any teenage photographer pros and cons you’d like to share? Comment your thoughts below!

Photography Resources Sale!

June 28, 2015 By: Megancomment

Hey, everybody! My mom and dad bought me a photography bundle and I’m really excited to share it with you. It’s the Ultimate Digital Photography Bundle 2015 from Ultimate Bundles. And there’s a SALE that goes along with it! (my mom is an affiliate for the sale!)

The bundle sale is separated into three photography editions: Beginner, Intermediate, and Business. Each edition comes with bonuses: eCourses and coupons.

Beginner includes guides for exposure, food photography and depth of field (including tips for creating bokeh). As a bonus, you also get a clear-up-the-confusion guide on how to use a Nikon or a Canon DSLR, depending on which one you have. Boo-yah.

Intermediate is a step up from Beginner, and includes not only the Beginner edition, but also plenty of new things like tutorials for Lightroom and paper textures for Photoshop. The most interesting part I found is the Golden Hour landscape photography file, which is sunrise and sunset.

Business combines Beginner and Intermediate (hey, why not get ’em all in one go?) and more. This is the edition you want if you’re leaning towards building up a photography business. It’s filled with forms (print release, client forms, etc) for starting a business, and you get portrait posing guides, studio lighting tips and marketing templates for photoshoots.

I have the Business edition and I’m so giddy with excitement about this bundle, I can hardly wait for all the files to download. There’s a ton of information in this Ultimate Bundle, and I’ve already looked through some of the stuff. Lots of photos, lots of visual learning, and easy-to-read text. I started in Beginner, checking out the food photography ebooks. Oh, wow. I do the food photography for my mom’s blog, and even in the Beginner edition, I am learning things I haven’t really thought to look at before.

The sale ends Monday 11:59 PM EST, so hurry before it ends! I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as I am.

What To Expect In Child Photography

May 7, 2015 By: Megancomment

Aw, taking your children’s photos? Easy. It’s a snap. No prob.

You wish.

Have you seen that deodorant commercial where the child photographer is trying to get the kids to smile, to look her way, to stop fidgeting? It’s cute and funny and totally valid. Family photos are, in two words, hard work. But have no fear. It’s also very, very fun.

I like photographing my siblings. I love the smiles, the laughs, the sweet poses. But, frankly, a child photoshoot (unless you have well-behaved, older kids or little ladies and gentlemen) isn’t easy, and you’ll end up with a bazillion photos that aren’t worth showing. Period.

The key to a semi-good family photoshoot is to expect (and accept) the unexpected. Otherwise, you’ll get frustrated, and nobody wants to see a frustrated photographer. It won’t make them want to come back for more. Your babies will cry (or drool) when you definitely don’t want them to; the toddler will want to go off and do his own thing; the boys will think it’s fun to push and shove; and, yes, you’ll need to improvise. A lot.

My two-year-old brother loves to see the photos on the camera, point to himself and say “me! me!” If you’re photographing shy children (or if the child doesn’t want to do anything but run around), show them their photos. They’re prone to be more comfortable after seeing themselves, and will probably smile more. Compliment the little girl (“You have such a pretty smile.” “I love your sparkly dress.”). Little girls usually want to feel like princesses, so tell them how pretty they are. Boys like to feel grown-up, manly and tough. They may not stand still as much as most girls, so give them something to do.

What To Expect in Family Photography | Megan Roberts DiverseReflections.com

Nikon D3200, 18-55mm lens, f/5.3, 1/320, ISO 400

Kids weren’t meant to sit still for extended periods of time. It’s okay to let them move. Let them do their own thing for a few minutes. They are allowed to make funny faces, pose themselves, and try to scare you with their best freaky faces. That’s what kids do, so let them do it. Cut them some slack…Everyone except Adam and Eve was once a kid.

Nikon D3200, 18-55mm lens, f/3.5, 1/320, ISO 720

Child Photography isn’t so bad once you accept the fact that the perfect plan won’t work. You just have to get in there and be patient. Keep your camera ready, take a lot of photos, and don’t worry. This is about making memories, not getting the perfect smile.

Jordan + Taylor ~ Wedding Reception!

April 27, 2015 By: Megancomment

So, first off, I want to wish my cousin Jordan and his new bride, Taylor, a BIG congratulations! They’re such a beautiful couple.

Alrighty then. I can’t wait to show you the photos from my cousins’ wedding reception! I’m so excited about it all. The wedding was lovely, just lovely.

Note: Details (and a quick story) are at the end of the post.

The wedding reception:

The reception began at roughly 5:30 PM, so the windows (there were so many windows!) let in a lot of good light. On top of that, the decorators had strung Christmas lights in the windows, and when the sun set, there was a pretty bokeh in the background. Gorgeous.

Wedding music blared from a speaker system by the door, and guests chatted freely as they stood in line for a provided supper. Taylor, the bride, showed off the converse sneakers she was wearing under her wedding dress, and one of the photographers adjusted the train, which was eventually pinned up on the dress’s skirt. Eventually, the short speeches and toasts came, and the dancing began.

Jordan and Taylor’s first dance was so cute! After all the dances, many of the guests, including myself and my mom, danced to the Cupid Shuffle…To the left, to the left…

My little brother says the bridesmaids should have worn something other than flip-flops because everyone would step on their toes when they danced.

Details for Jordan and Taylor’s Reception:

I took it slow because this was my first time actually photographing a wedding reception. Of course, I wasn’t hired to be the wedding photographer, but it’s normal for anyone with an iPhone or camera to take photos nowadays, so I hopped right in. Because I’m an introvert (and I didn’t want to get in the real photographer’s way), I mainly used my 70-300mm telephoto lens during the dancing. However, my family chose a table near the one where the bride and groom sit, so I also used my kit lens, an 18-55mm, for some of the photos of the table.

The f-stop (AKA aperture) on my 18-55mm only goes down to f/3.5, and the telephoto is worse, so when the sun went behind the buildings and only the light from the chandeliers in the room remained, the noise/grain in my photos went up that much. However, noise can be remedied somewhat by converting the photo to black and white. It’s a win-win, because many wedding photos are converted to black and white (you see this in baby portraits also). But I definitely need to get a lens with a lower f-stop in the future.

When the dancing began, I moved to a vacant seat at our table so I could get a better vantage point. There were columns around the dance floor, so I didn’t want them in the way. The first photo in this post is so sweet because, as they were dancing, Jordan and Taylor swooped over and kissed each other. I posted this photo and others on my Instagram account, (@megan_diversereflections). Aren’t they just adorable?

A little by-the-way: After the reception and many of the guests had given their congratulations and left, I asked both Jordie and Taylor if I could use these photos for my blog. I don’t suppose that’s necessary in every case, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. There are also slips of paper called Model Releases which are handy when taking photos of kids or semi-famous people. It’s basically like this: I, (signature of parent, etc), give permission for (photographer’s name) to use these photos for contests, state fairs, etc.

You could make a short list of everything you want to take photos of. I liked taking photos of the newlyweds’ table with all the sparkling water and wine glasses, and I definitely wanted the dancing. Some shots, however, cannot be planned, in the case of the photo of both Jordan and his brother propping their heads up with their fists. And when they were dancing together? Hilarious and maybe a tad sweet, too.

Hope you enjoyed all the photos! What do you like about wedding photography? Tell me in the comments below!

How To Organize Your Photos

April 15, 2015 By: Megancomment

(includes affiliate links)

Where did I put that photo on my computer? I don’t REALLY want to look through all those hundreds of thousands of photos.

Sound familiar?

Before I started organizing my photos, I couldn’t seem to find any one photo unless I had recently downloaded it onto my laptop. I bought an Expansion Drive to store all of my photos, then set to work trying to organize them all. But, after so many times of downloading without order, how was I going to do it?

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Although you can sort your photos by something in common (foliage, portraits, etc), I started off by sorting photos by the year in which they had been taken. This is helpful for sorting family vacations or annual events, like Christmas and Thanksgiving. If, however, the camera did not have a set date and time, I put the photos in an “Other” folder.

After sorting by year, I then sort by month. My mom frequently asks for photos from vacations and family portraits, so it helps if I know which month the photos had been taken in. If I went on vacation to Washington, DC in May, I would easily be able to find my photos.

I find it very hard to not take photos every single month. Thus, I usually have 12 monthly folders in each yearly folder.

When the monthly sorting is done…No, I don’t sort by date. I take all the photos in common and put them into folders with descriptive titles. For example, I would put all of my April flower photos in a “Flower” folder (or, to be more specific, “Redbud Flowers”). This was helpful when I wrote my Flowery Photography post. I found plenty of such photos easily.

As you can see, I have a folder titled “SORT.” Just like every other person, I don’t always have time to go through every photo. But when I have spare time, this can go to sorting. Also, you may notice that some photos don’t have a folder. This is okay if you don’t have enough of a common subject to create a dedicated folder. I haven’t taken many photos of my dog, Kip, so I’ll just set those aside until I either have enough photos to create a folder or May comes around. Then, I’ll switch over to downloading photos into the 2015 May folder.

A couple more tips that will make organizing your photos a snap:

Limit Your Photos. All the time, I hear “Back in the film days, we could only shoot as many photos as we had on the roll. With digital, that doesn’t matter anymore.” Well, yes, it does matter. If you shoot 500 photos a week (or a day!), then have to sort through all of those, you’ll probably be worn out. Unless you have to shoot special events (in which you may need to take 300+ photos), limit your photography. Between downloads, I usually limit myself to 250-300 photos. That way, I don’t spend a lot of time organizing when I could be shooting.

Delete Worthless Photos In-Camera. While some blurry photos are creative, I’ll bet a majority of camera-shaken photos are not. In portraits, it’s the closed eyes. In macro, it’s out-of-focus. These are the photos that should be deleted before you download them. If you wait, there is a bigger chance that you won’t delete them. Everybody procrastinates. Not a good thing. Don’t take up space on your SD card by keeping the blurry photos.

So there you have it! How do you organize your photos? Do you organize or not? I’d love to hear from you, so please comment below.

6 Creative Ways to Showcase Your Best Photos

April 3, 2015 By: Megancomment

Let’s all admit it. We don’t always take the picture-perfect photos that we’d like to. But when we do, we’re so proud of our work, we want to show our friends, our families and anyone else who is willing to humor us photographers. Taking a great photo is a happy thing.

But what if you want to go a step further with your great photo?

Here are 6 ways you can showcase your photos in creative, practical and inexpensive ways.

1. Calendars are useful, and they’re a wonderful way to post your favorite shots of the past year. Starting at $25 on Mixbook, you can customize a calendar with 12 photos. When you’re finished, Mixbook will mail your calendar to you. Hang it in the kitchen, your living room, or send a calendar with your family photos to grandparents.

2. Make your photos black and white and frame them in your home. I took macro photos of my instruments and hung them above my piano in the living room next to a black piano note clock. It’s so pretty, and all it takes is a frame or two and a few minutes to edit.

3. Cards with your photos on them are great to send to friends and family if you don’t have your family photos taken by a photo studio photographer. If you have professional-looking portraits of your kids, this is a sweet idea.

4. Besides calendars, Mixbook also sells scrapbooks for as low as $12.99. It takes some time if you plan to create a big book, but if you have a lot of great photos, then a scrapbook (which can also double as a portfolio!) is fantastic. Plus, the books are fairly small in size, so if you do use it as a portfolio, it’s super portable.

5. Pillows, blankets, mousepads, t-shirts…the possibilities are endless. You can turn your photos into home decor and clothing with Zazzle, a website for buying and selling hundreds of custom personalized products. Plus, if you want more than these ideas, you can create jackets, coffee mugs, business cards and a zillion other items!

6. Submit your prized photos to state/local fairs, newspapers and magazines. Many newspapers use readers’ sunset and sunrise photos for the weather pages. And wouldn’t it be nice to have competition other than yourself? Fairs are full of showcases, and I find the photography area to be absolutely stunning. You might even get some inspiration from the 1st place photographs. Win-win.

Have an idea not listed here? Tell me in the comments below!