Meg Hatch Photography
I fall into the category of moms who like to get professional photos taken of my kids once or twice a year. I rarely select the same photographer and I don’t always plan too far in advance. I have always had a hard time imagining myself sticking with the same photographer like others often do… but then I had a couple of studio sessions with Meg Hatch Photography and I think I get it. Let me explain…
I had been following along with Meg Hatch Photography for the past couple of years and had no doubt she was a talented and well-loved local photographer. I am a sucker for a well-stylized studio set and I was recently scouring my list of local photographers to see who was doing anything fun and different in the studio. I wanted something special to capture this time with my girls. This was when I found some of the latest studio work that Meg had been doing. I loved the simple sophistication of her classic stylized sets, and I quickly grabbed a spot on her schedule.
Setting Clients at Ease
To my surprise, on that first day in her studio, I found that Meg had more than just a great eye for photography. She was so easy to work with; our session was fun, casual and unrushed. It honestly felt like I was with a friend I had known for years. When you consider that I personally don’t love getting my picture taken (I get pretty awkward) it helps to have someone easy like Meg. I later learned that her ability to make us all comfortable is what truly sets her apart. This was also a common theme in her reviews on her “About” page. I asked Meg about this special trait, and here is what she had to say:
“One of my greatest strengths as a photographer is setting my clients at ease. Not everyone loves having their pictures taken. When I am walking back to the car with a senior who was very skeptical about the senior portrait experience and they say, “That wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected.” I do a little happy dance. When a parent says “There are so many gorgeous pictures, I don’t know how we will ever choose! I do a little happy dance.”
Parents: Get In Those Photos!
I have been known to opt-out of being in the photos with my kids in the past for a number of reasons (especially since I am not nearly as cute) but Meg encouraged me to get in our photos this time. She didn’t expect everything to be perfect. She didn’t really have me pose for too many photos in that first session either. Instead she paid no mind to my hot-mess-express arrival and captured real, raw moments in time of me with my kids, working around any quirks and imperfections I may see in myself. After all, getting clean, well-rested kids to the studio with clean clothing to wear is enough work as it is for a parent and often we simply don’t have the time to perfect what we look like. I guess what I am trying to say here is that a good photographer will still make it work. This is what Meg has to say about all of this:
“I scream from my soapbox about how important I believe it is for parents to exist in pictures. That comes from 3 places. First, the sad stuff… My parents are both gone and I wish I had more pictures of us together. I wish I had more pictures with my brother-in-law who passed away very suddenly last year… and don’t even get me started on my grandparents. As cliché as it is, there comes a time when we cherish the photographs as a reminder of the love we had. Second, the stupid stuff… I spent too long being prohibitively self-conscious about my belly rolls and fat face. When my babies were young it was all I could see in pictures. Now when I look back at the few pictures I am in, I see my youth, my wrinkle free face, and the GREAT BIG LOVE I have for my family. Third, the empowering stuff… I want our youth to see us shedding our self-doubt and insecurities and embracing who we are and how we look, RIGHT NOW. It’s all just a passing phase and if we can love ourselves wherever we are on our journey, it says a lot to the little people who look up to us.”
Posed & Playful
I also have to say that Meg hit the nail right on the head when she said that she thinks people ultimately choose Meg Hatch Photography because “when your session is over, your time with me will have been fun and relaxed and sometimes silly and crazy, and occasionally subdued and meaningful. I think it’s because you trust that I will deliver some really pretty posed pictures, and plenty of playful ones, too.” I know from experience that you simply wont get this with every photographer. With Meg, we got the poses and the playful ones too, both times! We had fun! Of course my daughter is happiest upside-down, so we captured that too! If those are things you think you might appreciate, Meg is that total package.
At the end of our Mother’s Day session, Meg asked if there were any other photos I wanted before I left. It is not my experience that photographers will ask this. Usually they just let me know that we are all set. If she hadn’t already made me feel so comfortable throughout my session, and proved that she could capture playful, un-posed moments in a previous session with us, I likely would have said, “I think we are good!” and hustled out the door. I felt comfortable enough to ask her if she could capture me with my girls wearing our matching jean jackets. I explained how special they were to me because it was our first matching outfits and the baby would soon be grown out of hers. Without hesitation, Meg agreed and set us up for these photos and just look at this special memory she captured for us (pictured above).
More About Meg
I think Meg’s “About” section of her site is the best introduction to her authenticity and candor. You probably can’t get a better feel for who Meg is than reading that page. As I mentioned previously, the reviews that she features there were so in line with my experience as well. When gathering some information for this feature, Meg felt it was most important to cover what drives her as a photographer:
“I haven’t always valued photography. As a matter of fact, my only wedding day regret was having a friend take our pictures. While I love that he was willing to do so, 27 years later those pictures aren’t decorating my home. That fact is what motivates me most of all. I want my clients to walk by the pictures on their walls (NOT on their hard drives) and feel all of the love and joy that we captured on their picture day… whether it was a family session in the studio or on location, a senior session, or a milestone session. We shouldn’t wait for a wedding or graduation to make beautiful pictures. The littlest moments matter… like when your little one loses their front teeth or your teenager decides to experiment with their version of high fashion.“
Shortly after meeting Meg at her studio I heard a knock on her studio door. It was her husband delivering her morning coffee. I remember thinking that was nice of him, but later I read on her “About” page that he makes her coffee every single morning. How sweet is that?! Also, seeing this fun little tidbit come to life also spoke to her authenticity for me.
What’s Next?
What should you watch for with Meg? Even with summer being one of her busiest seasons, Meg has lots of summer photo-ops in the works that are geared towards young families. Keep your eye out on her Facebook Page for themed minis that may include preschool graduation sets, lemonade stands, ice cream, camping and more! She’s also an excellent option for family photos, baby’s first year and individual milestone sessions like cake smash photos! Schools, preschools and child care centers looking for something a little less cookie cutter for their school photos should check out Meg’s “NOT School Photos“!
Senior Photos
Expect to see lots of continued focus from Meg on high school seniors, an aspect of her business that she is known quite well for. Last year she worked with high school seniors from 26 different schools!
“I LOVE my seniors and we work to make every session unique and to capture pictures that they LOVE. I include specialty portraits that capture what matters most to them. Sometimes it’s a bassoon, sometimes it’s a sport or activity, sometimes it’s acting or singing or reading or hiking. I love a challenge (like highlighting alpine skiing on one of the hottest August days) and I love collaborating in the planning process. The weirder the better (like when mom and sibling threw a bunch of colored pencils at a client last summer).”
About the Real Maine Mom (RMM) Local Business Spotlight- Real Maine Mom collaborates with local businesses in many different ways and sometimes it may involve exchanging services for services, sponsored advertisements or simply may reflect a business RMM highly recommends. In all cases the posts are offered based on content relevance and resonance. I will always do my best to qualify local businesses in good faith before recommending them. While I hope you love this local business as much as I do, I cannot express any warranty on behalf of any local businesses that I feature.
