Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Sumpton.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In high school, I was always the one with a digital camera taking lots of pictures. I took my birthday money and got the top of the line point and shoot Canon power-shot. It was the first of its kind as it had a 3” LCD screen on the back. I would take it to basketball games, track meets, church events, basically everywhere. This carried on into college and I still have albums on Facebook of all the pictures I would take. I broke that camera and was heartbroken, but my mom ended up buying a bigger Nikon digital camera for family vacations and I used it as my own. I started doing more video instead of pictures and would enter various contests. I ended up using that very camera and winning a contest to fly to Toronto and interview Drake for his inaugural OVO Fest. Sometime later I purchased my very first DSLR. I used it for video mainly over the years but never took the time to learn to use it for photography.
I did shoot a few concerts with it, but on AUTO. YIKES! Fast forward to 2018, I bought some photography equipment (backdrops, lights) to again shoot videos. However, something prompted me to try and learn the camera a little better so that’s what I did. I started learning how to shoot in Manual. I knew the kit lens wasn’t going to cut it anymore so I went out and purchased my first lens, the nifty fifty. I started playing around taking pictures of myself but nothing serious. I love to eat so I started to bring my camera with me to food trucks and restaurants. I would take pictures of myself holding the food and just food in general. I began to really enjoy this and wanted to improve even more so I took pictures of friends. I knew that in order to take my photography of people to the next level I would have to learn how to re-touch. I tried and failed miserably and stopped trying. In the meantime, Drake was on tour. I normally would try and get just video content to post on Word On Road (official Drake fansite that I run), but after taking my camera to one of the first shows and taking a few shots, I fell in love. I then brought my camera to all of the shows and continued to get better and better.
I also started to learn Lightroom and how to properly edit. I posted my photos to Instagram and the feedback was great. After the tour was over I had the urge to shoot more and more. However, I knew there was something I had to learn, re-touching! I took some pics of myself in the house and tried to re-touch them. They came out HORRIBLY. I put it down for about a week and said okay let me try again. I locked myself in my house for a few days and then after much practice, I GOT IT! I then started to take more self-portraits, edit them, and post them to my Instagram.
During this time, I started to also reach out to shoot more concerts and was granted the opportunity to do so. I was still shooting with my nine years old camera and decided it was time to reward myself with an upgrade. In March, I purchased my first full-frame camera. From there, I continued to shoot people and concerts. I then opened up my website megyuup.com to display my work and book shoots. Photography has brought me peace that I didn’t know existed. I feel so free when I’m doing it and I actually like the editing process. I continue to explore different types of photography and practice in order to improve everyday.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the main struggles is entering an industry that some people have been in for years and you’re the new kid on the block. I also think when people hear photographer until they see your work they kind of look at you sideways. I think this is due to so many people picking up cameras and calling themselves a photographer without putting the actual work in, or taking the craft serious. As mentioned earlier, another struggle for me was learning to re-touch! I was determined though and eventually got it.
Megyuup – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from others?
I do photography and I’m most proud of how quickly I’ve been able to learn and grow with it. I think this is due to how serious I take it. I think that alone sets me apart. I appreciate when others point this out to me! It reinforces that I’m on the right track.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is reaching the goals I personally set for myself and not letting outside things or people define it for me. As long as I’m doing what I set out to do and not giving up, that’s success in my eyes.
Contact Info:
- Website: megyuup.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/megyuup
- Facebook: facebook.com/megyuup
- Twitter: twitter.com/megyuup
Image Credit:
Megan Sumpton
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