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Interview with Bella Photographer Megan Bearder

BP: Who is Megan Bearder and why is she a photographer?

MB: Ever since I was 10 years old all I wanted to do was to take great and beautiful photos. I have been shooting professionally for nine years, full-time for four. I'm self-taught, but I've always had a mentor, someone whose work I deeply admired.

BP: Do you take "great and beautiful photos" now? How do you know?

Yes. I'm able to capture a moment of expression that is true and real, and if it's a great photo, that moment will transcend from the subject in the photo to the viewer. Also, I am always trying to capture light. Being a photographer is all about seeing the light, chasing the light, trying to put the light where you want it. And if light is elusive, then I create it. A great photo has those elements, and the viewer is left touched by it, put into a different space. You don't tire of looking at a great photo.

BP: Tell me about one great photo in particular.

One of my images won Bella Photo of the Year. The bride and groom and I were in this old house, like a museum, and there was an old bench there, so I just sat them down on this bench and told them to stare at me like American Gothic. And it worked. Sometimes seeing a shot like that just takes intuition about someone's personality, and how it might show through in a particular setting.

BP: Would you say there are any recurring themes in your photos?

Humor. I know weddings aren't supposed to be funny, but joy and fun are just a part of who I am, and since I give so much of myself to every photograph, it definitely comes out. Once I had bridesmaids throw bouquets in the air, and they were clearly afraid that the flowers would hit them on the head as they came down, so you can imagine how funny that looked in the photo. Then we had a lot of fun scooping the petals off the floor and throwing them at the bride and groom.

BP: How do you get dressed-up people, with perfect hair and makeup, to do humorous things?

I build trust. I try to establish rapport on the phone during my check-in call, keeping in mind that this couple has seen my photographs already, and they have chosen me, so they inherently trust my vision. Part of that conversation is asking them to tell me about who they are, understanding where they are coming from, what's important to them. Then I come to every wedding I shoot with an open mind, and approach people from a positive place. I actually like not meeting the couple before the wedding, because having that visual is not important. In fact, I really value the creativity that comes from being thrown on the spot and having to think of something right there and then.

BP: How far will you go to get that photo?

I am totally willing to make a fool out of myself and I don't care what I have to do to get the shot. I will lay on the ground in goose poop, or walk through the rain and look like a wet mop. But it's all about that 'I nailed it!' feeling. That's what I live for as a photographer. When you get that picture, it permeates everything inside and you feel like there's no limit to you.

BP: What's your favorite lens?

The 70-200 telephoto zoom. I use it for portraits because it blurs the background and draws the focus right to the emotion on the person's face. It's a nail-it lens. Sometimes I like standing far away and being totally photojournalistic, capturing the spontaneity from a distance, without the person feeling like someone is photographing them.

BP: That's a big lens. Does anyone ever tell you that?

They do. I tell them, "All the better to knock you upside the head if you don't smile."

BP: Give me a metaphor for what you do.

Hmm. A professional photographer is a master dancer. She can dance no matter what the tempo is. Sometimes she has to jump right in and know how to dance with all kinds of different people. Sometimes it's leading, sometimes it's following, and sometimes it's knowing when to get off the dance floor.

BP: Any words of wisdom for brides and grooms?

Yes. The photographer is such an essential part of the wedding day. They are going to create for you, and their vision is going to shape the memories you have for the rest of your life. And that's a good reason to feed them well, and not in the back hallway with half a sandwich and cold French fries.