Meet the Woman Behind the Camera at HamaxUSA

In honor of National Camera Day 2018, we’re profiling our amazing photographer here at HamaxUSA. Megan Peterson has been working with us from the beginning and is a pro at capturing images that highlight both our products and the families that use them. She brings her passion for photography to every session and her photos bring the viewer along for the journey. Join us for this look into the woman behind the camera.

Megan, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and I absolutely love it here. When I’m not working, I love to go on hikes and bike rides. I love playing video games, reading comics, and watching movies. I also really enjoy being creative and crafty so I do a lot of DIY projects and crafts as well as other forms of art such as painting.

Mittens and Hobbes. Image by Megan Peterson.

You have some great shots of animals on your website. Do you have any pets?

I have two cats. One really fluffy orange tabby named Hobbes and another tabby named Mittens. Hobbes likes to sleep a lot and watch the birds. Mittens plays fetch and likes to get into trouble.

When did you start taking photos?

I started taking photos when I was about 5-6. I staged some of my stuffed animals in the backyard to make it look like they were reading a book. I got to display it at the state fair! Since then I’ve always had an interest in taking photos. In high school, I took as many photography courses as I could, and I taught myself Photoshop. Using a film camera and the darkroom was my favorite. In college, I continued photography with a major in Fine arts with an emphasis in Photography. Since then I’ve been doing some commercial photography on the side and fine art photography for fun.

Whose work has influenced you most?

I like to be inspired by a lot of different photographers. Recently, I’ve been really liking the photographs of landscape photographer Elle Bruce.

What is one thing that has really enhanced your photography style?

Learning to use a black and white film camera. With digital cameras being so popular now, it’s easy to take 1000 photos to get a few that you use later. With film, you have to think carefully about how to frame the subject in your photo, the lighting, and several other things before you take the shot. I think it’s helped me be more mindful about the photos I take with my digital camera.

Flowers in black and white film. Image by Megan Peterson.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?

How much post work is done. After you go and take photos, there is a lot of time spent looking through all the photos to pick the ones you want to edit and then going through and editing them. For my fine art photography, I spend a lot of time editing one photo and then I sometimes go back and edit it a different way to get a different feel to the photo. I also put a lot of time into trying to keep all my photos over the years organized and backed up.

What is your favorite lens and why?

Right now it’s my 50 mm f/1.8. I like the way it creates a shallow depth of field to let the subject stand out from the background.

Do you have a favorite Hamax product or feature?

I really like the Outback. I just think all the different situations you can use it in is really cool. Plus it looks sleek, maneuvers around easily, and has way more storage space than I was expecting.

What’s your favorite meal?

I really love pizza. I don’t have a specific reason, pizza is just really good.

Do you have anything you want to brag about/share with the audience?

Not everyone has easy access to taking aerial photographs from a small plane. For years I’ve been flying around the PNW, usually from a Censsa 172, with my boyfriend who is a pilot. I’ve been able to get some really cool photos from a different perspective.

Aerial view of Snake River. Image by Megan Peterson.

If you want to learn more about Megan or see more of her art, you can find her at meganpetersonphotos.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/megpetersonphotos.