YYC Feature: ME Photo
“I have made an overt attempt to create a portfolio that reflects bodies that don’t look like my own.”
By Merissa Greer
Starting a photography business during a pandemic isn’t easy, but when the desire to share a valuable message is the impetus behind the work, ME Photo proves it can weather any storm. Meagan Elemans is the founder of ME Photo, a Lethbridge-based studio that focuses on revealing the empowerment that can be captured through boudoir and portrait photography. Part of her mission is to create a safe space that elevates the visibility of marginalized communities.
How did you get your start in photography?
When I picked up my husband’s camera it was not my initial intention to start a photography business. I immediately fell in love with the creative aspect. All I wanted to do was capture people. I felt compelled to expose an authenticity that many often try to hide or minimize to fit a societal norm.
Becoming a mother gave me a new perspective on work/life balance and I looked for new ways to earn an income that balanced motherhood with my enthusiasm for creative expression. My first experience with boudoir was with a friend in her studio. It was then that I realized the potential for clients to undergo a radical transformation of how they feel about themselves and about being in their body. In autumn of 2020 I launched ME Photo and dedicated myself to shooting boudoir and portraits with the intention to empower individuals through the experience of being photographed.
What is the message you want to share with others?
My intention is to uplift the body neutrality movement by creating a portfolio that reflects bodies that don’t look like my own. One of my goals is to bring visibility to marginalized bodies and communities, including BIPOC, people living in bigger bodies, disabled bodies, and queer and trans bodies. Body neutrality is more than just changing the individual feelings we have about our bodies, but also a movement to change the systemic issues of equity in areas like medicine, fashion, workplaces, and educational institutions. I avoid the phrase “body-positivity” because it often results in putting pressure on ourselves to make the jump to full unconditional body love. This can be hard for most people and can often result in an additional layer of shame when it's not fully realized. Feelings are our best teachers, and it's important that we listen to them and feel them because they serve a purpose to draw our attention to something important within ourselves.
I also want to desexualize the boudoir genre and I work hard to make the experience about the client first and foremost. I like doing boudoir sessions that aren’t geared toward the male gaze. Instead of being a visual service to others, it is a visual service to my clients themselves. It’s important to me to try to capture the entire body, rather than capturing a narrow focus on sexualized areas of the body that are more commonly seen in traditional boudoir. I always ask myself “Is this a position that a person would naturally find themselves in?”
My self-work is never done as I am constantly working to recognize my own privilege and learning to see the world through different lenses other than my own. Because I’m in a privileged position, I use my platform to spread my messaging. Messaging is key to showing my potential clients that they are safe to be themselves and that they will be represented in the way they choose and feel most comfortable. I now see my privilege as a tool for spreading my message and shining a light on systemic issues of prejudice against many kinds of bodies.
What has been your most memorable client experience thus far?
Almost every experience I have with my clients is like a micro-dose of healing. You don’t have to love yourself, but you shouldn’t let your body stop you from doing things. It’s okay if you don’t love how your belly looks, but you shouldn’t let it stop you from going to the beach, going on a date, going to a job interview, or whatever the scary thing may be for you.
I coach people through their feelings during shoots and after they receive their prints. I don’t use editing tools to hide parts of people’s bodies that they may not like. I offer people a visceral way to be seen, which can be a difficult experience but also very rewarding. So many people go through their lives avoiding their own image or not allowing others to see them as they really are. It's common for people to hide or shrink themselves to fit expectations. My studio is a space where people get to experience being fully in their body without distractions, and it allows them to sit and feel their feelings without expectations. The photos are really the bonus —what my studio offers is the experience of being “as you are.”
How did COVID-19 regulations impact your business, and how did you adjust?
When the restrictions were first implemented I wasn’t a fully fledged business just yet, but I used it as an opportunity to play around with virtual shoots using my clients’ phones and laptop cameras while directing them virtually. Although it wasn’t an ideal shoot situation, it was a great challenge and a fun and fulfilling experience for myself and my clients. I got to work with people from all over the world, and extend my reach online by connecting with several social media influencers.
“Body neutrality is more than just changing the individual feelings we have about our bodies…”
What is your process for setting up a photo shoot with a client?
There’s a lot of behind the scenes self-work that goes into creating a safe, consent- and boundary-informed space. This is a very intimate and vulnerable style of photography which makes it very necessary to set clear boundaries at the beginning. Consent and trust are such an important part of the process, and this is built from the initial phone call where everything about the process is laid out on the table. I make sure to give my clients many opportunities to ask questions and share feelings as we go through the details. I approach this experience with a “We’re in this together” mindset. I’m also choosy about who I allow to come into the space to assist with things like hair and makeup and ensure that they align with our message.
I get a lot of enjoyment out of setting up the studio for a shoot, and that includes getting creative with furniture that will accommodate and host all bodies. Creating an accessible studio that all types of bodies will have access to is always at the forefront of my decisions.
Where do you see ME Photo in the next 5 years?
Eventually I want to open a studio externally from my home because it would give me an opportunity to run workshops that include speakers, movement classes, and space to allow different forms of creative expression. I see this new studio as being more than a space for photoshoots, but also open to the larger art community as a rental option for studio and office space.
What is a piece of wisdom that you feel is most important to share with photographers who are just starting out?
In the beginning I was very much focused on being of service to others and I was undervaluing my time. Now I limit the number of clients I take on per month so I can dedicate myself to providing a fully immersive experience with each of my clients. When it comes to setting prices, it's so important to find out your actual costs of doing business first, because once you have a good understanding of your costs it will help you validate the value you provide to your clients. Setting the right price also helps you manage your time and avoid burnout. Not everyone is going to be your client and understand the value that you’re offering, and that’s okay.
I held myself back for so long thinking I didn’t have the right tools or I wasn’t ready to make it as a photographer. Changing my mindset was huge for finding success in this business. Trusting myself and leaning into my passion showed me that I am ready. Often people feel like they need to wait for life to settle down or to achieve perfection in this or that before embarking on their dreams, but I’ve learned that there is no perfect state or moment to arrive at — it will always be a progression of growth after experience.
Don’t stand in your own way by waiting for the perfect moment to arrive.
To book your own boudoir experience or view Meagan's work, visit her online at http://www.mephotography.ca"