My first Virtual Photo Session from Alabama of Margaux and Her kids in Rhode Island

The Kintsugi Chronicles is a project I have been dreaming of executing for YEARS. Initially, I had the idea that I would visit Ehlers-Danlos Support groups in my van around the country. While there, I may speak or present some of the intimate photography I had already taken and have a few people in mind to shoot their reality in their homes. Well, traveling is now very hard for me. So is using a regular camera. So hard, in fact, that I have practically closed the doors on my former photography business and only take photos with my camera in short intervals when the conditions are right- usually of friends or out in nature.

When I realized I could utilize this new form of technology (thank you CLOS app!) to take photos again, I was thrilled and overwhelmed. During a pretty awful pain episode, I try to let my mind wonder into creative solutions for the things I want to do and bring into this world..from where I am at.

So, I am mulling through all of this, wondering if it COULD still be possible for this project to make headway. It’s needed. I need the community it will bring, and we all need to see and hear the resilient and healing stories of people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Each is unique and different, and each person I meet with this same condition I have blows me away with their tenacity, tenderness and strength.

I had been taking a marketing course (which was WONDERFUL, and also very hard.. because I have physically been unable to truly work in a very long time. But, the course (Naked Marketing), allowed me to connect with beautiful people AND really flesh out my vision of what I want to do with my life and how I’m going to do it. (patience meghan, patience). A beautiful human named Kellie was apart of this course, and she had started taking BEAUTIFUL photos virtually during the pandemic. I was blown away with what she was able to execute through her phone’s camera and her subject’s phone’s camera. I reached out to Kelli, and she was kind enough to guide me through her process. It was a bit daunting at first, especially since my eyes cannot look at screens for any extended period of time. Would I be able to safely do this?

The process is a bit more complicated and requires a lot more direction than I had initially thought. It takes a lot of improvisation, because you are only given what the person holding the other phone shows you. You aren’t able to walk around their home and check out the light and the settings, you work with what your given. Not only that, but you are actively coaching the individual holding the camera (or where the subject needs to place their camera) WHILE also directing and interacting with the subject. Since depth of field is very different, you also create different scenarios where depth is created, instead of just changing up your aperture. It is a true creative collaboration, and a lot more fun than I had expected.

It was obvious that I needed practice with this new art form. So, I put a call out for free shoots on my instagram stories, and Margaux was the first to respond. She said she’d been a huge fan of my photos since before I lived in Savannah (wow), and would be honored to play guinea pig with me as I learned how to set these sessions up. As my health has been HIGHLY ERRATIC and unpredictable for the past 4 years, often changing hour by hour, we set a proposed day. That day totally flopped on my end, and she was gracious and kind. Then, the following day I had about an hour of time where I knew I would be able to look at the screen, interact and have some fun. She was ready to go within 15 minutes! She was visiting her mom and dad with her kids during a snow storm, so her mom had control over the camera. It’s so interesting and fun teaching someone how to take a photo and look for light on the fly. Well, I guess I was the one taking the photos and looking for light, and she was following my directions for composition. Everything went so much smoother than I could have imagined, and we all had a really great time.

I think, as I work these into a service offering, I will create a little tutorial and examples of how to look for good light, how to compose a photograph and how to create rhythm and movement with items around the house.. and of course lots of ideas on locations and clothing. Initially, I did not look at this new avenue as a way to take family photos or portraits, but after shooting several sessions, I LOVE IT! Not only do I love it, but everyone who has interacted with this new mechanism has loved how easy it feels, how fun it is, and how “natural” them and their kids are without the pressure of a stranger amongst them holding a camera. It’s actually really really beautiful.

From Margaux

“ I wasn’t sure what to expect from a virtual photo session via phones- would the look like phone photos? would i b able to hear Meghan give direction? Would I have to hold the phone or make it stand up? Meghan answered all of those questions before our session and we had such a great time. She has that special photographer’s eye for light and shapes and spaces, and we ended up with some of the coolest photos that I will cherish forever. I would do this again in a heartbeat!

50 Sparkler Exit Alternatives for your Wedding Day

Ah, the good-ole sparkler exit.. brides love it and wedding vendors cringe when they hear it.. is it worth the one good photo you get from all of the work? 

Who is to say?

My wedding was 7 years ago, a few years before the sparkler trend really started taking steam in the wedding industry. Now, in 2017, it is rare that I photograph a wedding that does not have the couple exiting their reception under a row of lit sparklers.

Sparklers are to my generation what bird seeds are to my parents generation.  

Sparklers slowly creeped into wedding exits and have almost entirely replaced "bird seed toss"  reception exit that was so common years ago.

As a frequent wedding guest, I would love some variety in how I photograph my couples leaving their wedding reception.

Why not try something new? Why not step out of the box and create a way to exit your wedding that is entirely and uniquely YOU? 

Need some ideas to get you started in that direction? Look no further! I've got fifty fun-and-crazy-and-sweet-and-awesome ideas for you to grab onto as you think about how you and your partner will exit your wedding reception. 

1. Dry your favorite flowers/herbs and have your guests toss them in the air as you leave (you can thank ERIN for this idea)

2. Are you a sports fan or a former cheerleader? Have guests line up in a receiving line with pom-poms as you run under and exit

3. Try LED lit pom poms if your planning on leaving when it's dark.

4. Star Wars fans? Give your guests light sabers at the reception to dance with and then hold in the air as you exit. 

5. Leave your wedding in a Hot Air Baloon (and let your photographer ride with you.. duh)

6. Pull a run-away-bride and ride away on a horse (or multiple horses) with your partner.

7. Rent a carriage in downtown Savannah to take you to your honeymoon suite. 

8. Buy butterfly kits and raise caterpillars with your partner until they turn into butterflies. have guests release them as you leave your wedding reception 

9. Getting married in the summer? Why not put on bathing suits and run through sprinklers as you leave your wedding.

10. Speaking of sprinklers, why not just get all of your guests to exit via

11. Exit your reception on a motorcycle 

12. Have guests throw home made confetti in the air as you exit

13. Want to knock two things out at once? Give guests ribbon dancers as their wedding favors and have them wave ribbons in the air as you exit. (you should totally have your party do a coordinated ribbon dance on the dance floor.. just sayin')

14.Give guests bubbles to blow as you walk through them like at Amanda and Matt's wedding.

15. Love loud noises? Give guests these confetti poppers to pop as you walk through them towards your getaway car.

16. Live by the water? Why not leave your reception on a boat?

17. Don't mind getting dirty? Why not have guests throw Holi powder as you walk through? You could have them all put on aprons/large t shirts/bring a change of clothes and keep colored clothing as "wedding present"

18. I love flowers. If you love to garden and love flowers, why not have guests throw seeds in the air over garden planters/open field/pots for favors? The flowers will grow and bloom just as your marriage does!

19. If you love to cook, dry herbs and have guests throw/keep herbs as you leave your wedding reception. Everyone will end up smelling like fresh rosemary, lavender, cinnamon..

20. Give guests disposable cameras to use throughout the wedding day, asking them to save two photos for the very end. Have everyone together as you exit and fire their flashes all at the same time. Develop the photos to see the different view points of your guests

21. Getting married on the beach? Give guests small inflatable beach balls to toss around as you exit your reception. 

22. Leaving at night? Give guests glowsticks to wave as you leave your wedding.

23. Pop popcorn and have guests throw in the air as you leave. 

24. If you are feeling sentimental, save up flower petals through your relationship and have guests throw those in the air as you leave. Give them in little jars so they can keep some as their wedding favor. 

25. BUY SOME LIGHTNING BUGS AND SET THEM FREE AS YOU LEAVE YOUR RECEPTION. 

26. GIVE GUESTS  PRAYER FLAGS  TO WAVE AS YOU LEAVE, LET THE FLAGS BE THEIR WEDDING FAVOR & CONTINUAL REMINDER THAT YOU INVITED THEM INTO YOUR NEW MARRIAGE 

27. HAVE YOUR WEDDING GUESTS WRITE THEIR GOOD WISHES FOR YOUR MARRIAGE ON STRIPS ON FABRIC DURING YOUR RECEPTION. AT THE END OF THE RECEPTION HAVE THEM WAVE THE FABRIC IN THE AIR AS YOU LEAVE. LATER, TIE THEM ON A DREAM CATCHER LIKE SARAH AND PAT DID AT THEIR WEDDING. 

28. HOW FUN WOULD IT BE TO RUN UNDER A PARACHUTE  AND GIVE CUSTOM BEAN BAGS OUT TO YOUR GUESTS AS FAVORS?

29. QUINOA IS THE NEW RICE. THROW QUINOA AND GIVE QUINOA AND RECIPE AS WEDDING FAVORS.

30. LEAVE ON A TINY PLANE. THAT WOULD BE BAD-ASS.

31. GETTING MARRIED ON THE WATER, LIKE, MAYBE AT WYLD DOCK? LEAVE BY WAY OF STAND UP PADDLE BOARD OR KAYAK OR CANOE. 

32. LEAVE BY PLAYING AN EPIC GAME OF RED ROVER.

33. LEAVE BY WAY OF WATER BALOON FIGHT.. GROOMS SIDE V. BRIDES SIDE

34. NOT INTO WATER BALOONS? TRY SMALL SQUIRT GUNS. 

35. RELEASE FLYING LANTERNS AS YOU LEAVE

36. WANT TO GO BIGGER THAN SPARKLERS? WHY NOT LEAVE BY FIREWORK SHOW?

37. KONGO LINE OUT TO YOUR GET-AWAY CAR.

38. HAVE A DANCE OFF LINE OUT TO YOUR GET-AWAY CAR.. YOU AND YOUR PARTNER EXITING LAST

39. GIVE HATS/VISORS/BEANIES OUT AS WEDDING FAVORS, AND HAVE GUESTS THROW THEIR HATS IN THE AIR AS YOU EXIT THROUGH THEM.

40. DO YOU AND YOUR BOO SKATEBOARD/LONGBOARD? WHY LOT LEAVE BOARDING DOWN AN EPIC HILL (OR THE DRIVEWAY OF YOUR VENUE)?

41. EXIT BY GO-KART.

42. EXIT BY CAMEL OR ELEPHANT. PLEASE SOMEONE LET ME TAKE A PHOTO OF YOU DOING THIS. 

43. ARE YOU GUYS A LITTLE GRANOLA LIKE ME? WHY NOT HAND OUT SAGE STICKS TO YOUR GUESTS AS THEIR FAVORS, AND HAVE GUESTS WAVE SAGE SMOKE THROUGH THE AIR AS YOU LEAVE.. CLEARING THE WAY FOR GOOD THINGS AHEAD OF BOTH OF YOU. 

44. BIG SPORTS FAN? EXIT THROUGH GUESTS WAVING FOAM FINGERS (AS THEIR WEDDING FAVOR) DOWN THE RECEIVING LINE

45. HIRE A MARIACHI BAND TO PLAY AS YOU AND YOUR BOO LEAVE YOUR RECEPTION

46. HIRE A GUITARIST TO SING YOU LOVE SONGS AS YOU LEAVE YOUR WEDDING 

47. ARE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS CYCLISTS OR BIKE ENTHUSIASTS? PUT GLOW-IN-THE-DARK- LIGHTS ON YOUR WHEELS AND RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET (OR SUNRISE?)

48. BACK TO THE BEACH BALLS, THEY CAN GLOW IN THE DARK TOO!

49. LAZER FAVORS WITH A "LAZER SHOW" AS YOU EXIT. 

50. IF YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED IN THE SNOW, WHY NOT LEAVE YOUR WEDDING WITH THE MOST EPIC SNOW FIGHT OF ALL TIME?

Upwards and Onward to New York City

It has been a full year since i first visited New York City. Growth and change, beauty and grace along with  heartache and pain have painted the landscape of the past 365 days of my life. I was agreeing with my whole heart to venture back into the city that so rocked me merely a year ago, and felt a strange kind of peace as I packed my bag. I was asked to use my camera to capture my little cousin’s proposal to his boyfriend on stage after The Lion King. Memories of our childhood games of Nala, Simba, timone and pumba flooded my consciousness as I soared over the low country into the city that keeps launching me into the future. 

He came to my seat five times during the flight delay to make sure he had all the specs right. Did the battery unplug fully? Was there a way I could make sure it did not turn on while in the plane? Did I know the pilot had been on the phone the past 2 hours trying to get this damn mobility device in the air? I didn’t have any answers to his questions other than the documentation I had on my person. I also had a quarter. 

At the end of his rope, I tossed out an idea, “ heyyyyyy, soo what if you taped a quarter over the ‘on’ button and then put cardboard and an ass load of tape over it to keep it in place? I know, that’s pretty ghetto, but maybe it could work?” The baggage worker  looked at me with hesitation and a playful smirk in his eye. We didn’t speak the same language, so I guided him as he taped caution tape over the quarter. 

We held our breath as he “tested” his “prototype”. It worked. The segway was officially TSA ready, and I was on my way to New York City with my futureriffic mobility device under my bare feet. 

At 12:30 am i finally rolled through the doors of my safe haven in the city: Adam and Tansy’s Astoria Abode. The bed welcomed me after a long 14 hour traveling day with countless hiccups and delays. My legs were numb and my body tired, but my heart soured as I felt a sense of homecoming in my heartbeat.

“When was the last time you had a saturday to do absolutely nothing?” I asked Tansy with a yawn. We both giggled agreed that TODAY was going to be the Saturday of rest in the garden while we talked and gabbed about life and sex and friends and marriage and owning your own business and alabama and love and the future and soul mates and lovelovelovelove and beautybeautybeauty and omg i’m so happy to have a girlfriend in my life who gets me again yesssssssss. She took me to dinner to eat the best burgers. During our crash course on “using instagram stories for dummies”, we stumbled upon  the catalyst for the Sunday Funday we would spend together.

His name was Ranier and he was available for adoption and they were open ALL DAY on Sunday. We, well at least i know that i....went to bed on Saturday super excited and anxious and nervous and ready for what the next day would bring me: puppies, time with my new soul-friend AND THEN the proposal and partypartyparutyparty. The last time I danced was at Field  Trip in March. I was ready to get down with my family and my friends. I closed my eyes as my soul sighed, hopeful that tomorrow would redeem my bad experiences in THE CITY of so many dreams. 

The morning light was easy and slow as I prepped for the day ahead: did I have all of my cromolyn sodium bottles? Did I have compression socks? Spanx? Did I need more bracing for my knees? Do I look cute and are all of the ugly medicinal things I need to wear to covered? I masked the medicinal qualities of my outfit and the pain i was carrying with a beautiful dress my best friend Kim made, and a bit of makeup and lots of herbs and herbs and herbs. 

Our objectives for the day were easily attainable: visit tansy’s work studio, go find a dog (super easy), take dope photos at kirk’s proposal and not cry the whole time, hang out over the city with my friend and then dance all night. In hindsight, i realize that this was pretty ambitious. But, the pain was muted so I pushed forward. 

* all photos are film shot by meghillphoto unless otherwise stated