We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Meg Stautberg. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Meg below.

Meg, appreciate you joining us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The best investment I’ve ever made has been in my craft itself. The time spent shooting for the sake of creating, not just delivering. Early on, I started planning free creative shoots with friends and other local creatives. There wasn’t a client, a shot list, or a deadline. Just a chance to experiment, see light differently, and remember why I picked up a camera in the first place.

Those sessions became my classroom. They taught me how to direct with intention, how to see stories in the in-between, and how to stay curious even when the business side feels heavy. It’s easy to measure “investment” by profit, but for me, it’s been the intangible growth, developing an eye for composition, refining my tone, and falling back in love with the process.

Those creative shoots shaped my brand far more than any piece of equipment ever could. They reminded me that when you invest in your creativity, everything else: the bookings, the growth, the brand, tends to follow.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve always been drawn to the way photo and video act as a kind of time capsule, preserving not just how something looked, but how it felt. Even as a kid, I found myself fascinated by small moments that held weight: the way light fell through a window, or the sound of a laugh that lingered longer than the joke itself.

My path into wedding photography and videography happened naturally. A few friends from college asked me to film their wedding videos, and somewhere between the vows and the dance floor, I realized how much I loved documenting stories as they unfolded. Weddings are filled with these fleeting, layered moments and I wanted to create work that would help people remember those moments exactly as they lived them.

Today, I photograph and film weddings, elopements, and sessions across South Carolina and beyond. My approach is equal parts storytelling and composed direction, guiding my couples just enough to feel comfortable, but leaving space for their real connection to shine through. I always want a wedding day to feel like a true date night between the couple, a celebration that reflects their hopes, dreams, and the story they’re building together.

What I’m most proud of is the trust my clients place in me to tell their story honestly. The images we create together are meant to endure, to feel like memory, not performance, so that years from now, they can look back and remember not just what the day looked like, but what it felt like to be there.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The best strategy for building clientele, especially early on, is simple, show up and show off. Share your work consistently, even when you’re still figuring out your style. Post the behind-the-scenes, the quiet moments, the things that make you excited to create. People connect to that energy more than anything else.

Equally important is actually putting yourself out there, reaching out to newly engaged couples, connecting with friends, planners, or vendors, and saying yes to opportunities that stretch you creatively. Word of mouth is still the strongest form of marketing, but it only happens when people know what you do and how it feels to work with you.

And don’t be afraid to take on your first few weddings for little to nothing. Those experiences are invaluable. They help you learn how a wedding day truly flows, how to direct with confidence, and how to build a portfolio that reflects the kind of work you want to keep attracting. Every shoot, even the early ones, teaches you something that money can’t.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of what I do is getting to come alongside people and tell their story. Weddings are such personal, emotional days. There’s so much meaning layered into every moment and it’s an honor to be invited into that space.

I get to witness people as they are, surrounded by the people they love most, and turn that into something tangible they can hold onto forever. Every couple’s story is different, and being able to document it in a way that feels true to them, not posed or performative, just real, is what keeps me inspired.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about pretty images. It’s about preserving how it felt to be there. That’s what makes this work so meaningful to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://megsilvaphotography.com
• Instagram: @megsilvaphotog