Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Hopkins.

Hi Meghan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

My interest in photography started when I was attending college in the spring of 2019. I didn’t own a DSLR at that time. All I pretty much had was my iPhone Six; surprisingly I managed to capture/edit some excellent images. During this time I was still on a journey discovering my style in photography.
While on this journey I learned the importance of understanding your camera and the environment around you; and to be quite frank I’m still on that journey. You never stop learning when it comes to this craft. Learning the rules of photography, the skills of editing, and the valuable feedback from my peers lend me to find my genre in the photography world. Till this day I live in a monochrome world.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Learning the craft wasn’t difficult for me at all. The most challenging part is trying to have my work be noticed more. Social media can only get you so far, so showing up to different community events can give you more momentum. Put a face/personality to the work, and watch how quickly your name starts surfacing in rooms you haven’t stepped in yet.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I’m a black and white landscape/cityscape/portrait photographer—although, people know me well for my landscapes. I have a great fondness for capturing desolate areas in all the five boroughs in NYC. But for this upcoming year I’m going to start trying to improve my portrait skills. I was so used to no human interaction or less clutter within my photos, that I thought it would be a good challenge for me to change the way I approach my work. As a fellow photographer within the monochrome community, I’m not 100% sure what sets me apart from my contemporaries. There’s plenty of photographers that I look up to and admire for their skills, that I never had time to sit back and reflect on what I’m admired for. I love what I do. And I’m proud to say that I’ve worked hard to get where I am, and I still have a long way to go. Nothing that we truly desire comes easy. There needs to be some sense of determination there to help bypass those who truly can’t see what we’re worth. If you have a camera and a dream, nothing can stop you from reaching it. Nothing makes me more proud than knowing that I may not always get noticed—or I may feel unseen; however, I know for certain my story will inspire artists who also have a dream.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?

Networking is very important if you want to expand your horizon. I met a few great photographers from a podcast that I attended back in 2023. Those few interactions turned into great relationships that pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. It’s important to find people who are not in secret competition with you. You can learn something from one another, and no ounce of knowledge should be dismissed. So overall, go to events, do photo walks, and surround yourself with likeminded people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://meghanhopkins.darkroom.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_arrtist_/profilecard/?igsh=MjZqdzZxaDJuaWkx
• Other: https://linktr.ee/meghanhopkins

Image Credits

Meghan Hopkins