We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Megan Befort a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Megan , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

The biggest challenge to profitability in the photography/videography industry is the general public’s lack of understanding regarding how much time/effort goes into running a photography business. It isn’t just taking and editing photos and video. There’s client communication, booking systems, session prep, print product ordering and delivering, and the list goes on and on.

There is also a large group of photographers in our area that significantly undercharge for their services and/or don’t charge sales tax, which leads clients to question appropriate pricing.

A big part of my client education and booking process is explaining to families WHY they should be investing in their photos and video. I guide them through every step of the process so that they end up with memories that really tell the story of their family.

I also offer mentoring services to other family photographers, to help them learn the value of what they do and how to charge for it appropriately.

Megan , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Megan and I’m the family photographer & filmmaker at Magpie Love Photography. I picked up a camera to start documenting more of my own family, and then quickly realized that there weren’t any photographers in the Phoenix area who offered the kind of session that I wanted to book.

I specialize in fun, bright, colorful and stress free photography and filmmaking sessions. A large majority of my sessions take place in clients’ homes, since I truly believe it’s the core of the family and deserves to be documented.

I offer bi-annual front door mini sessions, full length family photo sessions, and full length hybrid photo and video sessions. I deliver photos and and films to clients, plus custom print products to display in their home or gift to family members.

I’m not a “typical” family photographer in many ways. I specialize in home documentary and lifestyle photography, and am one of the only photographers to offer family films in the Phoenix area. I also guide my clients through every step of booking, shooting and delivering their family photos and films, with helpful emails, blog posts, and easy communication leading up to and after their shoot. Lastly, I charge a session fee + package in my pricing model.

I feel incredibly blessed to be able to document Phoenix families in fun, relaxed, and meaningful ways. I’m so proud of the business I’ve built and the relationships I’ve made with my clients, They really are more than clients to me, they feel more like friends. As a mother of 3, I understand the chaos of raising children, and I’m honored to be welcomed into the homes of so many families to show them the beauty in their every day.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Client experience and satisfaction is my number one priority in my business, which has resulted in an excellent reputation amongst my clients and Phoenix families. I also have 40 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews on Google.

My clients’ happiness and my pride in my work is truly all I care about in my business. I understand how stressful it is to be a parent, so I do everything in my power to make sure that booking and shooting a photo session is as stress free as possible for families. I am incredibly proud of my client experience and the photos and videos that families receive as a result of that hard work.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is creating something that didn’t exist before, showing families themselves from a new perspective, and leaving a legacy for families to pass down to future generations.

We take more photos and videos than ever, but rarely do we look at them again or print them. And parents aren’t often IN the photos (because we’re the ones taking them). I believe photos are meant to be treasured, and that they should include every member of the family. They should be on your walls, in photo books, on coffee mugs, everywhere! Families are so special and they deserve to be seen. I’m so grateful that I can provide that legacy for families.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.magpielovephotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/magpielovephoto
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/magpielovephoto
• Other: www.vimeo.com/magpielovephoto

Image Credits
Headshots: Lauren Peachie