Just Call Me Your Local Pet Photographer Now Too
Yeap! You read that right, the newest pet photographer on the block right here! I’m so excited for this new venture. I’ve been serving Perth Families for 4 years now, and while I’m 100% going to keep photographing you, a large portion of my sessions for 2022 are going to focus on your cats, dogs, chickens, bunnies, pigs, reptiles and all that’s in-between.
Let me expand on this transition into the world of photographing animals and pets and what it means to Perth families.
What the heck right?! This probably feels like it has come out of nowhere if you’ve been following me for any amount of time. But as it turns out, there’s still a few things you don’t know about me, one of them being a long time passion that I have for animals.
I don’t know why I’ve never thought to bring my two passions: pets and photography, together before. Maybe I doubted that there was a potential in it for me? Truth is, in my spare time, when I’m bored and pull out my camera - guess what I gravitate towards…. for as long as there is one around to photograph, it’s always the animals and insects. I mean, sure, nature and flowers have definitely had their place, likewise my girl before she was in school, but the landscapes, food photography, still life, astro - nothing pulled me in quite like the animals. But see, I did not even realise when my own soul was talking to me.
MINDSET
I signed up for a 12 week mindset course called Level Up Your Life, to begin in October last year with the most incredible coach Breanna from @missmindset_. I was in a funk. I was over social media and marketing. I wasn’t itching to book photoshoots. I was feeling overwhelmed, tired and just felt like work was hard. On the very first call, I said to Breanna, “I don’t even know if I want to do photography any more.”
Over the last 4 years, I’ve photographed 100’s of Mamas for family sessions, newborn sessions, mummy & me’s, couples, brandings, elopements & weddings. I thought I’d done it all, and so I found myself settling with family’s and more so the mummy & me clientele, for what I could relate to the most. But I came to Breanna feeling very “meh”. I wasn’t 100% sure if she could help me, but I prayed she could, and while I knew she wasn’t going to be able to ‘fix’ anything for me, I knew she’d have the questions - and the RIGHT questions - to at least make me think twice.
Lo and behold, she worked wonders! She helped me to tap into childhood memories that I’ve previously disregarded or struggled to remember. She taught me why I think the way I think; my paradigms and beliefs. I learnt about different laws of the universe and my mind exploded when I learnt about energy. Whether you’re in business for yourself or you work for someone else, hands down, I’ll recommend her to you every time!
ENERGY
Energy is in everything and is everywhere.
Choosing my word for 2022 couldn’t have been easier. Sure I toyed with a few other words, but after everything I’d just learnt, the word ‘energy’ summed up every intent I want out of the year.
Look, I’m no teacher and don’t have interest in being one, but I know what I learnt was profound for me. Instead of me trying to explain what I learnt about energy, maybe you can get a grasp of it all through the questions I’m going to be keeping at the top of my mind as the year goes on:
• What will bring me joy today? How can I bring more of that into my life?
• If my space is full, how can more energy come in? Create space.
• Where is my attention? Where my focus goes, energy flows.
• What am I vibrating? Gratitude is the highest vibration.
CHILDHOOD
During the Level Up Your Life course, one question I had to ask myself was, what clues lie in my childhood, that could potentially lead me to living a life that truly aligns with who I am? It’s a big one, and if I didn’t know where to look or what to look for, then I probably wouldn’t have come out with an answer either.
When I was a kid I wanted to be a veterinarian. Every time my pets were booked in for a vet visit, I always wanted to go with Mum to help ‘reassure’ them that everything was going to be ok, plus I also just loved being in that environment, it’s weird, I can’t really explain it. Even today when I go into a vet clinic, I feel this sense of - ‘this is my place, if only I could help and understand more’. So why am I not a vet then? Well it turns out somewhere along the line someone told me that I had to get good grades in science to get into vet school - and SCIENCE is one subject I feel like I literally just scraped by in - so I told myself, that career as a veterinarian or even a vet nurse was off the cards.
I grew up with 2 cats, a small dog and multiple canary birds. But I was also the kid that loved to gross other friends out and play with snails, cicadas and praying mantis’. I still remember some of the pets that my primary school friends had too; Dogs, mice, guinea pigs, bunnies - that’s saying something right? I had toys dedicated towards animals, (one which I’ve now handed down to my daughter) I received non fiction animal books for Christmas’ and collected magazines and stationary associated with animals. Every dream of mine almost always included an animal. Once I was old enough I also managed to get myself a job in a pet store and volunteer at the SPCA.
During this deep dive of my childhood I was reminded of a photo that I took. I set the whole thing up all on my own. I can’t remember exactly what made me want to attempt this, but I do remember I LOVED Rachael Hale’s work and can only assume that maybe, I found my inspiration in her. Check it out my creation below:
Did you spot my dog?? I promise you, she’s there!
This set up required me to take a bed sheet (before using bed sheets for photoshoots was a thing, might I add) and hang it up by jamming it in the wardrobe door. Then I gathered AALLLLLL of my soft toys and began piling them up in such a way to make sure you could see everyones face. Before completing the front row, I don’t know what I did, but I clearly found a way to entice my little dog to sit still long enough for me to add all the remaining toys in. I then sat back and took the shot.
Now if that wasn’t a glimpse into my future, I don’t know what was. But this was the piece of the puzzle that lit me up and set me in to motion! ps: my dog is dead centre, about the 2nd or 3rd row in, where you can see her big white fluffy head and black nose.
CHANELLE MEGAN - PERTH PET PHOTOGRAPHER
It sounds pretty cool right.. I mean it’s so me. Even as I start planning out the year, and wondering how it’s going to look, everything already feels so much easier. From potential collabs with other small business to selling some amazing wall art, I honestly can not wait for all the goodness and all the pets that are going to fill my heart tenfold!
So what does this change mean for you though? Well if you’re a family with toddlers or older, then really you have nothing to worry about. I’ll still be shooting beautiful families and doting on my mummy and me sessions, even if you don’t have a pet - although ALL pets are HIGHLY encouraged. Extended family sessions are out though, and newborn sessions will be very much on a case by case basis. It’s not that everything I’ve ever said about the importance of having newborn photos, getting in the frame and documenting the now, has gone down the drain, because that is still just as relevant to you as ever - but for me, as your photographer, that’s not where I’m at any more, and I’ve now uncovered my next calling and figured out how I can work animals into my career without having to study my but off for 7 odd years.
If you don’t have a pet already, I hope my work over the following months and years will inspire you to get one, and if you do have one, then get in touch with me asap and let’s make magic!
Here’s A Fun Fact For Ya:
All 3 of my tattoos are of animals, and no, that wasn’t planned. I have a dolphin, a fantail bird & a kiwi bird (both NZ natives).
Before I committed to embarking on this new journey, I pulled up some of my favourite images that I’d created just for myself. These were taken at points in my life when I was just being me, enjoying the quietness, the downtime and surrendering to the patience required with no point of frustration. I wanted to share these with you today. I honestly struggled to narrow these images down to just a few, and there is definitely more where these came from, but it just goes to show, that this is something I really enjoy. If one of these should make your heart smile, even just a little bit, please share this blog or that image with a friend. I’d love all the help getting the word out that I can.
Sending happiness & joy
Chanelle
