my kids
that’s me ↓
my little life
i am based out of cedar, a little town with not even a stoplight, just west of traverse city. i have always been a creative person. i draw and paint, sew and knit, design and build, and probably dream too big. i get to live this spectacular life with my three dogs, a good man, and an entertaining teenage step son.
a little about me
art defines the world around me; an emotional response, a way of living
I am a wedding and portrait photographer based out of Cedar, Michigan. This easy, slow, small town is where I’m from. There is no need for the city when I have an entire county as my playground. The Leelanau Peninsula (need I say, surrounded by natural beauty, inspiration, and water) has always been my home. I have traveled to most states and still find this to be the very best place.
My job affords me the ability to create art every day. Creativity needs time, freedom, and the right tools. Don’t be confused by the concrete mixer in the back of my 1964 pick-up truck, with photo gear and lights on the bench seat, lumber on the roof, dogs hanging out of the window, and me happily picking up some random piece of roadside furniture to reclaim and to turn into something beautiful. This is likely just the beginning of a five project day; otherwise known as a GOOD DAY.
Which brings me to you! I’m happy that you live here too, or you’ve come here, or are thinking of coming here, or are planning an event here. You should! Let me help you find the right location, props, and ideas to make your visions a reality. Be sure to check out my galleries. Bring me your ideas. Bring me your BIG ideas. Call today to schedule something amazing!
at the moment
the explanation
An art-type mind is often a little ADHD. Running a million miles a second, creating more ideas than human hands can keep up with. For me this is very true. There are many nights, I fear to tell you most nights, that as soon as I lay down in bed, my creative mind starts rolling. Maybe this is why I like naps so much; I can actually get uninterrupted sleep at 3 in the afternoon instead of dealing with creative brain at 3am. It’s why I build things, too. I spend the daytime building things; like a house addition, new garage, or new rental home, just to wear out my physical self so I can sit down to get actual business work done at night.
the to-do list
- new garage
- new workshop
- new studio
- new office
- 10 children’s outfits
- 40 summer hats
- emptying basement
- yard fire pit plans
- master suite plans
- rental house plans
What does any of this possibly have to do with photography? Well, the more I do, the more I can do. It’s always worked that way. The more things I have on my plate to make and do, the faster I get business work done. It’s a thing. I have no idea why. All of the things that I make and do, fuel my passion for doing a great job for you. All of the side things I do, help me learn how to help you. I can build you props, I can design and sew whatever you need, and especially when it comes to weddings, I can fix most anything that may break (and things do). See, photography isn’t just about mastering a craft, it’s about the craft and the human connection. Some days, I’d even go so far to say as it’s more the human connection than the craft.
some kind words
Meg has been our go-to photographer for every single one of our life events for the past six years. She has photographed everything from maternity, newborn, family, business headshots and marketing material, to our business products. Meg strives for creativity and consistently outdoes herself. We will always use Paxton Photography for our business and personal photography needs, and encourage others to do so as well.
Meg is not only one of the most creative photographers I’ve ever worked with, she’s also one of the most efficient! We worked with Meg for extended family photos, with 6 antsy children in tow, on a cold October day and not a tear was shed and the photos are AMAZING. They were a surprise Christmas gift for my mother-in-law and in the 14 years I’ve know her, I had never seen her shed a tear until the day she opened that photo. You can’t put a price on that. We will go back to Meg over and over and over again.
I have had the pleasure of working with Meg on three different occasions. Twice as a fellow vendor for weddings and once for my own wedding. She gave my husband and I exactly what we wanted for our wedding album. She was able to capture a family photo that included over sixty people (and seriously a family that doesn’t follow directions so well) with all eyes and smiles facing forward. Thanks to Meg, we can relive every magical moment of our wedding: from laughter and tears during the ceremony, to fireworks and sparkler photos. Two weeks after our wedding I needed a couple photos to send to the local newspaper about our “school supply donation” gift request, and in the heart of her busy season she made sure the paper got photos for the story. Her pricepoint is amazing, her efficiency is amazing, and her eye for the extraordinary is amazing!
We were very pleased with our engagement photos from Paxton Photography. Meg made us feel comfortable and helped us find beautiful locations around Traverse City. She even allowed us to have a quick second session to create a special photo by editing in our wedding date on some photos. She also provided a complimentary engagement book and cd which was very intimate, including “how we met stories” my fiancé and I wrote to each other.
My children and I had two, above and beyond studio and outside setting sessions with Meg. She was very personable, and we had great experiences capturing memories, that were full of both posed and candid shots. She was able to catch our “donkey laughter” and love. I highly recommend Paxton Photography to encapsulate the moments that you will want to remember forever, while feeling comfortable in the moment.
Meg took pictures of my little min-pin, and I can’t believe that she was actually able to catch her “posing” for the camera! If you know little dogs, they don’t sit still much and that’s the truth for my Karma, but Meg worked her wonders and we ended up with some really beautiful shots of my little fur baby. I’d recommend Paxton Photography to anyone that was thinking of pet pictures. Meg was really patient and accommodating, and it was such a fun experience for me to share with my pup.
Getting to work with Meg on our year-long family photo project documenting the changes, not only in our environment, but our family as well, was fun and turned out better than we ever imagined. Her creative and expert eye captured each individual family member’s true essence and the beauty of the area in which we live. Thank you Meg, for your brilliant ideas and creating moments that are immortalized.
