>

Growing up in rural West Michigan, Meg Loeks enjoyed a traditional American childhood. “I spent my time mostly outdoors building forts with my brother, and playing baseball with the neighborhood kids,” she recalls. As a teenager, she picked up a Pentax ME Super 35mm camera. “My favorite part of the process was developing prints. I distinctly remember the strong vinegar smell, and waiting excitedly for my photo to appear.” Her parents subscribed to National Geographic, and she pored over every issue. “I had dreams of being a photojournalist one day and being sent on assignments,” she says.

Growing up in rural West Michigan, Meg Loeks enjoyed a traditional American childhood. “I spent my time mostly outdoors building forts with my brother, and playing baseball with the neighborhood kids,” she recalls. As a teenager, she picked up a Pentax ME Super 35mm camera. “My favorite part of the process was developing prints. I distinctly remember the strong vinegar smell, and waiting excitedly for my photo to appear.” Her parents subscribed to National Geographic, and she pored over every issue. “I had dreams of being a photojournalist one day and being sent on assignments,” she says.

Meg’s images are steeped in Americana.

Instead, Meg found inspiration closer to home. Today the Lightroom Ambassador is an in-demand portrait and lifestyle photographer, with more than 350,000 Instagram followers. “My greatest inspirations are my children. They are my muses and most of my portraiture ideas come from them,” she says. Her photography is steeped in Americana, capturing moments in everyday rural life, like baking, farming, and family time. Children explore sunflower fields; a toddler dips a fishing line into a chilly lake; a newborn naps in the arms of a US Army soldier. Drawn to color and low light, she creates images that recall the paintings of the old Dutch masters.

Meg’s images are steeped in Americana.

Instead, Meg found inspiration closer to home. Today the Lightroom Ambassador is an in-demand portrait and lifestyle photographer, with more than 350,000 Instagram followers. “My greatest inspirations are my children. They are my muses and most of my portraiture ideas come from them,” she says. Her photography is steeped in Americana, capturing moments in everyday rural life, like baking, farming, and family time. Children explore sunflower fields; a toddler dips a fishing line into a chilly lake; a newborn naps in the arms of a US Army soldier. Drawn to color and low light, she creates images that recall the paintings of the old Dutch masters.

 

 

“My greatest inspirations are my children. They are my muses.”

 

 

“My work centers around nostalgia and the home,” Meg says. “I’ve always been drawn to the in-between moments and everyday mundane. Sure, first milestones are a big deal, but there’s something beautiful about the little things, like my toddler trying to help me fold the laundry, or my oldest son helping his sister put on her shoes. I live for those moments. They are my reason why. I love being able to transform simple happenings into artistic portraits.”

Meg says that nostalgia is the reason she picks up her camera each day.

“My work centers around nostalgia and the home,” Meg says. “I’ve always been drawn to the in-between moments and everyday mundane. Sure, first milestones are a big deal, but there’s something beautiful about the little things, like my toddler trying to help me fold the laundry, or my oldest son helping his sister put on her shoes. I live for those moments. They are my reason why. I love being able to transform simple happenings into artistic portraits.”

 

She switched from film to digital when she started having children, and today she carries a Canon R5 or Sony a7R IV, with Sigma Art Prime lenses that range from 24mm to the 105mm f1.4. “I’m mainly a natural light photographer,” she explains. In the winter months, when evenings in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula draw in, she’ll erect some Profoto lighting, but the magic is done in post-production. “My favorite part of the process is still the end, when I polish my photo in post,” she says. “I love nothing more than to see a photo transform in Lightroom.” 

Meg says that nostalgia is the reason she picks up her camera each day.

She switched from film to digital when she started having children, and today she carries a Canon R5 or Sony a7R IV, with Sigma Art Prime lenses that range from 24mm to the 105mm f1.4. “I’m mainly a natural light photographer,” she explains. In the winter months, when evenings in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula draw in, she’ll erect some Profoto lighting, but the magic is done in post-production. “My favorite part of the process is still the end, when I polish my photo in post,” she says. “I love nothing more than to see a photo transform in Lightroom.”

Meg says she lets her children ‘drive the shoot.’

“I’m drawn to rich colors in my work, and my free Lightroom presets showcase that,” Meg says. “I love to keep skin tones warm, and my colors earthy and vibrant at the same time. My greens are often deep and cool, my yellows are warm and desaturated, and my reds and blues rich and colorful. My presets tend to add a lot of depth and contrast to images as well. To create a more painterly look, I love to finish a photo by slightly reducing the dynamic range and lowering the highlights just a little.”

With Meg’s free Lightroom preset, you can add a rich, painterly tone to any photo.

They say “never work with children or animals,” but Meg lives for the unpredictability of toddlers and their furry friends. “I never know what they’re going to throw at me,” she says. “I may have an idea in mind but ultimately my children, especially my toddler, are going to drive the shoot. I’ve often found that whatever my children end up doing while I photograph them tends to be better than my original idea anyway. This is one of the reasons I love to shoot with longer focal length lenses outside. I love to give my children space and try not to control the environment too much when I photograph them.”

 

It’s how she captures her children doing the things she loved to do, building forts and playing baseball. “It brings me so much joy,” she says. “That sort of nostalgia is the reason why I pick up my camera every day.”

 

See more on Instagram.

With Meg’s free Lightroom preset, you can add a rich, painterly tone to any photo.

“I’m drawn to rich colors in my work, and my free Lightroom presets showcase that,” Meg says. “I love to keep skin tones warm, and my colors earthy and vibrant at the same time. My greens are often deep and cool, my yellows are warm and desaturated, and my reds and blues rich and colorful. My presets tend to add a lot of depth and contrast to images as well. To create a more painterly look, I love to finish a photo by slightly reducing the dynamic range and lowering the highlights just a little.”

 

They say “never work with children or animals,” but Meg lives for the unpredictability of toddlers and their furry friends. “I never know what they’re going to throw at me,” she says. “I may have an idea in mind but ultimately my children, especially my toddler, are going to drive the shoot. I’ve often found that whatever my children end up doing while I photograph them tends to be better than my original idea anyway. This is one of the reasons I love to shoot with longer focal length lenses outside. I love to give my children space and try not to control the environment too much when I photograph them.”

 

It’s how she captures her children doing the things she loved to do, building forts and playing baseball. “It brings me so much joy,” she says. “That sort of nostalgia is the reason why I pick up my camera every day.”

 

See more on Instagram.