Meet Megan Paige | Photographer & Cinematographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Paige and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up my dad was in the creative industry and naturally I gravitated towards it. My father is a photographer as well as an artist and graphic artist. I had the natural ability to draw and paint so that was my passion for years. When I discovered YouTube in 2007 I was amazed that you could put yourself or your hobby on a platform and it could reach a lot of people. So I started to make home videos and from I would make uploads with my friends. We would do acting skits here and there and I was fascinating with storytelling and that you could be whatever you wanted to be behind a story. From there I knew I wanted to do that for the rest of my life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What excites me the most about my art is that I am able to turn my creative thoughts into reality. It’s amazing seeing my imagination in the real world and having others experience it with me. What separates me from others is each piece/project I create is a reflection of me and is always diverse in how it’s presented. My ability to draw and design alone sets me apart by my natural creative eye to what is appealing and interesting. It started with my father. When I was young I was going to work with him everyday. My father is a Senior Digital Production manager. So his job includes Graphic Art and Design, Photography, Video Editing and more. I was constantly surrounded by him being creative and making so much art, my hopes of growing up and having a fun job like him grew stronger each time I was with him. I would sit in his office at times and paint and draw and use my imagination to the fullest. From there I started taking art lessons. I naturally knew how to draw and paint (getting that from my father) but I started to get even better. The better I got the more art I wanted to make. One day I stumbled upon a youtube video and saw many people my age making their own creative videos. I would start making short fun videos to music on my phone because I didn’t have a camera. From there my interest in production was sparked and I wanted to make short films. Ironically that week my mother went to an Oprah Winfrey show and Oprah gifted the entire audience small video cameras. My mom let me use her camera and I knew from then I wanted to use this camera to bring my artistry to life. I taught myself how to use a camera and edit videos. I was making 3-4 videos a day of different concepts and ideas at the age of 11. Little did I know I was preparing myself for what was to come. After High School and College I lost my touch with my art because at this point I was trying to find my way in life. I knew I had talent, but had no idea what to do with it and no idea why I was not getting hired in my field. When I had a talk with my mother. She told me I didn’t need a corporation to make my art and still provide for myself and from there my life began. I started taking photos of local music artists to get my work out there. As that progressed I used my editing ability to branch into making music videos. What people did not know is I did not have an updated computer or a camera so I was filming and editing on my Iphone 11. I did not want my lack of materials to halt me in my journey. From the money I was making to doing work locally I was finally able to afford equipment that I needed to produce better quality work. A better camera, a computer, hard drives, lighting and so much more. Now that I had everything I needed, my new challenge was now myself. I started to get discouraged in my work because I was meeting so many other great artists. I started to compare myself, feeling like I had to be like everyone else. I was not realizing not being everyone else is what made me great. This is still my biggest challenge to overcome but what helps me is looking at how far I have come. A great lesson I’ve learned is to study your craft and never think you have finished learning. No matter how great you are there will always be more to learn and room to grow. Another lesson would be that it’s alright to rest and not overthink your work. There have been so many times when I thought I had to constantly work to be considered good but life requires balance with all things and without that balance you can over compensate for the wrong things pushing you off your path. I want the world to know that our imagination is the greatest tool we have in life. Your imagination brings life to others, it solves problems, it creates happiness, and can provide all you need if you let it. Never let society define you and be true to yourself always.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m originally from Chicago but In Scottsdale a place I love to go to is Fashion Square. the mall is huge and beautiful and i love to express myself through fashion so this is the perfect place for me and people who also love fashion. There is every store you could think of in there and it’s a great place to stop by for sure. I love food as well so another place I would say is a must stop is Culinary Drop Out. It is by far my favorite restaurant. From the scenic views when driving up, to the food, to the art inside. It is just so amazing and great for family and friends. My favorite part is of course the art on the walls. They have paintings of all the current music artists but painted as if they were in mid-evil times and I think it adds a fun touch and flare. Second favorite thing would be the food. They really take their time with preparing the food to make sure their signature taste is inputed, while also getting your food out in a timely manner. Just love it. Lastly, I love going to Paradise Valley. Here is where I imagine and manifest what I want out of my life. Seeing the homes and the mountains is so inspiring and makes me want to push myself harder in life.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My father Marvin Paige had a huge hand in my success by always showing me what I could be capable of. My drive to stay consistent came from my mentors at IAm Academy they helped shape me into an entrepreneur.

Website: https://meganpaige.univer.se/photography-portfolio

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.diagram/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-paige-83bb9b164/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/meganpaid/

Image Credits
Image Credits: Megan Paige