We were lucky to catch up with Morgan Flook recently and have shared our conversation below.
Morgan , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
My purpose in Photography has always been to do what God leads me to do and that has changed over the years. In high school I took a photography class and loved taking photos of flowers and other things in nature, especially close up. In college I got to study abroad in Kenya and I loved taking photos of the animals on the safari I went on. Later in college I started taking photos of my friends and teammates on the softball field and I fell in love with photographing people. Since then, that has turned into photographing families. Once I became a stay at home mom after 3 years of teaching, photographing families and kids was my way of continuing to work with kids which is what I have loved to do all my life. It is an honor to capture families in the season they are in with their kids. Now that I am a mom of 2 I know how fast time goes and how special it is to have those seasons frozen in time to look back on and reminisce. I am so thankful God continues to bring the most amazing families to me to photograph!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a family photographer in the Charleston, SC area. My favorite part of the job is connecting with the families, getting to know them and capturing their personalities throughout the session. Most people start out more formal, ready to smile for the camera, but I love to add in games and movement to get the real, genuine smiles as they open up and start to just have fun. I also always capture the nice more formal smile for the camera pictures but I always include candid’s as well. I love to give my clients a well rounded gallery of images that reflect who they are and the season they are in.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The first one that comes to mind is learning about light. As a photographer, once I learned about how light affects things and how to use it to create the vision I am going for I felt like I was able make my visions come to life. The second was learning how to connect with my clients and pose them in a way that compliments them. I still learn new ways to do this every session but one of my favorite ways to do this is to use games and movement. It makes my clients look way more natural which is what I love. The third would be to not be afraid of increasing your prices. That may sound silly, but starting out I was afraid of getting my prices wrong. But what I have learned is that I need to price my sessions at what I believe they are worth and the right clients will find me and appreciate the value I bring to their sessions.
My advice for someone starting out in photography is to learn as much as you can about light, your camera, editing and then practice as much as you can. Offer free sessions to family and friends or whoever will get in front of your camera to become more confident in yourself. You got this!
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My husband Stephen has been the most helpful to me in overcoming challenges. He is a Fishing Charter Guide and runs his own business and he has helped me tremendously on the business side of things. It doesn’t always come natural so when I am stuck or unsure he is great at leading me in the right direction. He has also helped instill confidence in me and encouraged me to keep going through the challenges.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.morganflookphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganflookphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morganflookphotography
Image Credits
Larissa Lord
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