Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Hughes.
Hi Morgan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Since I have been able to access a computer, I have always loved looking at photographs; seeing such an incredible story frozen in time. I devoured images and blogs but I never thought I would be able to create something like what I saw. Growing up, I was athletic and passionate about softball. Most of the members of my family were creative and I thought that ability skipped me; that I just got the athletic gene. But, when I was about 18, my brother was selling his camera and I bought it on a whim, just to see what would happen… and I fell in love with photography. I took photos for free of my friends and family (editing everything so poorly and with a lot of sepia). I am self-taught and definitely took the long way around to getting where I am today. I picked up my camera before YouTube was the encyclopedia that it is today, so I learned as I went (usually from failure more than success).
I loved photographing families and kids but was more intrigued by the humanitarian work I loved seeing online. I was fortunate enough to go on a trip to Swaziland, Africa in 2010 and it absolutely rocked my world. That trip flipped every expectation of other cultures, third-world living, storytelling, and really everything I thought about traveling on its head. It was such a culture shock but, in the end, made me want to tell stories all the more. To think that my photos were hanging on the wall of a home in Swaziland for people who had never had a photo taken of them before was so humbling.
Since then, I’ve traveled to Hong Kong a few times to photograph the protests in 2019 as well tell the stories of Filipina migrant workers, and also to Honduras to work with a few ministries my old church partners with, such as care points for children and prison ministry.
I am learning and growing in how I see people, see stories, and my overarching desire to tell the stories of the extraordinary lives of ordinary people.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh wow, not at all! I had so many doors shut in my face. So many opportunities that fell through. SO many planned trips that never happened. And then Covid came along and hit pause on everything.
I wanted more than anything to photograph people around the world but found myself photographing families, babies, and weddings instead. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved every session and still love photographing families, kids and couples (and will always want to pursue that to a degree). But while I wanted to be in far off places, meeting people living a life far different than any of ours, I was here. And I think I learned valuable lessons that I wouldn’t have been able to had I jumped into the world of photojournalism and humanitarian work. It’s sometimes harder to tell the story of the people around you, to see from their perspective because it feels too similar to yours. And that was very short-sited of me.
I also struggled feeling like an imposter. I had such a passion to do something I wasn’t doing yet and wondered if maybe I wasn’t good enough. It took me a long time to get over this and truly describe myself as a “photographer” and mean it. That may seem silly and insignificant, but my journey to tell the story of others seemed, for many years, to be more about learning who I was and am.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am both a humanitarian and lifestyle photographer. I love telling stories, whether it’s taking annual family photos or documenting a woman who moved to Hong Kong for work only to send most of her money back to her family in the Philippines. Storytelling has no genre and isn’t specific to any geographical location or income level.
It’s hard to say what I’m most proud of as I see every photograph as important in a way. But, I am probably most proud of the work I did in Hong Kong photographing the protests. It was such a specific time that I knew couldn’t last forever. I could feel how important it was for the protesters to be seen and heard. I was often approached by people who were so thankful that I was there as they knew that people were sharing their stories and their fight. And that was so humbling. Seeing how things have turned out breaks my heart, but it doesn’t make the fight any less significant or impactful.
I think my passion to love others and show them the light that is in them is what sets me apart. I don’t take photography lightly and see it as a medium to share so much information in one image. I think our culture has become a bit callous to photographs, as most everyone has a camera on them at all times. But to hire someone who see’s the difference between seeing an image unfold before you and telling a story with an image… I think being that’s what sets me apart. I feel far more at home riding in the back of a truck up a dirt road to a rarely reached community or chasing your kids around a field to get that genuine smile and laughter than in a sterile photo studio.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I used to work as the photographer and Director of Marketing for an internationally published magazine… that no longer exists. But it was a wild ride and a huge learning experience! I also love eating healthy but also love donuts and dessert and lattes… I love being outdoors but my skin most definitely doesn’t. I prefer winter over summer. My musical playlists consist of BTS, Needtobreathe, Harry Styles, and a combination of indie artists and boybands.
Pricing:
- 2 hour sessions start at $549
- 1 hour sessions start at $469
Contact Info:
- Email: morgan@morganhughesphotography.com
- Website: www.morganhughesphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannnitehughes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morgannnitehughes
