Saturday, January 31, 2009




Holy crap last night was awkward. In case there was any question, I am white. Really really white. REALLY REALLY WHITE and from MONTANA! Last night I got a job taking party pictures at some hip hop club. I did not know it was a hip hop club when I took the job, and I was pretty much the only white girl there. I felt like someone was just waiting for me to bust out the cabbage patch or the running man. No dice, just stood there, awkwardly, not trying to get in anyone's way and taking pictures of people who are apparently well known, but like I said I am whiter than white and had no idea who anyone was.
When I'm saying I'm whiter than white I mean it, and in a bad way. I listen to Indie rock music, I have no rhythm, I can't dance, and when some dude tells me he's waiting for his "artist" I assume he means tattoo artist, and ask to see his ink. He meant his rap artist... he's a manager... but he did have some cool tattoos... awkward.
The performers were really awesome, and something might come of it when they need pictures. Everyone was really nice,but 90% of the night, I just felt like the most awkward thing in the room. At the end of the night (1:30 or so) I made $50, zero dollars in tips, and had spent $30 on batteries for my backup magazine for the 5D MkII, and my ring flash, and $3 on parking. So I made $17, and learned I am in fact a white girl, and taking jobs off of Craigslist is a 50/50 chance.

A dramatization of how white I am...

Friday, January 30, 2009

Things I would like to do in February... A list
1. Go to Denver to shoot
2. Go to Denver to see Sam
3. Go to Denver to see Dylan
4. Go to Denver to see Dylan's beard
5. Go to Denver to see Murder By Death
6. Go to Denver to drink some Fat Tire
7. Go to Denver... basically.
Things I choose never to do in my life... a list
1. I will never in my life, get a neck tattoo. Ever.
2. I will never in my life do coke, heroin, acid, meth or crack. Never ever ever.
3. I will never in my life partake in paparazzi photography. EVER!
4. I will never in my life wear Ugg boots with a mini skirt... seriously.
5. I will never in my life tattoo my significant other's face on my body.
6. I will never in my life live in Compton... more a choice to remain alive in the long run.
7. I will never in my life have large gauge facial piercings... just not for me.
8. I will never in my life master mathematics. I've come to terms with this.
9. I will never in my life be President of 'Merica. Something I've also come to terms with.
10. I will never in my life go to the moon. Don't wanna.
11. I will never in my life live with a blue tooth headset grafted to the side of my head.
12. I will never in my life have 17 kids. That show with that family is effed up.
13. I will never in my life live in Sauget Illinois... same reason as Compton.
14. I will never in my life love German Industrial music... EVER!
15. I will never in my life sing in a German Industrial band.
16. I will never in my life be a famous musician. Could have happened, but I'm in the game way too later, and I'm okay with that.
17. I will never in my life get a perm.
18. I will never in my life be a club girl. I'm completely okay with that.
19. I will never in my life be a Scientologist.
20. I will never in my life marry someone twice my age. That's icky.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

FIELD TRIP DAY!!!
Today Rian Flynn, Dave Hill, and I went to the Natural History museum after hours with photo passes, and free reign to do pretty much whatever we wanted. Best day ever. Animals are so damn cute, even if they are stuffed! We were doing test shots for a photoshoot for a band Rian is working with. In the end we scored some free passes to come back! I love that place and I can't wait to explore it for a full day!


Monday, January 26, 2009

I swear to god the most depressing thing in the world is sending out 12 e-mails to potential jobs, and then only getting two back that just say that your message was undeliverable.
Oh and one of the Phototherapist's accounts is completely full.
Meeting with a wedding photographer tomorrow about working as a second shooter. Wish me luck, because if I don't get some soon I'm not sure what the hell I'm going to do.

Oh a happier note, I'm upgrading one of my lights, and selling two of my Alien Bees for $500 help do so. Whee for getting ridiculously cool new lighting... boo for having no work to play with it.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

I'm currently obsessed with a little local band I found called Olin and the Moon. It's really great folky music, and I can't get enough of it. Just so happens that I went to high school way back when with one of the members. Small world. We both move to LA and he starts up an amazing band that I love. Go figure. Mom, Dad, and Amy, you would probably like this band a lot too. Their ambitious 13 song album, 40 Miles of Bad Road is on iTunes too.

The slow economy has been good for one thing. It's making me far more creative. My brain switched over from commercial back to fine art, and I've been shooting a lot of models for a new project I'm working on that's kind of similar to my last thesis. It's what the Phototherapists told me to do back in September, but I haven't had time to. Lucky for me there's Model Mayhem.com to search for people willing to work for free. So far I've been doing the composites of my friends who I can convince to take their shirts off and act out my little story. I guess right now it's kind of dealing of the fear of disappearing in this city, and fighting against becoming irrelevant every day. I'm pretty excited about working on it more. It is nice having something to work on to break up the constant job searching.
This is an image of my friend Kyle that's not quite finished, but figured I should post something...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Things I currently love...
1. The Monkey and Son's Sumatra coffee that I bought from Casbah Cafe. That shit is gooood!
2. Hulu.com for all my Must See TV needs
3. My 5D Mark II because the dang thing just keeps getting COOLER!
4. Rice... nuf said
5. Those bags of frozen mixed veggies from Safeway because they cost $1.75 and go well with the aforementioned rice.
6. Not paying for Downtown Disney Parking because I left at 1am and the parking guys had already gone home! HA SUCKAS!

Things I currently do not love at all...
1. Our outrageous power bill that skyrocketed for some reason in the last month from around $90 to $300. No bueno.
2. When I run into a cool band and have this conversation "Dude we would totally love to shoot with you, but some kid just shot us last week for free"
3. Did I mention the power bill?
4. Paying to get into shows... never bueno.
5. Dry skin. My skin is freaking out on me for no particular reason.
An Open Letter to Photoshop...
Current mood: ashamed
Category: Romance and Relationships

Dear Photoshop,
Hey friend, how's it going? Things are good here. Listen I know we've been spending a lot of time together over the past couple months. It's been great! But I've been seeing a lot of stuff all over myspace that you've been with some other photographers. Don't get me wrong, I know this is supposed to be an open relationship, and you're free to do as you like with whoever. Well I guess what's been bugging me is just... well... you're giving photography a bad name. You're getting used, and spread all over town. You look sloppy out there! Come on, you used to be so classy and refined. You were like a fine whiskey that only tasted good if you babied it and warmed it over a flame. Now your high pass filter is all over the internet! You look cheap. Stop it. If I'm going to be seen with you I really need you to show a bit more restraint with your dodging and burning. With your saturation layers, and your gausian blur. Step it up a notch! You can be classy again. I mean look at what we've accomplised through our relationship. We were a golden couple in PDN for Adobe's sake!
I really hope you understand. I don't want this to jeapordize our beautiful relationship. I want to continue to work as a team baby, and not have to break up because you're cavorting all over the town with 17 year olds. Hold yourself to a higher standard. Until I hear back from you, I'll be with Wacom tablet, having a beer down the street. We miss you, and you're welcome to join us.
Love always,
Megan

Thursday, January 22, 2009

My house is lonely. Bassett works from 4-4am and Matt's in Montana. I feel like I live alone, it's boring.
I've been applying for every job with "photographer" in the title on craigslist there is. I've had two people write back. One was for a wedding, and they liked my work, but I guess liked someone better because I haven't heard back since. I just sent the specs of my equipment to another photographer who needs a second shooter at weddings. Thank god I just upgraded everything! I used to not even apply for jobs where they asked what camera you had. Now I'm a proud 5D Mark II owner with nothing to be ashamed of! HA!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

If you are in Montana PLEASE STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!
This bill is uneducated, bigoted, and ignorant. Rep. Driscoll should be ashamed to even introduce it! Pit Bulls are just as prone to attack someone as a cocker spaniel. Punish the irresponsible god owner, not the innocent dog.
pit bull Pictures, Images and Photos
Hearing Set for Bill to Kill All the Pit Bulls in Montana
Posted Jan 11, 2009 by lauraallen

* Breed Bans

Sweet pit bullThere will be a hearing on H.B. 191 Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 3:00 PM in Hearing Room 172 at the Capitol Building in Helena. Plan to attend.

For more information on this bill and how you can contact Montana legislators, read Animal Law Coalition's report below.

Original report: Montana state Rep. Robyn Driscoll, a Democrat who represents the 51st District, has introduced a bizarre bill calling for the elimination of all "pit bulls" from the state. If the bill, H.B. 191, becomes law, owners must surrender their pit bull dogs which must then be euthanized within 10 days.

Those who don't give up their dogs to be killed? Well, any peace officer is authorized to obtain a search warrant and come and get the dog.

The cost of paying animal control and other law enforcement officers throughout the state to round up family pets and kill them will be substantial. A task force found that a pit bull ban in Prince George's County, Maryland, just one county, cost $560,000 in one year.

There are exceptions for pit bulls temporarily in the state, passing through, or attending an exhibition, show or competition "sponsored by a dog club, association, or similar organization". Even for the dog to attend an exhibition, show or competition, the owner must obtain written permission from the county and the sponsor must take steps to "prevent [the pit bull dog] from escaping or injuring the public." The only other exception is for a pit bull wearing a tag indicating it is a registered pit bull, but the registration and tag must have been obtained before the law's effective date. Here is a copy of the bill.

The National Canine Research Council reports that between 1965 and 2008, there were 3 fatalities in Montana from dog bites. Yes, 3 in 43 years. In 2005 alone, just one year in Montana, 1,400 people died from smoking and 251 in traffic accidents. (Maybe Driscoll should work to protect Montanans from smoking and second hand cigarette smoke or negligent or drunk drivers; that would at least be something useful.)

The NCRC notes, "All the dogs involved ... were ...not spayed or neutered....All three cases involved unsupervised children left alone in a yard with unfamiliar dogs (2 cases) or the child wandering off and encountering an unfamiliar, chained dog (1 case)."

Significantly, none of the dogs was a pit bull.

The bill, H.B. 191, is now in the House Local Government Committee. Check Animal Law Coalition for updates.

Take Animal Law Coalition's poll on breed bans on this page!

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Write or call Rep. Robyn Driscoll and urge her to drop this breed ban. Tell her dogs don't bite because of breed and breed bans don't make communities safe from dog bites. Instead, they penalize responsible owners and greatly increase animal control costs. Send her the information found here. Be polite.

Robyn Driscoll, (406) 534-4874, rdriscoll@peoplepc.com

Contact the House Local Government Committee by calling Joe Kolman, 406-444-9280

Find Montana legislators and email, fax or call them and urge them to say no to H.B. 191. Here is the fax number for the House: 406-444-4825

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I'm sunburned in January. It was 81 degrees today on the beach, and I spent a good half the day holding up a 12x12' diffusion silk for Dave. So now I'm really sunburned. I had fun though! Luckily there wasn't much wind so the silk wasn't a complete nightmare to hold upright. That thing might as well be attached to a sailboat, and I totally want one.
Here are a couple pictures I thought were really funny. Dave was trying to sync the live view on my 5D Mark II with those weird little TV goggles you get for iPods. It didn't work, but I still think it could if we actually researched it.
Dave was shooting with his new Mamiya for part of the day and I'm totally jealous of that little camera. I'm going to start shooting film again soon, I just wish it wasn't so expensive to process it. I got to play the roll of film bitch for a good chunk of the shoot, unwrapping and tightening rolls, and sealing and tightening up the exposed rolls as they left the camera. I can't wait to see the images from the day once they're finished. Dave took my portrait being goofy on a BMX bike too, so believe me it will be on here once I get my hands on it!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Whoa. Revolutionary Road was really REALLY good.
Damn son.

Sunday, January 18, 2009


Hokay...
I was just perusing the internet and came across some magazine's list of best living songwriters. Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra and Right Away Great Captain wasn't on it. In my opinion this kid is my generation's Bob Dylan, but with fewer drugged out metaphors. I think he's now maybe 22 at the oldest, with a really killer beard, a wife, and probably more life experience than anyone I know. His albums are the only albums I can listen to non stop for a week and never get sick of, because after seven days I'm still trying to figure out what he means. He's profound. No song has ever effected me like Where have you been? which is why part of the bridge (I've gotta take what I'm making and turn it into something) is tattooed around my wrist. Any time I'm getting down on myself about work, I just have to look down at my left forearm and suck it up. I just watched the documentary Whats Left Behind in which Sam Erickson follows the members of Manchester Orchestra around the South East as they tour on the verge of blowing up into the best kept secret in music. It's completely inspiring. It's the type of documentary that I went to Montana State wanting to make some day. Bands like this are the reason I love music so damn much.

I'm going to stop ranting for a second... along with the DVD came a CD of new songs and a couple old favorites performed acoustically. One new song I can Feel a Hot One has been repeating on my computer since I opened the packaging. This song sums up why this kid is going to be around for decades. You can hear their music at Jango and on their myspace page.

I could feel a hot one taking me down
For a moment, I could feel the force
Fainted to the point of tears
And you were holding on to make a point
What's the point?

I'm but a clean man, stable and alone man
Make it so I won't have to try
The faces always stay the same
So I face the fact that I'm just fine
I said that I'm just fine

I remember, head down,
After you had found out
Manna is a hell of a drug
And I need a little more, I think
Because enough is never quite enough
What's enough?

I took it like a grown man crying on the pavement
Hoping you would show your face
But I haven't heard a thing you've said
In at least a couple hundred days
What'd you say?

I was in the front seat, shaking it out
And I was asking if you felt alright
I never want to hear the truth
I want to hear your voice, it sounded fine
My voice, it sounded fine

I could feel my heartbeat taking me down
And for the moment, I would sleep alright
Invading with a selfish fear
To keep me up another restless night
Another restless night

The blood was dry, it was sober
The feeling of audible cracks
And I could tell it was over
From the curtains that hung from your neck

And I realized that then you were perfect
And my teeth ripping out of my head
And it looked like a painting I once knew
Back when my thoughts weren't entirely intact

To pray for what I thought were angels
Ended up being ambulances
And the Lord showed me dreams of my daughter
She was crying inside your stomach

And I felt love again

This pretty much sums up a work day with Rian Flynn. This is from a month or two back when I assisted him on a shoot for the band Kingsley. We were trying to high five midair, but we failed miserably each time. I like this one because it looks like I'm about to slap him in the head.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Planes Crash


IMG_7553, originally uploaded by M. Thompson Photography.

This is the band Planes Crash at Chain Reaction. They opened up In Fear and Faith's CD release and put on a pretty sick show. I've seen them a few times around the valley. Super nice dudes, hope to shoot their promos sometime soon.

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

Thursday, January 15, 2009


Back page from the portfolio that I just dropped off at EMI... I really hope to god something comes out of all that work I just did. I feel like I'm climbing a mountain and stuck on a stair stepper. I just talked to Jon and London and they're making some calls to help me book stuff, and I talked to someone who might be interested in being my agent.
I need some good luck.

Here's another fun picture from last week's shoot. This is Danny from National Product. He just also happens to be in the mashup side project with my hairdresser and Dan from A Static Lullaby. Good times.
I'm printing the last of my portfolio today and hope to drop it off tonight. Wish me luck!

I spent the last couple of days in Victorville with my friends in the band Sleep District while they recorded their EP. It was a rousing good time even if I am sicker than a dog now. I used the video function on my 5D seriously for the first time and I'm editing the ridiculous footage into a studio update for the guys. I first met Timothy the Blasian (Black and Asian) Guitarist way back in October when I didn't know anyone. Then I met London (who is an amazing tattoo artist in addition to a musician) a couple months later, and just met Jon their vocalist on Monday for the first time. We became pretty fast friends! I love these guys. London invited me to the Vegas tattoo convention to take pictures and I'm really considering it. My buddy Josh Meek just moved there from Helena and he actually has an appointment with London on Saturday during the convention. It would be great fun I'm sure. We'll see if yet another band cancels their shoot this month. Ugh. Why does money suck so much?

Monday, January 12, 2009



Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
Do work. Do work. Do work.
I have no idea what I did, but I did something, and that something made my printer work. I replaced two ink cartridges and the maintenance tank, and now it works like a dream.

But now it doesn't want to print high quality 11x14" prints. It wants so upscale them from an 8x10"... and it looks bad. Win some lose some.

Epson 3800: 2
Megan: 1

Sunday, January 11, 2009

All I want to do is print my portfolio.
That's ALL.
But my printer has been in a box since August and is now all effed up. I did two power cleanings, the automatic alignment thinger won't work, and it's off register by about 1mm.
All I want to do is print my damn portfolio, and I've had to replace two ink cartridges, and now the maintenance tank is full and I can't buy a new one until tomorrow. I'm also almost out of light magenta now. Grand total to get my damn 3800 working again will be about $170.
All I wanted to do was print my stupid freaking portfolio!

Saturday, January 10, 2009


Things to do in 2009:
1. Do a photoshoot in Skid Row (X)
2. Do a photoshoot with "hot chicks" (X)
3. Forget about my pledge to never photograph a band smoking (XX)

This is my favorite image from yesterday's shoot with my hairstylist's band. They don't have a name yet, but this is Dan Arnold. He also plays guitar and sings in A Static Lullaby. We shot at the Cecil Hotel in downtown and during the course of the shoot heard gunshots (fireworks?), heard a screaming fight from the floor below, and saw a cockroach. This was a non smoking room as well, but Dan didn't really seem to care. I have a policy never to shoot bands in scenarios that make smoking appear cool, but it really added to this shoot, and I didn't have much of a choice. He was smoking, and we had a limited amount of time to shoot so there ya go.
Still, this is totally going into my portfolio which I am finally printing and putting into a book today.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

So far I'm going to say that 2009 pretty much sucks.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009



Here are a couple more of In Fear and Faith from last night. I bought their CD on iTunes when I got home and it blows me away. I usually hate post hardcore and screamy music, but Scott and Cody's voices compliment each other so perfectly on this album.

I couldn't wait until morning to look through In Fear and Faith's CD release show pictures. This one keeps catching my eye every time. I think for me it sums up the amazing experience of their live show.
Tonight made me love live photography again!

Monday, January 05, 2009

Oh sweet Jesus are my arms tired. I love my new camera but it's DAMN heavy with the battery grip attached. I just got home from shooting In Fear and Faith's CD release show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim. The crowd was completely insane for those guys and Lower Definition. I had so so so much fun! IFAF is probably my new favorite live act to shoot EVER! That lightshow, and their light up riser boxes are SO sick!
I did get kicked in the head though. That wasn't fun.
Last night I stayed with my friend Eric from the band Abeline to try and defunk my funky mood. Totally worked. There's very little that Rock Band, a few beers, and really awesome cats can't make better. I decided to get a little practice for tonight while I was there. Here's Eric playing some ridiculously hard song on expert or something...

Saturday, January 03, 2009

I'm slowly falling back into the swing of things. My new lens came yesterday with a much needed battery grip. My camera is a giant legitimate pile of parts! I'm breaking in the lens tonight in San Diego. I was commissioned to shoot the CD release show for a band called Goodnight Caulfield at Soma. There's 7 bands so it should be a good time.
I'm going to go get some tasty Farmer's Market coffee and start packing.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Note to self...
When pitching really ridiculous ideas to bands, make sure you have all needed items for ridiculous shoot.

Right now I'm trying to figure out how to do a No Country for Old Men theme shoot next Friday with no budget. I need a compressed air tank, and a seedy hotel room. This is a nightmare, and one thing an assistant would be awesome for.