Parker County Today September 2016 | Page 49

Megan Parks Proprietor of Megan Parks Photography Dream Job: Cowgirl Artist Megan Parks with Claudia Bowden SEPTEMBER 2016 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY As a child, Megan Parks knew she wanted to do two things. She wanted to ride horses and she wanted to be an artist. “I think photography and art go handin-hand,” Parks said. “My first camera was a Brownie. I grew up in Los Angeles in a family of cinematographers. I was always in love with photography but it wasn’t until I moved to Parker County that I made a career out of it, and Parker County Today gave me my first chance with editorial photography.” In the 12 years since she began shooting photos for magazines, Parks’ work has evolved dramatically.  “Now I’m at the point where I’m creating fantasy photography,” she said. “I call it Photography From The Heart. I took a photo of Shirley Smelly at 2:00 in the afternoon while Shirley was battling cancer. It symbolized prayers for her healing. That’s why I did that.” She’s glad she went the direction she did with her photography. And as for the horses, she incorporates them into every photograph she possibly can. She also has reached the point in her career where she has creative freedom she never had before. “I’m getting complete artistic freedom,” Parks said. “My clients now give me total control. I don’t want my work to be like anyone’s work. My clients hire me for me these days. They hire me for my vision. They don’t hire me to duplicate something they saw on Pinterest.” Continued on page 62 47