About Us
Why Celeste McKinley?
Why Celeste McKinley? The most popular question and the one that holds a special place in our hearts. Celeste McKinley is a name that was thought up when we first started dating at fifteen years old in 2012. We dreamed of owning our own business (at the time a clothing brand) and thought Celeste McKinley would be perfect. CM was a combination of our middle names Maegan Celeste and Garrett McKinley. It's crazy to say that even when we were young we knew we would always be together and "Atchison Clothing" just didn't sound as cool, so Celeste McKinley it was.
We held onto this name until 2019, when we finally decided to make the jump into the photography world. While we love working together, we also take on different projects of our own under the Celeste McKinley Brand.
Our Story
After meeting in high school in 2012, we have been pretty much inseparable. We were married in 2018 and currently live in Saraland, Alabama with our sweet fur baby Teal (also known as Tilly). I've always thought of us as two halves of a whole. Me being the creative side, while Garrett is the logical side. We balance each other out and push each other to be our very best selves. I currently do photography full time, while Garrett wears many hats, including being a Supervisor at a Chemical Plant and an Infantryman in the Army National Guard.
Maegan
Before I even knew photography could be an actual job, I had always seen myself as a business woman working in the corporate world. I attended Spring Hill College to further my education where I majored in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and Advertising. Apart of our curriculum was learning how to work a camera. I took an "Intro to Photography" course and the rest is history. I was shooting anything and everything. Anytime there was an event at school, I was there taking pictures of my friends. One friend eventually asked for pictures, then another, then another, and before I knew it I had a full blown business. Although I was nervous about it, Garrett finally talked me into quitting my job and doing photography full time. Thus, Celeste McKinley was born (At the time, Maegan Celeste Photography).
My business quickly grew and I was in desperate need of some help. That is where Garrett came in. We invested in his own camera in 2019 and he learned how to shoot just so he could help me. We ended up loving working together so much, I decided to rebrand and use the name we came up with as teenagers. It honestly felt surreal seeing our dreams come true. We actually owned a business together. While Garrett's work schedule keeps him from shooting every wedding with me, he is my go to second shooter and is pretty freaking good at it.
When I'm not shooting or working, I'm probably at home watching movies, anime, or reading (I am a HUGE SJM fan, and Fantasy fan in general). Or if you're Garrett Atchison, at the gym or at the range training. The man hates being sedentary and loves staying busy.
We are both so happy you are here and so thankful you are interested in Celeste McKinley! We can't wait to work with you soon!
