Meet Melissa

Well, hello there!  

Hi, I am Melissa and yes, I lock myself in the bathroom at least once a week.

My passion is photography and telling a story through photos.  I have a love for natural light and true emotions, real connections and authentic moments.  I love to laugh with your wild children, explore with your serious adventurer or be still with your quiet observer. I love to capture real moments that unfold. Taking a unscripted approach allows me to document those moments of love, emotion, and connection. 

I am a light seeker.

I am a wife and a mother. I have been married to my awesome and supportive husband for over 10 years and we have three beautiful children together, 6, 4, and 14 months (and why I lock myself in the bathroom on the regular). I am a mother to the core. I resigned from my full time job as a Probation/Parole Agent in 2017 to pursue life at home with those I love the most. I am a wife and mother first, so that is why I limit the amount of session I do per month. 

I love my family. A perfect day is hanging out with my beautiful people to watch the sun set over the hills or get all snuggled up on the couch to watch cartoons on a Friday night. 

I love tacos, margaritas, pizza, and coffee. Don’t hide the secret to your favorite Mexican dive…share with me please! I will tell you mine too!

I am a Christ centered photographer. 10% of all my session fees go to Impact Ministries International (IMI), an organization that rescues orphans all over the world. They help feed, house, and educate abandoned children. If you would like to sponsor a child or would like more information about IMI, please visit their website at www.tstamman.com

Let me know if I am speaking to your heart…

Moments matter most to you. Moments of singing, dancing, playing, laughing, and loving. You want to collect MOMENTS, not things. You’re the type of mom that loves and plays hard. You’re an adventurer, yet you equally love to stay at home to cuddle your baby. You encourage your family to seek out the beauty in life, reach for the stars, chase the sun, jump in the lake, and climb mountains. You make silly noises and light tickles to see that smile on your babes face. You put them before yourself but you also know when it’s time to take a break. You work hard inside and outside the home and putting on that gorgeous flowy dress to dance with your husband and children make you feel BEAUTIFUL…because you are. Let’s capture those hugs, laughs, and smiles that only unfold with the people that matter most…your FAMILY. So let’s go on that adventure, let’s jump into that lake, let’s chase the setting sun, or explore those fields to find nature’s treasures, so we can capture the honest version of your family that you so long for.

I have a love for natural light and true emotions, real connections and authentic moments.  I love to laugh with your wild children, explore with your serious adventurer or be still with your quiet observer. If your drawn to moody, emotional images that capture the connection and love between you and others, then we are a match made in heaven. If you are the type of mom that wants to play and love on your family in the presence of my camera, then I am the photographer for you, and I can’t wait to meet you. I love to capture moments for the dreamers and lovers of life. If I speak to your mama heart, then let’s do this! I plan to laugh with you, share your joy, and maybe even shed some tears.

You stopped by this page looking for someone to tell your family story. The story of your family’s love. A mother’s love for her family. Friend, you couldn’t be more right. If you’re ready to have your story documented and you’ve found your way to my website, I am honored. Here you will find authentic, honest, fun-filled images that speak to your heart. Let’s capture your story!

xo,

Melissa

So, what’s in my camera bag?

I actually don’t get this question as much as I thought I would. But here is more information than you probably want to know. ;)

Camera Bodies // I currently shoot on the Nikon D750 for all my work and have a second Nikon D610 as backup in case anything happens to my main camera body. I find it's important to have two camera bodies on me. You wouldn't want to have to cut a shoot short because of some sort of technical difficulties.

50mm f1.4 // I love the 50mm as a good all-around lens. This lens is on my camera the majority of the time. I find that it's great for portraits, landscapes and simple every day photos. I love using my 50mm for almost anything but especially when I want to get a shallow depth of field…that blurry background.

24-70mm f2.8 // The 24-70mm is another great all-rounder lens for me! It allows me to grab more of the story as it is a wide angle lens. When I am in small intimate areas, this lens comes through like magic. The storytelling is top notch. I love shooting portraits with it (although it is deemed as a little bit of an unconventional lens to shoot portraits on.. but I love it!), and use it 10% of the time on family sessions and 80% of the time for in-home or hospital sessions.

Speedlights + Triggers // I have Yongnuo flashes. I primarily use my speedlights when shooting wedding receptions and try to avoid using them as much as I can! I have triggers to use multiple speed lights at once to get light in multiple areas at once, but I usually don’t have to.

Batteries // It goes without saying that you need batteries to power your equipment! I have multiple AA Eneloop rechargeable batteries to power my speedlights and triggers and three Nikon batteries to power my cameras.

Memory Cards // I am a shoot happy photographer! Since I love to take lots of pictures, I have quite a few memory cards on me at all times. I keep 64GB memory card in my camera along with multiple backup memory cards in my bag if I fill up my card during your session.

Extras // I love to get creative at my photo shoots and sometimes at the end of a session I may bring out a prism or other gadget. I also have lens wipes, lens pens, my phone, a water bottle, and a bag light.

My Camera Bag // Last but not least, we are brought to the point of where I carry all this stuff! I have my trusty Connie and Co. bag that I absolutely love. It's comfortable, doesn't look like a dorky camera bag (which I had for a LONG time) and fits everything I need. I don't take ALL the gear that I own to every shoot, but I just take what I need for each session.