This is my Why:

this may be pretty dark and somber, but it's going to be real.

I never would have defined myself as a creative person, and I never ever would have imagined I would make a career out of photography. I was very much academically inclined and my whole life thought I'd be climbing the corporate ladder.

But then my dad passed in 2019 after many years of battling numerous medical conditions. That Christmas, our wedding photographer sent me an ornament with a photo of my father-daughter dance. It was the sweetest gift and hangs in my home year-round.

My dad hated photos, would always hide his face or turn away. Having those photos from our wedding day means the world to me. On our wedding day he never turned away - he smiled, he laughed, he danced. And I have photos of it all thanks to our wedding photographer.

I started Photography by Melanie the next year in 2020. I wanted to give other people what our photographer had given us - memories, reminders of sweet times, the chance to relive a moment in our lives with people we cherish and love but cannot hug or see. Since then I have also lost a brother and my mother, and I continue to go through our wedding photos to remember their love and laughter.

Now I get to celebrate life-wins with my client's: graduations, engagements, anniversaries, babies and growing families. I get to see people on their best days, see tears of happiness, and shouts of joy.