My commitment is to capture your life story, no matter what stage, with my professional gear, years of experience, and endless time spent at seminars, classes and international retreats, I will do everything needed to create beautiful memories for you and your family. I am a full-service photographer, which means I do more than just show up to your session and hand you digitals.
I specialize in experiences! We live in a world that's inundated with cell phone images which are buried in our digital world without ever seeing the light of day. My goal for you is to create memories that can be used as pieces of art in your home and will be cherished for years to come. Once you choose to work with me to fulfill your photography needs, I will guide and help you every step of the way.
I specialize in experiences! We live in a world that's inundated with cell phone images which are buried in our digital world without ever seeing the light of day. My goal for you is to create memories that can be used as pieces of art in your home and will be cherished for years to come. Once you choose to work with me to fulfill your photography needs, I will guide and help you every step of the way.
Services
Long before I knew that photography would be my passion and career, I always found joy in connecting with people and serving them well. In 2011, with the birth of my first child, I became a "mom-tographer". Soon enough, my love for photography and human connections planted a seed deep in my soul that grew into what my business it today.
This includes family, maternity, fresh 48, cake smash, seniors, engagements, and headshot/branding sessions OUTSIDE a studio setting. Outdoor Portrait Session - $200 Includes any type of session outside of a studio, ie couples, family, extended family, lifestyle newborn, graduation, headshots, branding, etc.
A personalized invitation from the North Pole signed by Santa with your appointment date and time sent to you via postal mail. You have the choice to socially distance yourself/children from Santa if you wish but it is not required. However, as with anything, there is always risk involved. I will be wearing a mask the entire session, checking temperatures, and requiring clients to sanitize their hands upon arrival.
Capture the magic of maternity! When I ask other mothers what they miss about having children, the answer is usually the same: being pregnant! I miss it too! It's an exciting and magical time watching mommy's belly grow and planning for the new addition to the family. My job is to capture that magic-to find the perfect setting and outfits to showcase mommy's beautiful baby bump alongside her loving family.
While some families want to photography everything, others prefer to leave labor and delivery out of it. No problem! I completely understand. My first 48 photography shoots are the perfect solution-we'll capture all the cuddles, the cries and the counting of fingers and toes while keeping the labor and delivery part private and personal.
Reviews (20)
Miriam Perdomo
Jan 19, 2022
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Where do I even start… Melissa work speaks for itself. She is a true professional and you can tell she truly cares about her work. We had a very intimate shoot with her. It was my mamas last photos so our whole immediate family attended. My sister in law booked Melissa and at first I was a little unsure because I did not know her. Let me just say that I would have not chosen another photographer in the world to trust with this very sentimental shoot.. not even if it was a family member. Right away Melissa treated my mother who was battling stage 4 cancer with such care and not only did she treat
Danelle Ditimus
Dec 30, 2021
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We sent out our Christmas cards a couple of days ago and our friends & family have been receiving them. They have given us so many compliments and we owe all the thanks to you! Thank you so much for your photographic creativity, for capturing us so well and for knowing exactly how to present us in the Christmas card. We will definitely be back for our future family photos!
Stephanie N.
Dec 13, 2021
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WOW! Melissa shot my company's Holiday Party recently and absolutely knocked it out of the park! She did an incredible job of circulating the party and capturing candid shots of our guests, while also staging some really natural and organic posed shots. She was so personable and professional and interacted beautifully with our guests. The space was very dimly lit, with lots of different lighting sources, presenting a very unique challenge for lighting the photos properly. Melissa was able to overcome this hurdle, producing super flattering photos despite the lighting challenges.
I can say
I can say
Jeff Matheny
Aug 31, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Melissa did a beautiful job with our recent family photos. She is wonderful with kids and also great with adults. She has a talent for putting everyone at ease creating a fun environment which in turn leads to awesome pictures.
Highly recommend wish I could give her 6 stars.
Melissa did a beautiful job with our recent family photos. She is wonderful with kids and also great with adults. She has a talent for putting everyone at ease creating a fun environment which in turn leads to awesome pictures.
Highly recommend wish I could give her 6 stars.
Michelle Gonzalez Garcia
Jul 28, 2021
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Was looking for a photographer who would come to my house to do a newborn photo session and came across Melissa’s Instagram page. She responded within a couple of hours and was able to book us in the same week! She is amazing! Super talented, super sweet, super patient, and has a great eye for details! Her work is simply beautiful! Recommend 10/10
Jennifer Ordinario
Jun 30, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Melissa did such an amazing job with our engagement photos! She was willing to make our dream photos happen and drove over 2 hrs to do so. The wind was terrible but she pushed through it to capture the most amazing photos!! She was great with my son and is such a genuine person. I definitely recommend booking a session with her!!
Melissa did such an amazing job with our engagement photos! She was willing to make our dream photos happen and drove over 2 hrs to do so. The wind was terrible but she pushed through it to capture the most amazing photos!! She was great with my son and is such a genuine person. I definitely recommend booking a session with her!!
Anita Handson
Apr 19, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Quality
Melissa was our wedding photographer and naturally the photographer for our Baby’s cake smash. Photo shoots are intimidating for me, but Melissa makes the event worry free and fun. You can leave all the planning to her, down to your wardrobe selects. She has the vision and executes everything beautifully.
Melissa was our wedding photographer and naturally the photographer for our Baby’s cake smash. Photo shoots are intimidating for me, but Melissa makes the event worry free and fun. You can leave all the planning to her, down to your wardrobe selects. She has the vision and executes everything beautifully.
Heather Garibay
Feb 13, 2021
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Melissa is so talented and professional our pictures are beautiful! I love how she works. She made everything so easy for me helped pick our outfits (which I love that I didn’t have to worry about that) picked the perfect location and also helped me pick between photos because I wanted them all haha. Melissa is amazing with my boys they actually listened and got awesome pictures. My photo album is stunning I love it! Did I mention my boys had so much fun during our photo session. They loved having their pictures taken. Thank you Melissa!!
Kelsey Smith
Nov 08, 2020
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Melissa gave me my most priced possessions on this earth, photos of the birth of my daughter! She is professional and amazing at her job. I love every photo she gives me. Most recently we did her Santa photos and my kids were in HEAVEN. The magic was live and the photos are to die for! She doesn't miss one detail! Highly recommend!
Susie B.
Oct 30, 2020
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We recently hired Melissa for our family pictures. Our session was so much more than I could have imagined. From the outfit planning to choosing our favorite photos afterwards, Melissa made each step so easy and enjoyable. It was truly a full service experience. Melissa was professional and fun at the same time. The session flowed effortlessly thanks to her expertise and planning. Despite the beach being windy and overcast during our shoot, she delivered beautiful quality pictures. What I didn't expect was the way she facilitated an environment of fun and intimacy for my family. Even
Darcie Headley
Jun 16, 2020
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She's absolutely wonderful with the level of professionalism and the quality of the photos. She made the experience fun and as stress free as possible. She gives spot on recommendations for the photo shoot, creates a beautiful color scheme, even tailors to your personality and your story. I hundred percent trust Melissa and can't recommend her enough.
Kelsey Smith
Dec 11, 2019
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We hired Melissa for the second time this year and were extremely happy with the whole experience. She had great customer service from first communication to product delivery and our kiddos had so much fun during the session. We received a gallery of both candid and posed images that look stunning printed on our wall. We will absolutely hire her again!
Jasmine S.
Sep 17, 2019
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Melissa recently photographed my fresh 48. Meaning she took some photos of my newborn baby in the hospital. She was so easy to work with and made it a very enjoyable experience. She got some wonderful photos of my active toddler and of me. Many moms rarely get pictures of themselves and to have some photos just after giving birth within 24 hrs I am truly grateful! I text her when I went into labor and she was able to accommodate us. I would recommend her if you want to have pictures you treasure for life!
Paymon A.
Mar 23, 2019
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Melissa is a fantastic photographer and very professional in her engagements. Creative and attentive to details in her shots. She was timely, prepared and such a loving person. I am a person driven off of reviews and recommendations as I'm sure you reading this is too; therefore, I highly recommend her for any photography needs.
She did a photo shoot for our new baby boy, first time parents! Met us in the hospital same day as the birth.
5 stars all around!
She did a photo shoot for our new baby boy, first time parents! Met us in the hospital same day as the birth.
5 stars all around!
Brian B.
Aug 08, 2018
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We just got our engagement photo session back from Melissa. All I can say is wow...she did such an incredible job! She was fun to work with, made us feel super comfortable and captured some amazing shots. If you are searching for a great engagement photographer, look no further because you found the best in the business!
Sophie C.
Aug 08, 2018
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Melissa did an amazing job for my fiancé and I for our engagement photography session. We met up with Melissa at a cool location and she made us feel comfortable immediately. We could feel the passion she had during our session for her craft. She took the lead in posing us and making the session fun and exciting. All of our images reflect us genuinely and naturally. We are so happy with the images and can't wait display them in our new home! Thank you for a great experience, Melissa!
Angela B.
Mar 07, 2018
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We had a great experience with Melissa during our family session. She captured so many adorable moments of my kids they way they are!!! I'm so grateful for all the memories she created for us. Definitely will recommend her to anyone who is looking for a great images, outstanding customer service, and amazing wraps all art and keepsake albums.
Anita H.
Mar 20, 2017
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This review is way way way over due!!!! I hired the lovely Melissa Madden for my wedding and was very delighted by the outcome of my photos. She captured the beauty of my special day, in both the posed and candid! What an incredible eye and style. In addition to great photos, Melissa was great at directing shots amidst the chaos of my loud, energetic, and vibrant family. I highly recommend her, and can't wait to hire her again, for when my husband and I decide to one day start a little family.
Turath D.
Sep 14, 2016
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I've hired and even modeled for quite a few photographers in San Diego so I'm pretty picky when it comes to professional photos. Our trusted family photographer relocated out of state so I was on the hunt for someone new. Someone who would capture milestones and holiday portraits and give me some really special photographs. After searching Yelp and Facebook, I hired Melissa based on a few things. Firstly her branding, website and portfolio speak volumes. I immediately fell in love with her work. Secondly she was very easy to work with, friendly and responsive from my first contact with
Kristy A.
Aug 23, 2016
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My family and I have had several professional photo shoots over the years. After hiring Melissa to photograph our boys playing on the beach, I was amazed by her talent and will not consider another photographer. Since then, she has also taken our family holiday photos and photographed my music studio for my business and website. She is professional at the shoot, well-prepared, directive and leads the shoot with confidence. And to say she has done her homework is an understatement. I was impressed with the little details that she had already considered before I could even think about it. Squirrelly
