For the moments that don’t seem like much, but mean everything.
Documentary-style photography for families and couples in Northern Virginia and beyond.
Some stories are told in stillness.
The kind you don’t notice until you’re on the other side of them. A quiet morning with your baby curled on your chest. Laughter from the other room. A sideways glance between siblings. These are the moments that make up a life—and too often, they live only in memory.
Your phone is full of pictures of your people. But the one person who’s always missing? You.
That’s where I come in.
I’ll step into your world for a little while—an hour, an afternoon, a full day—and capture your family just as they are, and you as you truly are: present, connected, beautifully real. No stiff posing. Just the ordinary magic of your life, preserved in images that feel like memory.
Hi, I’m Mel.
Mom. Educator. Photographer.
Lifelong observer of emotion & connection.
I’ve always been the quiet one in the room—watching, noticing, piecing together the stories unfolding in real time. Long before I became a photographer, I was studying the way people love each other. The small gestures. The unspoken rhythms. The feelings just beneath the surface.
Now, I get to hand those moments back.
As a mom, former educator, and someone endlessly drawn to connection, this work is deeply personal. I don’t pose or direct—I observe. And I photograph the parts of your life you’re too close to see clearly.
The truth is, it’s already beautiful. I’m just here to show you.
Your Life, As It Is
The Glimpse Session
A half-day session rooted in presence and storytelling. With time to settle in and let your guard down, I’ll document the full texture of your life—slow starts, noisy middles, quiet endings. This is your story, as it truly is.
The ohana experience
A half-day session rooted in presence and storytelling. With time to settle in and let your guard down, I’ll document the full texture of your life—slow starts, noisy middles, quiet endings. This is your story, as it truly is.
Reflections, Sessions, & Small Joys
A quiet little corner where I share recent work, personal stories, and reminders to slow down and see what’s already beautiful.
Sign up to get notes from me in your inbox—nothing loud, just honest glimpses of life, motherhood, and memory.