Connect
To Top

Life and Work with Melissa Stynski

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Stynski.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Melissa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always loved taking photos. I remember my husband buying my first camera for me shortly after we were married 18 years ago. I would photography our dogs, places we would visit, flowers, plants, really anything I could find.

 When our oldest daughter was born in 2007, she was born with a heart condition and we were told that she may live two weeks without heart surgery. I knew, at that moment, no matter the outcome of the surgery, I wanted to capture every minute with her. She is now 12 years old and is a thriving pre-teen. 🙂

 Since that moment, I never put my camera down. My hobby turned into a full-time business in 2011. I always loved children and I soon realized where my passion for photography would take me.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road. I started in 2011, photographing everything from birth photography to weddings. I was working in the medical field at the time and between working full time and running a business, to say I was a bit busy would be an understatement.

 After I photographed my 50th wedding in 2015, I realized that weddings were not my thing. Ha, yes it took me 50 to get to that point. I realized that though I loved the photography behind weddings, the laughter and tears, my heart was not there. My heart was with newborns and kids, really where my passion started to begin with.

 My advice to any man or woman starting out, find what you love to photograph. Don’t photograph things that really are not something that brings you joy. Photography is a lot of work. It’s not just picking up a camera and taking a photo. Photography is so much more, it’s a passion, it’s a dream, it’s a memory, it’s a love. It’s something that you do not to pay the bills but because it means something to you.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Life Photography by Melissa – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My business name “Life Photography by Melissa” means more than just a title. It truly means what I love to photograph….life! There is so much that happens in life, capturing the smallest of days with a newborn, all the way to high school seniors. Capturing those moments along the way. Then there are family memories. We live in a big military city. Family are spread all over the place, when a family has a chance to all be together, capturing those moments, those are priceless to me.

In 2016, after a few years of trying to figure out what I loved to photograph the most, I put my focus on Maternity, Newborn and Children photography. Knowing that both Families and High School seniors would all fall into that role as well.

In 2018 I received an award for the Best of Colorado Springs. I was truly honored by all that nominated me for this award.

What sets me apart from others? My best answer to that, my personality. I tend to get along with almost everyone. After photographing over 300 clients this year, I find that still holds true. My clients have turned into friends and I have loved getting to know so many people through this journey!

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
There are so many challenges facing women today. Marriage, kids, relationships, weight, jobs, social status….that list goes on and on. The opportunities for women, its endless. I believe you just have to find what you want and follow it. Nothing in this life is easy. Nothing in this life was given to us to not have hard days. We have to find the passion, the goals that we desire and follow them.

I believe there are many opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for, however, I believe each woman could find that within herself.

Pricing:

  • Maternity Photography – $350
  • Newborn Photography starts at $400
  • Children Photography – $350
  • Family Photography starts at $450
  • High School Seniors starts at $450

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Life Photography by Melissa

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in