Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Stewardson.
Melissa, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
A little over six years ago, I was home with my young daughters, loving being a stay at home but also missing the workforce. I missed the interaction with other adults, keeping my brain stimulated and growing. And I wanted the opportunity to help contribute financially for my family. I knew I didn’t want to go back to my full-time job as a project manager and do the 8-5 days. I also didn’t want to leave my kids in daycare or with a nanny. I wanted a job with flexible hours that would allow me to still be the primary care giver to my children.
So I am beginning to think about how I could make that happen. I have always had a creative gene and loved taking photos of my own kids so one day I decided I wanted to try and become a photographer. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make that happen, but once I made that decision I put every spare minute I had into making that idea a reality. I had an entry level digital camera, kit lens; 18-55mm and a computer. I starting reading anything I could about photography, mostly on-line and watching YouTube videos and was taking lots of photos of my kids.
Once I figured out how to shoot in manual mode, I gained the confidence to start asking friends if I could take photos of their kids. From there, I start building a portfolio and buying business items such editing software, better lenses, business cards, etc. and I built a Facebook page and blog. After a few months, I decided it was time to officially launch my business; Melissa Stewardson Photography!
When I first started a lot of my clients were friends, but gradually with referrals and marketing on social media, my business started to grow. And now here I am, six years later with my own studio, website and profitable thriving business. It’s been a lot of hard work and late nights, but I just love my job!
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Melissa Stewardson Photography (MSP) is a boutique photography studio that specializes in studio newborn and child photography sessions, as well as outdoor family photos. MSP is known for unique posed newborn and child sessions, as well as golden hour, backlit family sessions that highlight that family’s personality. My passion is to provide timeless memories for my clients in my photographs.
As a mother myself, I know how fast time flies and how I wish I could slow it down.
Nothing freezes time like a photo. And so my hope is that I can create beautiful photos that families will cherish for years to come. I take a lot of pride in my work and literally put my blood, sweat and tears into each session and photograph I deliver.
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
In my opinion conditions for artists today, specifically for photographers, are generally good. I think its definitely hard to break through at the beginning of your career. But with a lot of hard work and dedication to growing your craft, you can have a successful business.
Having free social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook has definitely made it easier for photographers to get their name out there and their work shared. There is absolutely a saturation of photographers these days, but there is room for everyone. I believe in raising up other photographers and working together rather than trying to compete for business.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1936 Hock Ave. Placentia, CA 92870
- Website: www.melissastewardsonphotography.com
- Phone: 714-269-3150
- Email: melissastewardson@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissastewardsonphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaStewardsonPhotography/
Image credit:
Alice Akiyama Photography – Personal Photo
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