Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Hayes.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have always been the one with the camera in hand, the one who everyone else has counted on to document trips and outings with friends and family. I graduated from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) with a BFA in Printmaking, but my heart was always with photography. I spent many years in a creative job here in Atlanta, but this dream job started to become a reality several years ago when a friend asked me to photograph her upcoming wedding. I saw it as a sign to take a leap of faith, and Melissa Hayes Photography was officially born in the fall of 2013. I started out working with families I knew, and from there, the majority of my work has come from referrals around the Atlanta area.
Being a parent myself, I now truly understand the saying that the days are long, but the years are all too short. Time passes too quickly when you’re watching your children grow, and it is one of my greatest joys to be the one to capture those precious faces and memories for my clients.
Please tell us about your art.
I am a natural light photographer, and I’d describe my style as bright, colorful, clean, and fun. I primarily photograph newborns, children, and families. I love working with children and am not afraid to embrace my silly side to get an authentic laugh for the camera. One of my favorite parts of this job is getting to know my client families and showcasing their personalities through my work. Seeing those families grow and change from season to season is the absolute best!
Being in the midst of parenting a toddler myself, I know how important it is to document these sweet (and often challenging) times for parents… and it’s even more important to get those parents IN the photos with their babies! Parents are so often the ones behind the lens, and it’s my mission to get those moms and dads in front of the camera so they and their children will have photographs of themselves together to both enjoy now and look back on as they grow. Those images are something priceless that parents and children will never regret having!
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
Oh sure! I think artists certainly evolve over time due to so many things… technology, politics, local and worldwide events and issues, etc. The internet and social media make art so easily accessible across the globe — to literally anyone who can get online, so I think that artists are much more influential now than at any other time in history.
My art is focused on family — connection, love, anticipation, excitement, joy. So, whatever that means to people, that is what I aim to capture for them in my work. Whether that’s a “traditional” family of a mom, dad, 2.5 kids, and a dog… or a single mom and her baby… or two dads and their little girl… my goal is to showcase their love and joy, pure and simple.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The beauty of the internet allows people to view my work from anywhere, whether through my website extensive portfolio or my Instagram and Facebook accounts, which I update daily. I love interacting with clients and followers online and sharing favorite session images, as well as behind-the-scenes shots and a look into my personal life.
People can support my work, and the art of photography in general, by being patrons of the arts. Having professional portraits taken regularly is certainly not a necessity, it’s a luxury… but an important one that documents the love, joy, growth, and changes that make up a family. They can make portrait sessions a priority every year — and even a few times a year for special milestones during a baby’s first year. In addition, it’s important to do more than just share a few of those images on social media after the fact, and then just let them sit on a flash drive for the rest of eternity. I encourage my clients and anyone who invests in portraits with a professional photographer to take the next step and PRINT those photographs. Create a gallery wall in your home that your family will see every single day. Let your photographer design a beautiful, heirloom album that will be passed down to your children, then their children, and so on, for generations to come. I guarantee those photographs will be one of your family’s most prized possessions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melissahayesphotoatl.com
- Email: melissahayesphotoatl@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/melissahayesphoto
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/melissahayesphotoatlanta
Image Credit:
Personal photo: Jenny Perry Photography
All others: Melissa Hayes Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
