Meet Melissa Snead of Columbus, GA

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

Hi Melissa , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
So I have been a nurse for over 20 years now and I got my nursing degree in Upstate New York in 2005. I moved to North Carolina in 2008 where I practiced as a nurse until I moved to Georgia May 2025. I’ve done a lot in nursing from postop surgical, cardiac telemetry and ICU, home health, oncology, director of nursing for a nursing home and Medicaid assessment for PCS. I met my husband in 2023 and I knew from the moment I met him my life was going to change forever and we married in August 2024. We decided to buy our dream home in Georgia in March 2025 and put an offer in on the house which was accepted! We were so excited about our new home and we started making plans for the change. My husband asked me if I wanted to do something different when we moved because he had accepted a new job that didn’t require me to work which I knew was going to change my life for the better! I have always been known by my family and friends as the “Picture Queen”, because that’s what I loved to do. I loved taking pictures of family events like birthdays, holidays and just get together because after they were over that’s all we had left to remember that day. I think now I wish I could have done this a long time ago but no time like the present! So we decided I would leave nursing and start up my photography business. I started getting all my equipment I needed after our move and taking lots of pictures of family and friends just to get used to my new camera and editing all the pictures. I applied for my business license and now I am taking as many online courses plus with the help of a senior photographer I met at a boutique in downtown Columbus, Gary Poole is the best thing that could have happened to me starting my career in photography. At this time, I am booking clients every week and getting better one session at a time! I’m so thankful and blessed to be living out my dream as a photographer! All thanks to my amazing husband David because without him it would still be a dream!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a struggle getting out there starting from scratch starting the business in a city I knew nobody and didn’t know where to even have photo sessions. I have done a lot of research and touring different places throughout the area and have met so many wonderful people along the way.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a portrait and family photographer. I specialize in capturing images of people whether they are seniors graduating high school, couples getting married or just sharing a moment together and a family that hasn’t had pictures done together in a long time. I’m truly proud how far I’ve come in this process from leaving a life as nurse to a fulfilling career in photography.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see my photography business taking off and growing to the point where I’m not stressing or struggling to pay bills and be financially stable!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lilly-rosephoto.com
• Instagram: @lilly_rosephoto
• Facebook: Lilly & Rose Photography