Melissa Schroeder- Photography
Hello everyone, I'm Melissa, wedding and portrait photographer based in beautiful Denver, Colorado! I've been taking photos of friends and family for as long as I can remember, but decided to take on making photography my full time job starting April last year...yep, right in the middle of a pandemic. Talk about an adventure!
I had always wanted to pursue photography further than just taking pictures on my phone and so I decided to take the leap and learn how to build my business, hone my craft and connect with clients while I had a bit of extra time during 2020. It went surprisingly well and I'm so grateful for the adventure that this new business has taken me on.
Photo by: Laura Wolfgang Photography
Why I chose photography
I decided to pursue photography further than just a hobby for a few reasons but one of those is being able to provide genuine memories for someone and their family that they can treasure for generations. One of my personal favorite memories as a kid was sitting with my sister looking through family photo albums. We loved looking back on weddings, birthdays and other events through photos and listening to the stories surrounding those events. Those pictures provided a glimpse into our family and I'm honored that I'm able to provide that same experience for my clients.
Tips for starting a new hobby
Starting a new hobby can be exciting and overwhelming all at the same time! A few tips that helped me as I was really diving into photography more intentionally last year: invest in education, purchase used gear, practice more than you think you need to and believe in yourself - you started this adventure for a reason! I spent hours pouring over YouTube videos and forums talking about different camera types, models, features, etc before I decided to purchase. And when I did, I found a gently used camera so I could save a bit right out of the gate and invest in education. I took courses on lighting, posing, client experience, business best practices...and I have so many more to go still! When it comes to practice, I don't think there's such a thing as too much! I would take my new camera with me everywhere and just try to apply what I had learned earlier that day, which helped a ton. Last, be confident! Learning something new can be overwhelming - just remember why you decided to jump into this adventure and know you can do it.
When and how to hire a professional photographer
When it comes to hiring a professional photographer, my rule of thumb is to do it at least once a year to simply document life. Even if there's not a specific event that you need photographed, it's always fun to look back on how you've grown and changed as time goes by. Of course, I highly suggest hiring a professional for events like weddings, graduations, engagements, maternity and newborn photos - you want to be able to be present in those moments and it's going to be good to have high quality pictures to look back on. There's so many great photographers out there so when you're looking be sure to find a style that you're drawn to and make sure that you have a good vibe with your photographer. They're going to be capturing some potentially intimate moments for you and you want to make sure you get along well with them!
Finding a photographer that you mesh well with will certainly help with this, but to get the most out of your session and really feel like yourself, I like to tell my clients to "embrace the feeling of silliness" that you'll probably have for the first twenty minutes or so. Just like learning photography was an adventure for me, for many people getting their photo taken professionally is an adventure and even for models, it takes a little bit to loosen up in front of the camera. Embrace it! I also like to tell my clients to make their session part of a fun family outing or date night. Get some dinner or drinks while you're all dressed up. When my husband and I had our engagement pictures done, we made a whole evening of it and it was such a blast!
Tips for taking your own photos
Since hiring a professional to document every moment of life is not feasible for most people, knowing how to take pictures on your own is important as well! Cameras and phones these days are amazing pieces of technology, and I highly suggest if you're trying to take pictures of your kids, pets or family on a day to day basis, simply watch some YouTube videos on basic lighting and composition techniques...it will make all the difference in your pictures and help you take photos you're proud of and want to share and print. Since we can't be there all the time, be sure to capture those fleeting moments that you want to remember forever, even if it feels mundane in the moment. One of my favorite pictures of my husband and dog are just them cuddling on the couch on a Tuesday evening. No fancy camera, no hair and makeup, no posing. Obviously there is huge value in professional photos, but when we can't be there and a moment is making you smile, just snap a simple photo to try and remember the big adventure that is life.
Melissa Schroeder
Melissa is the owner of Mel Schroeder Photography who offers wedding and portrait photography. She is based in the Denver area, but available for travel. When Melissa isn’t working you can find her working out at Orangetheory, at a Rockies game, traveling, or adventuring in the mountains of Colorado. Check out her photography business and get to know Melissa more by visiting melschroederphoto.com and on instagram at @melschroederphoto