Meet Melissa Stinson | Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Stinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what inspires you?
There is so much around me that inspires me; God, family, nature & people. But if I had to choose one that inspires my photography the most, I’d have to say people. I love meeting new people, getting to know them & then being able to capture them in an image so they can see the beauty in themselves that their loved ones see in them everyday. It brings me joy to see their excitement when they see their images! After every session, I am more excited & inspired for my next one.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me apart from others is that I cover a lot of people & ages, but my main focus is women. I love to focus on women between tweens and 99 years young. Especially when women hit that 40 year milestone. It’s crazy cause women are such an important part of our culture & family structures, yet when we start getting older, society doesn’t focus on us. That’s insane cause I think that is about the age that women are hitting their prime! If they are mothers or wives, their children are usually a little older & they are finally able to really rock those roles & be comfortable in them. Or if they are business women, they are usually in the middle of amazing careers or business ownership. There is so much wisdom happening at that age & I love to focus on it! We focus so hard on teen years, then college years, then marriage & babies & then, it’s like we disappear. I want to change that! I want to shine a light on these women & truly celebrate them!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I truly believe that Flint is an under rated city. But the whole of Michigan is amazing!

If they were here for a week, we would start in downtown Flint. Breakfast at Flint Crepe company or Cafe Rhema. If we have the kiddos with us, then head over to either the Sloan Museum or the Planetarium. Then head over to the Flint Farmers Market & while there, grab some lunch at Steady Eddy’s. This is probably my whole families favorite place to eat breakfast & lunch in town. Then I love my nature walks, so we could head to either Formar Nature preserve or take a walk around Mott lake. There’s a beautiful walking path that goes right along the water & is so beautiful. Then for dinner, head over to XOLO in downtown Flint for some tacos & margaritas! Clearly Flint has some delicious food!

For the rest of the week, I would take them on a tour of our state! Traverse city and the whole area up there is a place my husband & I love. There are so many fun little towns & wineries up there to visit & my husband would insist on the Traverse City Distillery. From there, we would go on a little tour of that area. Drive up to Suttons Bay, then Leland to see fishtown & then down to Glen Harbor & kayak down the Crystal River. At some point, we’d head over towards Sleeping Bear Dunes & do a hike or 2. There is an endless amount to do in just this area alone that that would take up our week!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s impossible for me to pick one person. I have been incredibly blessed to be surrounded by people who believe in me & encourage me throughout my life.

I was around art my whole life cause my Nana could make anything ordinary & turn it into extraordinary. She was an interior decorator, but she also painted, drew & created amazing cards. She was one of the most amazing artists I have ever known. There was literally nothing she couldn’t do. I remember her being excited when she found out I started photography at 16 & was doing work in the dark room. She always asked to see my work & would encourage me.

I was exposed early in my adult life to some great books & speakers that taught me how to dream & think big. I find that such a blessing because it gave me the courage to make moves in my life I may not of otherwise made. I made a move to Colorado, where I went to the Art institute. From there, I moved to NYC to pursue photography. I was able to do a lot of really cool things while in both those places that I don’t think I would of had the courage to do had not understood dreaming big & going for it!

Now in my life, my family is so supportive. My kids are always there to encourage me. They watch me during photoshoots & come alongside & help with lighting. My daughter even loves to help pose! My husband constantly tells me how talented he thinks I am & that he is so proud of me. He believes in my talents sometimes more than I do myself. We all need someone like that in our corner!

I also have a great group of women who are amazing encouragers!

Website: https://melissamarieportrait.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissamarieportrait/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MdotPhoto/