Featured Artist – Melissa DeWitt Photography
KMLC- What was it about photography that drew you in and made you decide to pursue it?
Melissa – When I was younger, art always intrigued me. Not regular pretty art you saw in homes, but crazy abstract art that didn’t make sense to most people. To me, it made perfect sense and it made me feel normal. At a young age I found out I couldn’t draw or paint but I could write, which I did frequently. It never crossed my mind I could be a professional photographer until AFTER I finished college. Seeing a black and white photograph that was so emotive and offered a piece of history did something inside of me. I wanted to capture that same timeless emotion. Once I had children and became a stay at home mom, photography was my outlet. When my first daughter was born (4 years ago), I pursued it as a business and have been very blessed since….. however, business aside photography will always be an art first.
KMLC- Define your artistic style?
Melissa – When I first began my business, about 4 years ago, I really didn’t know what I was doing. I KNEW I wanted to capture that same abstract emotional feel I saw in art and in black and white images but I didn’t know how to achieve it! The problem was, I was focusing on other photographers and what their style was. I was trying to do what worked for them because for some crazy reason I thought it would work for me. Once I focused on what kind of art made me happy, my photographs changed into something that pleased my soul. I would say my style is me…a part of me. The part of me that loves shadow, matte, raw emotion, and surrealism.
KMLC- Where do you find your motivation to grow, be creative and unique?
Melissa -Ah, my crazy dreams. haha. Now here is the part where you all decide that I am strange. And, I am okay with that. I am one of those people who dream in color… vivid crazy dreams where the emotion sticks with you long after. That is my motivation toward my imagery….to try and stuff an image full of life that screams at you even after the image was taken…10 or 20 years from now.
Being creative is something I enjoy because it is where I can totally be my weird self and embrace it. I love surrealism and I love making an idea come to life through images. Movies, old poetry like Poe or experts by Emerson, children, and life around us motives me to be creative and to create something unreal. Being unique is easy…anyone can do it. All you have to do is be yourself 100%, and don’t worry about what other people are doing. No one…NO ONE, can be you. Ever.
KMLC -Being a business owner can pose many challenges, tell us how you find balance between your business, art and your personal life.
Melissa – This is a hard one. I struggled my first couple of years to find this balance and it still is a struggle sometimes. But now that I am comfortable with my art and where it is going, I only work on specific days, hold proofing sessions on specific days, and the rest is play time. I try to stick to that the best I can because I have 2 young children and a husband….so some sort of balance is crucial.
Cool fact of the day, my husband has became a huge role of this business lately by offering Fusion Films and Stop Motion Films for sessions/weddings!
KMLC- What KMLC products did you use on these images?
Melissa – Overlays, textures, actions….the whole shabang. My creative conceptual shoots extends to creative edits…KMLC products are perfect for the creative brain.
KMLC- Tell us about these images.
Melissa – I asked a friend to give me a word. She said, “love”. I wanted to build a concept on “love”. But how could I show it without being obvious? How do we come to love ourselves and how do we define love? These were the questions I asked myself. Soon enough, the concept to this session was created.
It is about a girl who is running from becoming something she does not want to be. Society is clawing at her forcing her to blend in and she feels the pressure and fear of not knowing what to do. Running from the voices of society, she stops long enough to find simple beauty….simple creatures of this Earth (butterflies). At that point she transforms into love because she can finally see how simple her world can be. She feels beauty and finally her feelings are coming from within and not from an outside source. She can be herself and love herself for it.
KMLC – We all want to know, what’s in your bag?
Melissa – Lint. 🙂 Just kidding.
Camera:
Nikon D800, Nikon D700, Nikon D5100
Lenses: 35mm, 50mm, 85mm (
I use natural light 95% of the time, and will manipulate it with reflectors or foam board. For when natural light is not cutting it, I break out my studio light set up (Einsteins, beauty dish, barn doors, soft boxes).
From time to time I do rent the 105macro and 24-70mm for special occasions.
Thank so much Melissa!!! Gorgeous images, amazing concept.
to check out more of Melissa’s work head over to her website HERE
and her facebook page HERE
If you would like to be considered as a KMLC Featured Artist, follow the link, fill out the interview and send in your images per the directions at the interview HERE
Be sure to share and spread some love around!!!
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