EMILY-MELISSA | ARTIST & WITNESS

Works inspired by me & mine & you & yours

Thank you for your interest in learning more about me. That’s a crucial element of connection. Below are some fast facts about who I am. If you want to learn more, we get a bit deeper in the next section. Followed by the values of my brand.

Currently reading: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Watching: DTF St. Louis

Record in heavy rotation: Igor by Tyler the Creator

Currently loving on: My 10 year old son and my cat, Sheba

And living in: Out West, Chicago

Favorite local painter: Oscar Joyo

Favorite place in the world: Chicago. I’ve lived all over the country and traveled around the world and there is no place like home.

Guilty pleasure: Love is Blind

Years in the wedding industry as a photographer: 12

let’s go deeper

Works inspired by me & mine & you & yours

My Journey Into Photography

Since I was very small I’ve been too aware of how time flies. Some moments you You know that feeling you get (more often before we all had cameras in our pockets) when you're awe-struck and you behold something magical - a particularly spectacular sunset, long-parted family members reuniting, your baby's first laugh — and you just wish you could stash that moment in your pocket to relive it forever? Those moments have always served me as inspiration.

My Photographic Style

My style is bold, passionate, electric, and intimate. In short — ALIVE. I aim to create scenes you feel like you can step right into - images filled with emotion and energy sourced from moments. I seek to capture the as it feels.

what working with you means to me

The world can feel so divisive, but working with couples and families is a constant reminder that people are infinitely more alike than they are different. Our desires, the way we love, our family dynamics - these universals transcend all the things that might set us apart. It's a lovely contrast to the fears we can sometimes carry, and a genuine privilege to document.

the value of connection

My approach is grounded in genuine curiosity. I don't just show up on the wedding day - I take the time to really get to know each of my couples beforehand. Their shared history, their unique tastes, how the chemistry reveals itself between the two of them.. I'm not ashamed to admit that I often fall in love with their story in the process.

the manifesto

1/ INCLUSIVITY BEYOND PERFORMANCE

My lovely couples are Black, white, brown; queer and straight; across sizes, cultures, and traditions. Not by curation — rather a reflection of the types of people I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with.

The beauty I seek is the connection between people, and everyone who steps in front of my lens deserves to feel fully seen and honored. That is non‑negotiable.

2/ BEAUTY AS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT

I seek the beauty in your story. In you, your loved ones, your details, the specific way this family moves together.This is with a genuine curiosity that starts long before the wedding day as we get to know each other.

I'm not ashamed to admit that though I am a purveyor of romantic storytelling —I fall in love with each couple's story. Their shared history. Their tastes. Their chemistry. And their families.

3/ GENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

In my work, I feel the gravity of what I'm holding. These images will outlive the day. They'll travel through generations — carrying your history, your culture, your people forward.

This is a responsibility that lives in every frame.

4/ AUTHENTICITY & PRESENCE

Your wedding day is both sacred and fleeting. I show up as a witness. Immersed in this experience with you.

This is a promise to be fiercely present. Because this work is about presence, I take only a small number of commissions each year. This is so every celebration is made to feel how it’s supposed to:: unhurried, intentional, and yours.