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Every moment tells a story

My photography has always revolved around people and their stories. I have a desire to capture the true essence of who you are and the relationships with those who matter most in your life. Whatever stage of life you are in; newly engaged, becoming a parent for the first time, an entrepreneur starting your own business, I want to document the magic, beauty and chaos of your everyday life and important milestones.

 

kind words

ReviewsBlog

Melissa has a way of putting her clients at ease and capturing them in lovely moments. She has been taking my photos for over 10 years. I love how she explores the beauty in the world around her with color and movement. I would recommend Melissa to anyone looking for amazing photography!

-Megan

Melissa has been our photographer for engagement, maternity, newborn and 1 year photos. She is super fun and engages us in a light-hearted manner (we tend to take ourselves a little seriously and feel awkward in front of a camera.) She does a great job capturing our family relationships and gets some great shots, even with a grumpy kid. Melissa is also very timely with getting photos back to us. I highly recommend her to others!

- Lorene

We have used Melissa for 4 photo sessions including maternity, newborn and and family portraits with our twins. She is super laid back and friendly. She's very accommodating and I have gotten a ton of great compliments on our pictures. She's timely, reasonably priced, and truly loves her work! We love working with her and highly recommend her!

-Kristi

meet melissa

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I’m Melissa, a portrait, family and lifestyle photographer based in Lancaster, PA. Folks who know me well would describe me as a child at heart who is known for her killer party planning skills and obsession with unicorns and mermaids. I’m a lover of vibrant colors, impromptu dance parties and anything that involves bacon and avocado. Read more >

let's hang out on instagram

My husband and I are trying a new thing to give ourselves some “me” time on a weekly basis. We each have a set evening during the week when we can do as we please while the other stays home and puts kids to bed (exercise, shop, hang out, craft, etc) I am ashamed to say that I don’t think I’ve done any form of real exercise since my son was born in March and I am in need of something that gets me out of the house and raises my heart rate. Of course I am always on the move walking around town and chasing my kiddos (plus going up and down 3 flights of stairs a few times a day bc we live in a city row home), but I have not taken the time to seek out another form of fitness outside the home. I’m the type of person that needs a class to be motivated and held accountable. That means I’m on the lookout for a Wednesday evening fitness class (related to yoga, Zumba, dance, barre) so if you know of anything local keep me posted!
Those first few weeks with a newborn can be such a blur but there sure are some beautiful moments to behold. Today I was blessed to meet sweet Adalyn who is just 11 days old and wrapped in a blanket made by her grandmother. #motherhoodunplugged #newbornphotography #honestmotherhood #lifewellcaptured #dearphotographer #melissaenglephotography #clickinmoms #inhomesession
Belonging and recognition. This is something I have always struggled with personally and as a photographer. I know all humans crave these things, but I find myself searching for them in the wrong ways sometimes. I think since becoming a mom it has only gotten worse as my identity has been and continues to be transformed. And of course social media doesn't help; its that rabbit hole I'm sure we have all gone down at some point, comparing myself and my work to others. Basing my value on likes and follows. Hating Instagram because of the time and energy I put into it for what reward, yet I keep coming back to it all the same, staring at those little squares and contemplating for way too long. I have barely been on IG for two years and to be honest I am not going to put the effort into figuring out how to beat the ever changing algorithm. I probably will never average more than 30 likes on a photo. But I still want to belong; I don't want to become the irrelevant mom trying too hard to be hip. Ugh, I've already spent too much time on this post...If you want to see some happy colorful fall family photos from one of my favorite parks in Lancaster, check out my latest blog post! (link in profile)
You can’t help but smile when your pup wears a bow tie and makes an appearance on your wedding day. These candid unposed moments of joy and laughter are always some of my favorites, along with all the other pretty things on a wedding day. Taken while second shooting for @rebeccashiversphotography #excelsiorwedding #lancasterpaweddingphotographer #weddingpup #theknotpa #centralpaweddingphotographer #beyondthewanderlust
Frey's Greenhouse was THE place to be on Saturday; not only for our mini sessions for a cause, but for hot cocoa and s'mores and Christmas trees and holiday greens and decor galore! Thank you @freysgreenhouse for accommodating us on one of your busiest days! Also we raised another $120 for the Lancaster Neighbor Fund. Swipe for a few more from our mini sessions. #christmastime #freysgreenhouse #minisessions #photographythatgives #melissaenglephotography #alwayslancaster #holidayvibes #boldemotionalcolorful #livecolorfully #lancasterpaphotographer
A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. #sisters #lancasterpafamilyphotographer #lancasterpaphotographer #magicofchildhood #clickmagazine #childrenseemagic #lifewellcaptured #melissaenglephotography #livecolorfully #dearphotographer