Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Mello.
Victoria, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
For me, the beginning isn’t the most interesting part of my photography business. It’s when I almost walked away from it all.
I was at the very beginning of my career in corporate America when I realized something was missing. I enjoyed my job but couldn’t shake the urge to find a creative outlet. I enrolled in the Digital Photography Continuing Ed Program at RISD and learned the ins and outs of photography while practicing on friends and family. It wasn’t long into my time at RISD that I realized I wanted to turn my passion into more than just a hobby. I started out by taking all kinds of work to diversify my experiences, skill set and ultimately my portfolio. For the first few years I was shooting everything from newborns to weddings and though I loved it, I felt like I was losing sight of my brand and that it was hard to differentiate myself in a sea of talented photographers. I found myself pregnant with my second child, planning to phase out my business to spend more time with my family.
Amazingly, days after the birth of my second child came a wave of inspiration. I stumbled down a rabbit hole of birth photographers on Instagram. I couldn’t shake the notion that birth and motherhood photography was my calling. I did copious amounts of research while on maternity leave and even shot my first birth. It was confirmed; I had finally found a niche that inspired me and felt own-able. Nearly 9 years into my business, documenting clients’ motherhood journeys from maternity through a return to work feels like a calling and absolutely is a passion and a blessing.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Part of my biggest growth has come from appreciating what I have to offer uniquely, which is storytelling. It took some time and confidence to accept and be proud that I see things differently.
In my eyes, the most beautiful moments are authentic and that’s what I deliver. In the beginning it felt like square peg, round hole as I would travel to clients homes, shooting their beautiful babies posed with props and backdrops. As soon as I finished the formal shots I loosened up and was able to step back and document the beauty of the new family. THAT was my passion and if I’m honest, those shots were always the best from those sessions. Embracing my vision has ultimately made all the difference in my personal growth as an artist.
Another obstacle can be social media. While it opens so many doors and has proved to be a great way for clients to find me, as a highly visual platform it’s hard not to constantly compare your work to others. I’ve also noticed that it’s easy to fall into a trap of having a popular shot list based on what’s all over Instagram. I’ve realized that it’s OK to be inspired; there’s an abundance of talent, but ultimately, I have creative license to carve out my own space.
As someone who works full time and owns and operates this business (along with raising two fiery toddlers), I can say it’s never easy. The hours required to run the business have to come from somewhere and so, I don’t sleep too much these days. I do however invest in good under eye concealer!
If I can offer advice for anyone starting out it’s this: know your target audience (you can’t be all things to all people), know your brand and what is uniquely yours as an artist, know your worth and cost of doing business. And this is a big one: don’t be offended if friends choose another photographer. I hear this a lot and I’ve been there, but I promise, once you remember that it’s art and everyone has different tastes, it makes everything a lot easier. Oh and practice, practice, practice. With my two little girls as my muses, I shoot and edit every.single.day. I’m just about to wrap up my third 365 project and it’s always so gratifying to look back and see my growth as an artist.
Please tell us about Victoria Mello Photography.
I’m a lifestyle motherhood photographer, specializing in maternity, in-home newborn, birth, fresh 48, and family photography. My passion is documenting and preserving moments in motherhood so my clients can open an album 40 years from now and in an instant, feel the very same way they do today. My mission is to document and share the truth and beauty of family life and this starts with birth. You get one chance to meet your child for the first time; I feel drawn to preserving the beauty of that story through my lens.
One of my favorite and most popular sessions is in-home, lifestyle newborn. I think my clients are drawn to the authenticity of documenting their new baby in their home environment. Siblings and dogs are encouraged to be a part of these sessions and the parents are as much of a focus as the new baby. Moments like nursing and diaper changes are all a part of the experience and add to the story.
Something that I created that I absolutely love is the “End of Leave” session. As a working mom, I was keenly aware of how fast the days were passing by while I was on maternity leave. For me, this time was a little slice of peace and calm while my oldest was at school and my husband was at work. It’s such an amazing and fleeting time for a mom and her new baby; it’s something I truly love documenting. Often, but especially during this time, mothers are the ones taking the photos so it’s super important for me to get the mom into the frame.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Find what inspires you the most and focus on that. You’re running a business but you’re also an artist- you need to be inspired. Hone your craft, put in work and stay kind.
Pricing:
- Lifestyle Sessions (Maternity, Newborn, Family): Starting at $450
- Fresh 48: $600
- Birth: Starting at $1800
Contact Info:
- Website: www.victoriamello.com
- Phone: 413.348.6790
- Email: victoriarmello@gmail.com
- Instagram: @vickimello
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/vmellophoto
Image Credit:
Headshot -Molly Lo Photography
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
