[The One Behind the Camera]

         Hello , my name is Melissa...

...and Melissa means "Honeybee"!          

(see what I did there?)              

     

That's me on the left!  The one making my cousin laugh...  by being a weirdo.

»––› The One Behind the Camera ‹––«

To be perfectly honest, I could ramble on all day long about myself... not of conceit, but of the love to write about things that I know... and surprise, surprise... I know me!!  But, don't worry, I won't spend a day to fill this page, and in fact, I'm gonna keep it to the basics. :)
I would definitely call myself a listener more than I would a talker... although, on subjects that move me I sometimes tend to ramble.  I like observing and hearing other's point of view, and just watching people... yep, I am a people-watcher, I must confess.

"Well I'm just people watching

The other people watching me

And we're all people watching

The other people watching we"

                                       -Jack Johnson

My time spent as a writer has certainly shaped me, making me able to type better than I speak, and words often fail me. I like being able to carefully choose my words before giving them away, it's not only my analytical mind, but my old-fashioned joy in writing that steadies my hand better than my tongue... although I know sometimes it's impossible to write when talking is so much quicker, and in those times my analytical mind has to overcome it anyway. I am only human, I know, although sometimes people (including myself) think of photographers as perfectly stable, outgoing people... because "wouldn't they have to be in order to take pictures of other people?"... but, no... it isn't always the case. Peter Parker was pretty introverted after all, right? d; 

I think that is one of my favorite perks of doing photography... watching all the people move around you, as you just fade into the background behind the lens.

I love capturing the joy in peoples eyes, the laughter on their mouths... I love capturing life.

As a photographer and a writer, I love storytelling. I believe that it is very important to bring out your character and express your personality through each photograph, while not simply letting my own style and personality over-power yours, by posing you the way I feel is "correct"... I believe that images are powerful, and with the right manner of photographing a portrait, you can tell a silent story of imagery which reflects your personality and tells your story.

 

»––› Here's a quick overview of the things that define me ‹––«

»––› I am a writer; I have a several unfinished novels that write while I'm in different moods, as each is in it's own era and a have completely different storylines.

»––› I am an archer. Well, I'm no Robin Hood, but I am getting better! I shoot a 48 lb. longbow/recurve bow. I got it in Asheville, NC when my sisters, brother-in-law, and I visited there. It was handmade by someone that lives there, and I love it sooo much. To me, archery is very relaxing, and being somewhat repetitive; it is incredibly addicting... Besides that, it is a skill that is extremely useful, and a sport that is very, very fun. :)

»––› I love adventure, and I will try pretty much anything once. I like {attempting to} hunt, although I also love animals with all my heart and hate seeing them hurt... or looking sad... or being all alone... yeah, I think I have some awesome hunting skills in the making here... what do ya think? d:

»––› I LOVE reading and I LOVE music! I have several favorite books, "The Shack" by Paul Wm. Young, "Lavender Morning" by Jude Deveraux, and "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti are definitely the top three. My top favorite musical artists; Tenth Avenue North, Switchfoot, Mumford and Sons, Emily Hearn, and Paul Coleman.

»––› I have a love/hate relationship with technology... Computers, cellphones, light bulbs... all of it.

»––› I love crafting, knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidering, painting, drawing, oh.. basically anything at all that is creative!

»––› I am a singer/songwriter in the aspiring band Woven Whispers with my sister. We will have some of our original music up on Youtube sometime in the near future, I hope. :)

»––› And last, but above all; I love my Papa YHWH with all my heart and I follow Him with all my life. c: Everyday is a new adventure with Him and I plan to spend the rest of my life finding out where this adventure is going to take me.

Okay, well that's about all I can ramble on about for one day!

Hope I didn't bore you to death talking about myself! (;

-Melissa Renee'