Sarissa Melissa Photography

01/08/2025

This past weekend, I had an amazing time at the bridal show, sharing my beauty and boudoir work—and of course, I brought along my gorgeous studio robe! Everyone who’s worn one of our robes has felt absolutely glamorous, just like Kristina did during her session.

Kristina joined me for a session in October 2024 to celebrate her birthday. It was her first-ever experience like this, and she trusted me to guide her through it. From styling to makeup, I took care of everything. Her stunning look came entirely from my wardrobe closet, and I even created a fun, creative hairstyle for another outfit during her session.

If you’re ready for a session that sparks joy, empowerment, and confidence—or if you're looking for a beauty or boudoir session just in time for Valentine’s Day—send me a message! We have both boudoir mini-session dates and full-session experiences available. Let’s book a complimentary 10-minute chat to talk about all the details. I’d love to create something beautiful with you!

01/03/2025

Ready to level up your brand in 2025?

I’m so excited to announce that .stickel.ea just booked the first branding session of the year! She’s got some BIG things in the works this year, and I can’t wait to help her showcase her vision through iconic, authentic photos.

Want to stand out and connect with your dream clients like Amanda? Branding photos are the perfect way to shine and show up confidently. Swipe through to see how branding photos can help you save time, build trust, and elevate your business.

Have questions? Let’s connect! Book a complimentary consultation call, and let’s bring your 2025 goals to life.

01/02/2025

Happy New Year💕🥳🥳✨
I hope everyone had the most amazing New Year Celebration. The past few weeks I have been quietly prepping for the holidays, wrapping up end of 2024 headshots and holiday sessions and getting a lot of family time.
I have lots of incredible photos and stories to share about 2024. But I couldn’t rush into it. I’m planning to share all the goodness in January. January theme will be “Gratitude & Stories” from 2024 and also a little bit about what we have in store for the new year. 🥳

My mission for 2025 is to show up, shine, take messy action, share the stories and magic behind my sessions.

Thank you for being a part of my creative journey. And thank you to all the amazing friends who have become like family along the way. Wrapping you all up in big hugs.

💕💜Melissa

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas from Melissa & family. 💕✨✨ I hope everyone has a day filled with joy and love 💜

12/18/2024

This is the “why” to what I do. The power of the portrait & the experience.

The power of a portrait to help people feel open to shining bright, and sharing their truth.

The power of the portrait to open up conversation and stories to inspire others and bring hope.

✨🙌When you have a moment, please read what Amber Alguire from Hair Chemistry Studio by Amber-J has written about her story. Be ready to be inspired and empowered by this magnetic woman. See her shine in her portraits. Her joy✨🙌🙌

I can’t find the right words to say other then I love you Amber for our years of friendship, and celebrating this path with you. ✨🙌🙌💕

12/13/2024

Oo holiday yumminess at Embellished Catering

12/13/2024

Thank you Stephanie Coppola Davis for being a part of this years “40 Over 40” Empowering Portrait Exhibition. From the moment we met, I knew you were going to create magic together and in the process, form a beautiful, supportive friendship. I love the way you lift up everyone around you. 💕💕💕💕 Thank you for sharing your story and being an inspiration.

12/09/2024

Big shout out of gratitude to Makinna, Angela, Destiny & Heidi from The Youth Alliance for volunteering at my portrait exhibition ✨🙌💕💕✨

12/08/2024

🥰 Thank you Meghan for being a part of this years 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience 📸

It was an honor to be part of the 40 over 40 woman exhibition last night. There were so many beautiful woman with such amazing stories there. This experience was a dream come true. Thank you to all of you for your love and support throughout the years!! I’m truly blessed!!

12/07/2024

Today's the Day!

My second portrait exhibition is here—a dream turned into a beautiful reality. The first one felt surreal, filled with questions like, Would anyone want to do this? And they did!

This second time has completely blown me away. Many of the women were inspired by the stories and the courage of those featured in the first exhibition. Like before, these women came ready—ready to shine, embrace themselves, and celebrate their unique brilliance.

What makes this exhibition even more special is the mix of familiar faces and new connections. Many of the women I photographed this time are people I’ve known in our community for years. And then there are those I met for the first time, who quickly became like family to me.

Tonight, we celebrate stories of resilience, strength, tenacity, and light. I am endlessly grateful to everyone who has supported this project—whether by participating, sharing it online, or simply being a beacon of encouragement in my life. You mean the world to me, and I appreciate you with all my heart.

A special thank you to my incredibly talented friend Martha Felix Photography for this stunning portrait!

See you at 5pm! ❤️

12/05/2024

In 2022, I had a maternity family session. My lovely client had her grandma in a few of the family photos. Grandma Diane was such a sweetheart. The way she was around her granddaughter reminded me of my grandma. Just a few months before her session, my grandma passed away. So I was all the feels.

A few days after the session, I asked Diane if she would like to be in the 40 over 40 Exhibition as my gift. A gift to celebrate her as I would have loved to celebrate my grandma in this kind of way. I loved her star shirt because she was the star of the day!!

As we prep for this year’s exhibition, I want to thank everyone past and present for being a part of the 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience. 💕💕💕✨✨✨✨✨