Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Bazany.
Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an infatuation with technology and cameras. Capturing moments to give people the opportunity to reminisce on their memories has always felt so fulfilling to me.
I began with a tiny point-and-shoot camera, standing on the sidelines or in press boxes during my brother’s junior sports events, attempting to take action shots during his games. From there, I had friends at Hope College who needed to work on a budget for their wedding, knew that I owned a camera, and asked me to do my best for their big day. I scribbled together a game plan for them, creating massive Pinterest boards and scouring all of the YouTube tutorials that I could in the short amount of time that I had to prepare. Then, I shared some of their images on Facebook, which in turn sparked numerous inquiries for family photos, senior photos, more weddings… and the rest is history.
Now, I work full-time during the week as a web developer (yes, still a big tech nerd at heart) for Full Circle Marketing & Design, a full-service advertising agency in Grand Rapids, and then spend my weekends with people who are celebrating the best day of their lives– so, I don’t consider photography “working on the weekends”.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
With photography, the process of getting to the position that I’m in now has been exactly that– a process. I had a camera, a few memory cards, and a prayer when I shot my first wedding for my friends who were so incredible in entrusting me with capturing their wedding. I knew little to nothing about composition, lighting, or any of the ins and outs of a wedding at that point, but I’ve learned through working alongside other professionals as a second photographer, as well as through ample research and practice. The ability to capture people’s best days ever is simply a blast and gives me reason to reconnect with old friends that I haven’t been able to see, in some cases, in over ten years. Watching old teammates marry their high school sweethearts or getting to meet their newborns (or new dogs) makes every mile that I drive worth it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
With photography being my ‘weekend warrior’ gig, I shoot weddings, engagements, proposals, families, seniors, and lots and lots of pets. Additionally, though, web development is my nerdy passion.
I was blessed with the opportunity to intern with Full Circle during my junior and senior years at Hope College while I studied Communication and Computer Science. A few hours a week transformed into a full-time position on the team once I graduated, and my progress in becoming a web developer skyrocketed from there. My supervisors and team guided me through attaining the skills and mindset that it takes to develop an entire website, building out the CMS (content management system) all on a per-client basis. I’m incredibly grateful for their continual guidance, trust, and support as I continue growing my skillsets through new techniques, technologies, best practices, and whatever challenges are thrown our way each day. And I think that that may be my favorite part that makes my career so different from any other job: when working for an agency, you truly never know what a day might bring, as every client is a new puzzle to piece together with different requests, requirements in design and functionality, and not to mention, deadlines. Not many people are lucky enough to say that they truly enjoy what they do on a day-to-day, but I’m one of those lucky ones; that’s what I’m most proud of.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If you need a computer nerd who builds websites but also loves photography and wedding reception dinner buffets, I’d love to get to know you.
Contact Info:
- Website: melissabazany.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.bee.media/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mel.bee.media
- Other: Gallery previews – https://mbeemedia.pic-time.com/client
Image Credits
M. Bee Media
