We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melissa Moody. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melissa below.

Melissa, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

The primary reason I’m a photographer is because I see the beauty that God created all around me, and I can’t resist sharing that beauty with others, so they can enjoy it, feel uplifted, and see that facet of God’s personality, too. It’s hard for people to have time to go see and absorb all the beauty that’s here in the world.

I follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and one thing he told us is to be salt and light to the world. Salt preserves, cleanses, and adds flavor; light keeps us from stumbling and reveals beauty and truth.

When I was naming my business, I chose Silver and Light because it sounded like salt and light. Film is made out of cellulose acetate or polyester base with a coating of silver salts, which absorb the light and create the image. Therefore, the basic formula of photography is silver (salts) plus light.

Melissa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I used to draw while I was growing up and I was a pretty good artist, but probably not good enough to make a living from it. Then I took a black and white film photography class in high school 30 years ago and I was instantly hooked. I loved watching the images emerge in the tray and the instant gratification of creating the image I wanted without having to draw it. I’ve been obsessed with photography ever since.

I embraced digital photography 22 years ago when my oldest was a baby and I was burning through rolls of film because she looked different every day. I’ve worked with Georgia Classic Images taking school portraits, Katie Wagner Social Media for corporate portraiture for a website, and id8 Agency on portfolio pieces, ad campaigns, and office events. I’ve also created a number of portraits over the years. I’ve learned a lot from photographing my daughter’s cross country team and the kids who have come after her for the past 8 years. I started my business two years ago. I’m still learning the best techniques for SEO, blogging, networking, marketing, and updating on my website, and the ins and outs of running a business. It’s a slow process!

My photography is not totally realistic, it is art; it’s an idealized representation of what I saw in my mind. if I see things in an image that are distracting and unnecessary, I remove them. I adjust colors to look better together or in a way that evokes emotion. I use rules of composition to crop an image and tell a story. I would say editing is my superpower. :-) I always want my clients to shine and be represented in the best possible light. No pun intended.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of referrals that I have found is a networking group that I belong to called PowerCore. It has several teams here in Atlanta, and we meet every week, so it’s a great way to get to know and form friendships with the other members of the team. PowerCore also seems to be a great source of referrals within itself, as people will look at other team members when they need someone to fill a role.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

It’s been difficult to pick up where I left off. Twenty-four years ago, I went to college for commercial photography and started working in large studios in downtown Atlanta. We were using film and needed to perfect our images inside the camera, and it was an art and a specialty.

After my first child was born, I switched to digital photography, as did most of the rest of the world, and continued photographing as a hobby or taking small jobs while raising my kids for the past 20 years. I love being able to instantly see my results on the back of the camera and manipulate my images to match my vision on the computer, but it also means that anyone with a camera and a computer can do the same, so professional photography is more widely accessible and less likely to be seen as a necessary specialty now, and it feels like companies are less willing to build it into their budgets.

As a creative, I feel like there isn’t a road map for me to follow; I have to figure things out one step at a time. However, I do have a mentor, Kevin Ames of Ames Photography, who has been a photographer for 40 years and is a treasure trove of knowledge. He’s always willing to answer my questions or just hang out and photograph something for fun.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.silverandlight.photos
• Instagram: silverandlight.photography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/silverandlightphotography
• Linkedin: Freelance Photographer

Image Credits
Melissa Horn Moody, Silver & Light Photography