For me, photography has never been about trying to make things look pretty, nor am I interested in capturing images that make immediate sense on the surface. I use my camera as a channel for in-depth exploration of what I see, which may be surprisingly different from what I'm able to explain in words, and in some cases the process can become a vehicle for manipulating situations to represent an internal vision.

Rather than moving a subject around to suit me, I prefer to move myself around and become part of the context. That may involve going to the other side of the room, or travelling to the other side of the world.

In other words, if you're looking for someone who lines people up and points the camera at them while they smile and pose... I'm probably not the photographer for you. However, if you want someone to come with you on your expedition to Cambodia and give you a set of photos that helps others understand what it was like to be there, we can certainly talk.

In order to make more time for photography publishing projects, Melissa is currently restricting her intake of client-based work. There are a very limited number of client project slots available upon request; enquiries can be directed to Karen Damiani.