Picture Forever

I just capture it, in a Picture, Forever. Salutations friends and strangers alike! My name is Melissa L.A. [like the city] Bishop [like the chess piece]. I am an Edmonton-based photographer with a life-long love affair with the camera and its children. When I was 7-years-old, my mum gave me a Polaroid camera that our family could not afford to buy film for, so I began taking “pretend” pictures of

my toys and stuffed animals in my room, rearranging them as I went. When I was twelve, my Dad gave me my first 35 mm camera and I started investing real time and money into photography buying 400 ISO Kodak film and developing the photos at local drugstores with money I earned from paper routes, babysitting and shovelling snow. After this, I began playing with a digital point-and-shoot camera that I got when I was 19-years-old. In 2007, I was working at an arts-based local magazine entitled “Frostfire” where I became formally introduced to DSLR cameras. That year I shot a private fashion show at West Edmonton Mall. I then put down the DSLR away because it was not an affordable item for me at the time and so I used my point-and-shoot obsessively until I had my son, Sam, seven years later. In 2008, my work direction changed and I began working for The Starlite Room where I shot countless concerts and shows. I was also chosen to work with the promotional team of the successful Hip Hop record label Rhymesayers Entertainment and got to again utilize my photography passion in an expressive way. Simultaneously, I began working in the marketing industry and again, took advantage of this hobby in an official capacity. I bought a DSLR. [A Canon for anyone that cares about that kind of thing.]

Fast forward to 2017; I now have a Photography Certificate from Grant MacEwan, and over 400 hours in formal university education in the realm of photography. I have studied photographic techniques, post-production capabilities, visual communication, and art history which all serve to enrich my photographic vision, composition, and hundreds upon hundreds of hours of simply being an enthusiast. I started into business entrepreneurship in 2015 because I wanted to share my talents and imagination with people that want photos to prominently display on their shelves, their social media sites and their personal family albums that will be passed on for generations to come. Now, in 2017, I have married years of practise, training and enthusiasm with confidence and zeal to unveil Picture Forever unto the world. I promise to bring meticulous attention to each and every project I work on with a wealth of creative and artistic ideas to make your photos truly stand out from the rest. I amalgamate a modernistic vision together with a vintage sensibility to create unique images. My photos capture a je ne sais quoi essence that has had adjectives such as beautiful, authentic, original, creative and captivating attach themselves to them. My strong work ethic and reliability ensure trust and confidence for all my clients. I am extremely excited to create with you the moments you want in your catalogue of life, the moments you dream of, the memories you want. The Picture — Forever. Love,
Melissa L.A. Bishop