Mel Ponder Photography

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United States
Des Moines, WA
Mel Ponder Photography

Full time community involved photographer with an equity lens since 2007. Portraits, events, visual collateral.
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Editorial, Portraiture, Weddings, Events, Party and Portrait Photo Booths, and more in the Greater Seattle and Salish Sea/Puget Sound, Washington area and beyond. In addition to private portrait and event clients, MPP clients include:
~ Alma Villegas Consullting
~ Alphabet Alliance of Color
~ Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition Against To***co
~ Bodle Chiropractic
~ Chief Seattle Club
~ ʔálʔal Café by Chief Seattle Club
~ Equity in Education Coalition
~ Enumclaw School District
~ Evergreen Longhouse s'gʷi gʷi ʔ altxʷ: House of Welcome
~ Filipino Community of Seattle
~ Forterra NW
~ HealthPoint Community Health Centers
~ Highline Public Schools
~ International Examiner
~ Kaikor Construction Company, Inc
~ Kikaha O Ke Kai Outrigger Canoe Club
~ KNKX Public Radio
~ Latina Style Magazine
~ Lindal Cedar Homes
~ Longhouse Education and Cultural Center @ TESC
~ Longhouse Media
~ Mana Magazine
~ Mercy Housing NW
~ Mi Centro
~ Mondrian Los Angeles
~ Montana Two Spirit Society
~ Muckleshoot Tribal School
~ Multi-Service Center
~ National Conference on State Legislatures
~ Native Action Network
~ NAWDIM – Native American Women’s Dialog on Infant Mortality
~ Neighborhood House
~ Nisqually Indian Tribe Elders Program
~ Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
~ One America
~ Pacific Islander Community Association
~ Para Los Niños
~ Potlatch Fund
~ Pride Foundation
~ Proliance Surgeons
~ Puget Sound Educational Service District
~ QLaw Foundation of Washington
~ Red Eagle Soaring
~ Rethinking Schools
~ Seattle Foundation
~ Seattle Housing Authority
~ Seattle Indian Health Board
~ Seattle University School of Law
~ Saint Vincent De Paul Parish
~ Seattle Times
~ SME Inc of Seattle Electrical Contractors
~ Snoqualmie Indian Tribe
~ United Indians of All Tribes Foundation
~ University of Hawai`i-Cancer Research Center
~ Urban Native Education Association
~ United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance U.T.O.P.I.A WA
~ WA Women's Foundation
~ White Center Community Development Association
~ Win/Win Network of Washington
~ YES Foundation of White Center

Affiliations: Professional Photographers of America
Past:
-Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
-South King Council of Humans Services, Boardmember
-Des Moines - Woodmont Library Adivsory Boardmember
-Commissioner, King County Civil Rights Commission, District 5 2005-2011
-2011 South King Council of Human Services Kathy Keolker Leadership Award recipient "for leadership on equity and civil rights issues in South King County."

11/03/2026

Bennyroyce and Melissa Ponder

11/03/2026

A different kind of drag. No, not the people, the shutter. 😉

1) Real quick, be very still and lift up your wings. 2) chaotic dessert dash. 😉
# Made at the Filipino Community of Seattle 91st Anniversary Gala.

10/21/2026

When the talent is waiting for the creative director and photographer to get their 💩 together.

10/16/2026

Honored to support Q***r Power Alliance couple weeks ago at their Powering ChangeGala. 📷📷

So much collective power! 💜

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday for Powering Change 2026: Building the Future We Deserve!

Thanks to you, we raised nearly $38,000. From raising a paddle and placing a bid to volunteering, sponsoring, donating, and showing up in community, you helped make this evening possible. Together, we celebrated our community, honored the work that brings us together, and invested in the future we're building.

Because of you, Q***r Power Alliance can continue advancing LGBTQIA+ liberation through grassroots leadership development, civic engagement, advocacy, housing justice, economic equity, and community organizing.

We're still welcoming contributions to help us reach our fundraising goal. Every gift helps build collective power and create a future where LGBTQIA+ people can lead, organize, and shape the systems that affect our lives.

💜Donate: https://tinyurl.com/n267te7d

Thank you for showing up, believing in this work, and building the future we deserve!

***rPowerAlliance

10/16/2026

Yesterday, I was able to support Multi-Service Center at my fifth MSC Helps Luncheon (missed 2023) with event photography services. 📷

We had an incredible day yesterday at the MSC Helps Luncheon. Thank you to everyone who joined us, in person and online, bringing the energy and support of this community! We know you show up because you care and we are grateful for that.

We are honored to announce that we raised $108,734 thanks to the support of this community. Whether you donated, sponsored, volunteered, or shared the event with others, we appreciate your partnership and belief in our mission to uplift community and support our neighbors throughout South King County.

Couldn't attend the Luncheon but still want to support MSC's mission and help us reach our goal? Donate today! mschelps.org/luncheon

Photos by Mel Ponder Photography

10/07/2026

Fun one of Sharon Tomiko Santos 😉

10/07/2026

Thank you for coming in, Aliana Diaz and Gloria! Great to see you again and meet your daughter. 📷

09/18/2026

A few from the Montana Two Spirit Gathering 2026 Talent Show last month. Stay tuned to their Page for more…

09/16/2026

Last month, I got to help cover United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance - WA’s annual ManaFest at Green River College. Always a good time with good people doing good things. 📷🤙🙏❤️

09/15/2026

And that’s a wrap for the first full day of
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) Annual Convention 2026 hosted by Snoqualmie Tribe 📷🙏

Melissa Ponder

Address

PO Box 13202
Des Moines, WA
98198

Website

http://www.melponder.com/, http://instagram.com/melponder, http://twitter.com/melponder

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