Maryland's a state with a lot of looks. Beachfront, mountains, forests, cities...you name it, we've got it. And Melisa Conroy--who goes by Missie-- is the woman to capture the many looks of Maryland and Marylanders on film. She runs MelisaConroy Photography, and she's absolutely passionate about how photogenic the state can be.
Missie was born in Baltimore City, and has lived in Baltimore, Laurel, Savage, Frederick, Boonsboro, Williamsport, and Hagerstown. Whew! She's also been a photographer for nearly the same amount of time.
"I really can’t remember a time when I didn’t have some type of camera in my hands," Missie says. "However, once my children were born was when I truly started my journey. Capturing their stories became very important to me…the little nuances of their daily lives was an obsession for me."
via MelisaConroy Photography, used with permission
Luckily, Missie's kids aren't the only ones who get to share in her gift.
"My passion for my hobby turned into a passion for a career and from that grew the desire to tell other families stories the way I had learned to tell mine," Missie says.
Missie shoots senior photos, wedding pictures and shots of growing babies. Couples can take advantage of her boudoir photography, while entire families can sit for her family story sessions.
"I do emphasize personal stories a lot, that is what my business is all about," Missie says. "I want to tell the story and it is an overwhelming honor being invited into my clients lives in order to do that for them. I love when I get to tell the ENTIRE story… I have clients who I have worked with for years capturing their engagement, then their wedding day, then they invite me back for photos of their children’s births and baby photos, then the first birthday smash cake session, family photos over the years, and then that child’s high school senior photos. I watch these families grow, evolve, and weave their chapters into their life story…. that I have the privilege of being even a small part of telling that story is a tremendous honor. I hope to be around for a long time so that I can come full circle and capture the wedding of a little one whose birth story I told!"
So what does Missie have on her plate right now? Besides being in full swing of senior photos, October will bring her second annual session of shooting fall photos at Antietam Battlefield.
via MelisaConroy Photography, used with permission
"Antietam Battlefield has rolling fields of goldenrod that portray into spectacular images," Missie says. "The trees in the grassy areas around the monuments have leaves that turn into colors of orange, red, and yellow so deep, and there are so many of them that it looks like the treetops are on fire! There are enough tress in the one location on Dunker Road where I shoot that the ground is covered in these bright fall colored leaves while the tree tops are on fire with colors from the ones that haven’t fallen yet."
If you've never been to Antietam, or you're thinking, "A battlefield? That doesn't sound fun at ALL!", rest assured that it may just be the most gorgeous place in all of Maryland--especially in the fall. So if you just got engaged to that special someone, or maybe your adorable toddler loves playing in the leaves, you need to make that call now.
via MelisaConroy Photography, used with permission
And if you're thinking you'd rather be on the beach as fall wanes, don't worry. Missie's counting on you to make one of her dreams come true.
