When Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez transitioned into the role of Director of Family Education and Engagement for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, she decided to celebrate with a new headshot, new look! Overseeing the camping initiative, PJ Library, family experiences, and working with the preschool educators, she felt that an image with bright energy was our next move.
What do you think? Did we nail it? Do you feel like you know her?
Melissa is an artist. Not by trade or practice, but creatively, in her mind. By trade and practice she’s a Maharat, a leader, and a guide. But she gets these incredible creative bursts, and I get to execute them! She saw my headshot, and wanted a twist for herself. My favorite messages are from her, saying “I just had this crazy idea for a photoshoot…” See one here.
Darker, more dramatic background? Or brighter? What do you think?
We wanted something rich, dramatic, but still as colorful and vibrant as Melissa! The only purple in the original image was in her headband, but I infused the color into our backdrop and her necklace to build cohesion.
Here’s the setup behind the scenes!
My third shoot with the Marvelous Rabba Melissa, and I’ve learned about what she craves: authenticity. She wants gorgeous art on her walls, but she isn’t looking for everyone looking perfectly catalogue chic. She wants the expressions and moments that speak to her everyday life in this phase. The “pouty snuggle face,” the “I’m just silly,” the “I’m totally teenager.” She wants to remember everyone, exactly as they are.
When she knew her brother and nephew were coming to town, she said it was an occasion to be remembered and documented. Our next step together is to mount her gallery wall with images we’ve printed together from this shoot, last year, and occasions before we were blessed to know each other when the littles were littler, and their wedding day. Their growth so far, to be added to for years to come.
She has my dining room table.
I have her moving boxes.
You know those insta-friends? The people who explode into you life and you know it was for good reason, even before you know each other?
When nearly a year ago, I photographed her family, and didn’t want to leave afterwards, I knew.
Melissa is a talented and gifted woman with a Maharat degree from Yeshivat Maharat, a job in Jewish Camping at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, and a smile that looks like this:
Now you know you want to be friends with her, too.
We each were actually having really horrible days. I am so grateful for the time we had capturing these in my back yard. It was needed respite.
