Melissa O'Gara

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California, but I'm a country girl at heart. I am happiest when hiking in the mountains or wandering through green open fields.

Photography has always been a part of my life, mostly as a tool to help me remember the people and places I encountered in my travels throughout Peru, Mexico and Europe. As a high school Spanish teacher, I used my photogrpahs from my travels to show students the life and culture in other parts of the world. As a mom, I always had my camera with me to freeze time and help me hold on to those fleeting moments.

When my daughter became an elite ballerina, I had to improve my skills to provide pictures that captured movement and precision. I started to study photography with technique and artistry in mind, and I took advantage of any workshop or video I could find. For years I built my skills on continual study and practice. Today, my photography includes an eclectic mix of genres from landscapes, macro nature shots to portraits and events, and all are about highlighting the smaller details and often hidden beauty I find in each of my subjects. I like for the photograph to bring out some quality that might otherwise go unnoticed at first glance or in passing. It is my goal to have each picture tell a story about the subject and the moment in which the photograph was taken.