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.
Artist Statement
The serenity I find in nature fuels my creativity and connects me to something larger than myself. The quiet moments outdoors are where my passion for capturing beauty begin.
At the core of my work is a focus on uncovering and amplifying the often-overlooked details—the subtle nuances that make each subject unique. Whether it’s the delicate curve of a flower petal, the raw emotion in a subject’s eyes, or the fleeting golden light of dusk, my goal is to reveal a story in every image.
Through my lens, I strive to show the beauty, emotion, and complexity of the world as I see it—a world full of wonder, connection, and endless stories waiting to be told. Each photograph I take is not just a moment frozen in time, but a celebration of the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary.
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