Harrell Photography

Thank you so much for visiting my website! I'm Melissa! I'm based out of Charlotte, NC! We are a military family, so we're always somewhere new, but our roots are in North Carolina, this is home for us for now.

I've always had an interest in photography for as long as I can remember. In middle school and high school, I was always "that girl" that had a camera in her purse or book bag. Every event, outside of school, at school, during sporting events; I was documenting memories. Every other year or so, my parents would gift me with a new camera as a Christmas gift or a birthday gift. I would bring my camera everywhere!

I'm a 90's baby and I remembering uploading pictures to webshots, (if you know, you know!) and editing them in Picnik - THE HORROR! My, how far we've come! I'm fairly certain I drove my friends insane with the amount of pictures I had them pose for over the years. And if I didn't like a picture, you can guarantee I'd be asking to take more. And to this day at 33 years old, I haven't changed a bit, ha - I still do the same stuff!

I was born in Batavia, New York. I've been a Buffalo Bills fan since '91 and I'm forever grateful for my roots and all the memories my hometown holds! I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree in Criminology in 2013 and I graduated with my Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration on 2014. I went to Niagara University near Niagara Falls, New York. So no, my professional education is the furthest thing from anything photography related - but I still love my full time career in the criminal justice system. So yes, I do work full time and do photography in my spare time and it is so much fun!

In 2014, I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a big leap of faith moving down here alone for a job, but I'm OH SO glad I did. I have met some of my absolute best friends down south. I truly think I was born a northerner by accident! My husband and I met in 2015, and we started dating in 2016. We both have roots in the criminal justice field (we actually met in a detention officer academy) and we both ended up on the same night shift after graduation! We like to joke with people and tell them that we met "in jail!"

Fast forward a few years - we got married on August 11, 2018. My husband, Ron, is in the Army. After we got married, he had an opportunity to go on active duty. The assignment was located in El Paso, Texas at Fort Bliss. So, in October of 2018, Ron moved to Texas and one month later, I moved to Texas too! El Paso was amazing for us. It was our first year and half married, and all we had was each other. We missed everyone on the east coast but, we had the time of our lives and it was a blessing to just have each other for our first year and a half married!

In February of 2020, we moved back home to North Carolina! Then bam, COVID hit. 2020 was really the year where I started brainstorming about business venture ideas. Just like everyone else, a lot of time was spent at home. I had A TON of free time to think about different ideas.

After we got married in 2018, I realized how much I enjoyed planning our wedding. I thought for a minute there I wanted to be a wedding planner and a photographer?! I told Ron "let's open a wedding venue! "What about a vineyard?!" "We can include a photography package with our venue!" I mean, I was really aiming high right off the bat. But, no goal is unattainable right?! Dream big! I reeled in my thoughts and told Ron that I still really had an interest in photography. While I've continued to hold jobs within the criminal justice field since 2012, I realized wasn't 100% fulfilled, career wise. Photography was that passion that I was still chasing after.

When Christmas of 2020 came, Ron surprised me with a starter a camera and lens! I was nearly in tears. He told me that he wanted to support my dreams and invest in my business idea. After a little push and gaining some courage, I started to teach myself more about photography, started to network with other companies, and continued my education in photography!

I am looking forward to capturing memories of you, you and your significant others, and your families that you can cherish forever!