About Melissa Arlena Photography
Melissa Arlena Photography specializes in natural and simple lifestyle newborn, baby, and family photos. Based in Virginia, serving Charlottesville and Richmond, the photographer captures candid moments between families in a light and bright style, focusing on authenticity and real connections rather than posed shots or props. Clients praise Melissa for her expertise in various lighting conditions, her ability to make everyone feel comfortable in front of the camera, and her talent for working with children of all ages. She is described as highly communicative and professional, ensuring a positive experience from booking to receiving the final images. Melissa's photography style is popular for capturing special occasions like holiday photoshoots, with clients raving about the beautiful backgrounds, festive themes, and the genuine joy captured in the images. Many clients have worked with Melissa multiple times, returning for family portraits and other milestones due to her talent and dedication to creating lasting memories.
Melissa did our maternity/newborn shoots, and we loved working with her. She made us feel comfortable, was very patient with our dog, and she’s an excellent swaddler. She also provided us with outdoor location options, which eased our nerves during COVID. The pictures turned out great- highly recommend!!
Melissa was amazing! And pictures are beyond what we were hoping for. Thank your for capturing these wonderful memories for us!
We had an amazing experience with Melissa. She took our newborn and maternity photos. She was incredibly responsive to e-mails and very professional. Despite less than ideal circumstances for maternity pictures (outdoors in January on the windiest and coldest day you can imagine), our photos were beautiful. She even allowed us to bring our dog and captured some wonderful shots even though he was not cooperative that day. Our newborn photos were also amazing. We got some beautiful family shots and also some great pictures of the puppy and the baby. We will cherish these pictures forever. Overall, we had a great experience and I'd definitely hire Melissa again in a heart beat. She is professional, fun to work with, and most importantly takes gorgeous pictures.