Conversations with Melissa Valladares

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Valladares.

Hi Melissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I first fell in love with photography when I found my grandfather’s camera in high school. I took a photography class and loved everything about film, cameras, and the darkroom. After graduating, I wasn’t sure what to do, so I enrolled in the local community college in Las Vegas and took more photography classes. It was then that I knew I wanted to pursue this, and I applied to art schools nearby. After spending a year in San Fransisco, I found my way to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA.

I graduated in 2008 with honors and hit the ground running. I started shooting for local magazines and also had an internship with a celebrity photographer. I ended my training as I was getting more paid work, which was so exciting. I always had high ambitions for myself and booked trips to New York, scheduled meetings with Art Directors, and attended photo seminars and portfolio reviews. I hustled and loved it.

I did well in Los Angeles, shooting for magazines and interior designers. I had various commercial clients, but in 2019, after getting married and having two children, I wasn’t getting as much work, and the magazines were opting to have unpaid shoots and having students shoot the work I used to get paid for. My husband and I looked into Phoenix, AZ, for work, knowing it was the right move for us as a family and professionally. We moved a month later, and it’s been our best decision. Phoenix has been so welcoming, and we’ve been able to live the life we’ve wanted as a family and professionally. The local magazines are great to work with, and I’ve worked on many great projects.

But the timing of our move could have been better. Six months after we moved here, covid hit, and my husband and I lost our jobs. We were in a new city, with no friends and no work. But that didn’t stop us. I had various photography jobs, but in late 2020, I saw an opportunity to be a staff photographer for an international baby feeding company, that I accepted. It’s different coming from a freelancer background but also very rewarding. I’m working with a team collaborating on projects with various departments and with licensing companies like Disney, Warner Brothers, Nintendo, and more. I’ve started shooting videos and expanding my portfolio in so many ways. I still take on freelance clients with local magazines and photographed my first cookbook for a large publication company that will be out later this year.

Phoenix is such a beautiful city with gorgeous landscapes and breathtaking sunsets. Moving here has been so rewarding and has truly assisted me in living my dream of being a successful commercial photographer, having a beautiful family, and having the time to slow down and take it all in.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing in life is smooth; it would be boring if it were! I’ve had some demanding, disrespectful, losing clients, etc. But I never stopped pushing. I’ve always been ambitious without knowing it. But looking back, sure, some of the days and moments were hard, but I always kept my head high and tried and tried again. I’m also fortunate to have such a supportive husband. He’s always known I could do anything. He pushes me, encourages me, and helps out whenever he can.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a commercial and editorial photographer specializing in portraiture, food, and interior photography. I’m known for my bright and airy, colorful work. I am most proud of my perseverance. With life’s twists and turns, I shift with it. I am so proud of all my work in Los Angeles; it molded my work ethic and ability to work quickly but efficiently and expanded my portfolio. I’m proud of taking the risks I have taken. And I’m proud that I haven’t given up. I have a tattoo on my wrist that says “Believe in yourself” in Spanish. It’s something that, early on, I learned, and I’ve tried to remind myself of.

What sets me apart from others? Maybe my work ethic. I’m always trying to do better, giving myself personal goals and assignments, and always seeing how I can be better.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Outside of being a photographer, one of my challenges is balancing my role as a mother and my love for my career. As a woman who wants a family and a career, I’m still navigating how to balance both. But having children has taught me the importance of slowing down and being present. I want my kids to find a career they are passionate about and love as much as I love mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melissavalladares.com
• Instagram: mve_photography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-valladares-49898815/

Image Credits
Images are from clients here in Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix Magazine, PH&G Magazine, and Bumkins.