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Safe Space
All Sexualities, All Genders, All Body Sizes,
All Identities are welcome and will be celebrated here. Being Queer Myself, I am incredibly passionate about being a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
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I am vocal about the Body Neutrality Movement and advocating for inclusivity within Media. Representation shapes the world, and I hope to share stories that are often silenced.
Be Loud. Take up Space.
You deserve to be seen as you are.
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My Purpose
I have one goal within my art.
To capture the beauty that already exists.
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To me photos are more than simply an image. They are the physical manifestation of a missed moment. They capture what our memories forget, what our eyes can't see, and what our heavy spirit might be too burdened to notice.​​
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You are a work of Art.
Don't ever Forget it.​​
Our Clients Say
"I found Melissa on Tik Tok! She helped me plan and execute a surprise engagement for my soon to be wife. She set up the cutest little picnic in the woods, and after the proposal gave my fiancé and I a moment to slow dance together to our special song. I could tell she cared about capturing my love, not only as a client, but as a human being.
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We couldn't have asked for a better experience, and will definitely be booking her again for our 2027 wedding!
Ansley L - 2027 Bride
About
Hi, My name is Melissa Matarrese :)
I am a creative, free-spirited, queer, nature obsessed Forward-Thinking and Inclusive Photographer Based out of ATL, GA. I photograph Portraits, Events, Weddings, and honestly... everything I find beautiful.
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In an effort to destigmatize mental health disorders, I share my story. Depression almost took my life in 2024, and I had given up on living. I was gifted a camera for Christmas, and Photography gave me a reason to stay. Due to my therapist's advice to actively seek out the good, I started to take one picture everyday of what I would call a "glimmer". A small moment of hope to remind me why life is beautiful. Why life is worth living. ​​​
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I started to take my camera everywhere, parks, community events, out with my friends or family. You name it, I was there and taking pictures. I fell in love with finding beauty in the world, sharing it with others, and rewired my brain in the process.
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I now have a Gallery with over 100 of my favorite glimmers that remind me why I'm still here. I call it "My Gallery of Life". This is my foundation to my Art. It's my foundation to who I am. ​
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To me photos are more than simply an image. They are the physical manifestation of a missed moment. They capture what our memories forget, what our eyes can't see, and what our heavy spirit might be too burdened to notice.
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Life deserves to be celebrated, and I hope you let me be a small part of celebrating your story with you. ​​​​​​​​
Inclusivity and Accsessability
The Media Shapes the narrative of the word.
Representation is a Non-Negotiable for Photographers in 2026. As a creative, I have the power to shape culture with my media, and I intend to do so.
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Growing up I did not see Queer Bodies, Fat bodies, or Bodies of Color being highlighted with the same admiration as those who "fit the beauty standard". I spent the first half of my life struggling with eating disorders and compulsive heterosexuality, in an effort to be seen and loved.
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I lost the plot. I lost my plot and allowed others to shape my identity.
My photography is my own effort to rewrite the narrative of what it means to be beautiful. To help people reclaim their power, and celebrate the uniqueness that is fully accepting who you are.
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I will not Shrink myself for the comfortability of others, and neither should you. <3
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