Award winning photographer Melissa Mannon specializes in garden photography, which encompasses florals, gardens, and humans in natural spaces. Melissa's photographs show a special sensitivity for her subjects. She aims to portray the beauty, innocence, and power of nature standing alone or with human interaction. The strong bond between humans and the environment is the focus of her portrait work. Her childhood portraits capture the playfulness, innocence, and thoughtfulness of children interacting with their surroundings with a gentle and humorous style.
Melissa possesses an undergraduate degree in art history and a graduate degree in archives management. Her photography reflects her art historical training, primarily in its strong compositions and use of color.
Artist's Information Statement
"Color in a picture is like enthusiasm in life."- Vincent Van Gogh
My art is generally recognized and appreciated for its brilliant colors. A natural light photographer, I seek lighting situations that show off the vivid colors of flowers, while emphasizing outstanding tight designs that are appealing to the eye. Viewers have told me that it seems as if you can reach out and feel the petals on my floral subjects. My imagery demonstrates a love for nature and a celebration of the joys of life.
I specialize in garden portraiture and focus on flowers in full bloom. During the warm months, I find my floral subjects through serendipity, rather than seeking a particular plant and crafting a particular lighting situation. In the winter, I use natural light through a window with a southern exposure or, on particularly dark days, I use a sunlamp to mimic bright sunshine to craft still lifes with flowers. I am also known for my natural light portraits of people and I particularly enjoy photographing children in a garden.
I work solely in a digital medium and usually use a 100mm macro lens on a Canon 30D for photographing individual flowers. My macro lens allows me to focus at a very close range and to capture tiny subjects and detail that others may not even see. I retain full control of the artistic process by doing my own printing on an Epson Stylus Pro 2200. Most photographs are printed in a 12x18 format using Ilford Pearl paper, but photographs can be made into "suitable for framing" cards on Crane's Artist Paper. I also arrange collages of images in order capture the essence of a particular garden.
Exhibits
"Different Views" Cultural Arts Alliance Gallery juried show, Hopkinton Massachusetts - January - March 2008"Heat Waves" Manchester Artists' Association Gallery, Manchester NH - July 2007 - Aug. 2007
"Melissa Mannon and Glenn Urquhart: Shadow and Light Still Lifes" - The Wine Studio, Manchester NH - July 2007
"Three Women in a Garden: Irene DuPont, Melissa Mannon, Carolyn Marquis" - Bedford Public Library - Bedford NH - May 2007
Second Annual E.W. Poore Juried Art Show, April-May 2007
"Not Just a Pretty Face: Le Visage de la Fleur" Franco American Centre, Manchester NH - February 2007
"Art on the Wall at City Hall" - Manchester City Hall - January 2007-February 2007
"Creches - Expressions of Serenity and Hope" - Franco American Centre, Manchester NH - November 2006-January 2007
"Splendor of the Season" - Manchester Artists Association Gallery, Manchester NH - November 2006-January 2007
"Melissa Mannon Photography" - Jewell and the Beanstalk - July 2006
Positions
Kidz Rule USA magazine photographer - 2007Manchester Artists Association Newsletter Editor - 2006-present
Manchester Artists Association Historian - 2007
Memberships
North American Nature Photographer's AssociationManchester Artists Association (2006-2007 Board Member - currently serving as Newsletter Editor and historian)
Manchester Artists Association Art Gallery (juried member)