Melissa B.

Commercial Photographer & Photo Producer

About

I am an exceptionally creative and accomplished photographer whose main focus is capturing stunning food images, but also included in my skill set is shooting beautiful product and lifestyle photography. With more than 15 years of experience working with commercial and editorial clients, I am highly capable of shooting in both studio and on location, producing and executing small and large scale photo shoots and motion reels. Collaborating with my clients and other creatives to create exquisite, authentic images that illustrate the vision and message of their brand is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Successfully delivering my client’s concepts in a timely manner and on budget is a point of pride for me. I excel at leading large volume photo shoots, often working with two sets simultaneously to ensure a quick turnaround and meet required deadlines. Overseeing a large crew comprised of stylists, assistants, digi-techs and post production staff is one of my strengths as I enjoy working collectively with my team and giving them clear direction to communicate my clients’ needs effectively. I also work well independently and excel at styling my own shots as I have a keen eye for design. I am well versed in continuous, studio and natural lighting which I use expertly to create food images and motion reels that have a natural, organic feel that leave you wanting to reach out and take a bite. When I have free time I like to hike in the trees, play pickleball and volunteer at the Long Beach Animal Shelter.

Country

United States

City

San Francisco Bay Area

Industry

Photography

Skill

Written Communication, Problem Solving, Attention to Detail, Project Management, Video Production, Budget Management, Teamwork, Adobe Lightroom, Food Photography, Commercial Photography, Lifestyle Photography, Travel Photography, Portrait Photography, Studio Photography, Image Editing, Image Manipulation, Photo Shoots, Lightroom, Capture One, Adobe Photoshop

Experience

Commercial Photographer & Photo Producer

Melissa Barnes photography

2001-3 - Present · 25 yrs 7 mos

San Francisco Bay Area & Los Angeles Metropolitan

- Create beautiful food, product and lifestyle imagery for a large number of commercial, in house and editorial clients including Dole, Blaze Pizza and Safeway (a full client list available at melissabarnesphotography.com) - Produce multi-day, large volume photo and video shoots on location and in studio for various commercial, in-house and editorial clients - Collaborate effectively with clients and creative leads to ensure the shoot outcome matches desired brand and business goals - Lead a team of stylists, set builders, production coordinators, location scouts, assistants and digi-techs as well as supervise all post-production - Responsible for all shot list creation, production decks, scheduling, booking talent, location management, vendor relationships and billing - Regularly produce multiple projects simultaneously - Remain up to date on current photography trends - Work extensively with Photoshop, Canon, Phase One and Capture One, Trello, Word, Excel DAM workflow

Commercial Photographer/Producer

Melissa Barnes Photography

2002-5 - Present · 24 yrs 5 mos

San Francisco Bay Area

Product Photographer

Teleflora

2014-2 - Present · 12 yrs 8 mos

Santa Monica, California, United States

- Manage multiple sets in studio, using Phase One, Capture One and Photoshop to ensure efficient workflow and quality images - Implement lighting to achieve a consistent look with previous shoots - Collaborate with art directors and floral stylists to create beautiful imagery for Teleflora Brand to be used for e-commerce, POS and direct mail