Hi, I’m Melody.

Photographer. Mom. Storyteller. Professional memory keeper.

Twenty years ago, I picked up a camera and started taking pictures. I had no idea then just how much photography would become a part of my life—or how many families would eventually become a part of mine.

Two decades later, I still get a little emotional about that.

I’m the photographer behind Snookysmiles Photography, serving families throughout the Lake Norman and Charlotte area. I photograph babies, children, families, milestones, celebrations, and all those wonderfully imperfect little moments that you swear you’ll remember forever—but probably won’t quite remember the way you think you will.

That’s where I come in.

Because after 20 years, I’ve learned that photography really isn’t about getting everyone to look at the camera and smile at exactly the right moment.

It’s about who they are right now.

The belly laughs. The missing teeth. The ridiculous little personalities. The way your toddler insists on holding your hand. The way siblings look at each other when they think nobody is watching. The way your baby fits perfectly in your arms. The way your kids keep getting taller even though you are absolutely certain you just photographed them at that exact age yesterday.

And sometimes, it’s about freezing a moment that you don't even realize you’re going to miss until it’s gone.

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I have a soft spot for the families who keep coming back.

One of my favorite things about this job is getting to watch children grow.

I’ve photographed babies who are now teenagers. I’ve photographed siblings who were once little sidekicks and are now the big kids. I’ve photographed families through new babies, birthdays, graduations, changing family dynamics, and all the little seasons in between.

There is something incredibly special about someone trusting me with their memories once—and then continuing to trust me year after year.

At some point, I stop feeling like the photographer and start feeling like the person who has been there for a whole bunch of their life.

And honestly?

That is one of my favorite parts of this job.

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The Upsides of Down Syndrome Calendar

For the past 13 years, I have been the photographer behind the Upsides of Down Syndrome Calendar, a fundraiser supporting the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte.

What started as a photography project became something so much bigger.

It has given me the opportunity to meet hundreds of incredible children and families, to celebrate their personalities and accomplishments, and to create images that show these kids exactly as they deserve to be seen: as kids.

Joyful. Funny. Sassy. Beautiful. Wild. Curious. Talented. Completely themselves.

The calendar has also reminded me, year after year, why I picked up a camera in the first place.

Photography can make people feel seen.

And that matters to me.

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Outside of photography, I’m a mom, too.

I’m a wife and a mom to two daughters, and being their mom has changed the way I photograph children more than any photography class ever could.

I know how quickly it goes.

I know how easy it is to be so busy raising your kids that you forget to stop and really look at them.

And I know that the photographs you treasure most years from now probably won't be the ones where everyone was perfectly posed.

They'll be the ones that take you right back.

The ones where you can practically hear their laugh.

The ones where you remember exactly how tiny they were.

The ones that make you say, “Oh my gosh. Look at them.”

Those are the photographs I want to make.

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So, what can you expect from me?

I want your experience to feel comfortable, relaxed, and genuinely fun.

I’m not interested in making your family perform for the camera. I’d much rather give you room to interact, play, laugh, snuggle, and be yourselves—and then step in and capture what happens naturally.

Will I still pose you sometimes?

Absolutely. 😂

I know how to make a photograph work.

But I also know when to put the posing aside and let your family simply be a family.

After 20 years, I've learned that the best photographs usually happen somewhere between the beautifully planned portrait and the complete chaos.

And I'm pretty good at finding those moments.

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Twenty years in, I still love this.

I love meeting new families.

I love seeing familiar faces.

I love watching little people grow.

I love the chaos of a family session, the sweetness of a newborn, the ridiculousness of toddlers, the personalities of teenagers, and the emotion that comes with all of those milestones.

Most of all, I love knowing that the photographs we make together aren't just for today.

They're for ten years from now.

Twenty years from now.

For the day your kids are grown and you suddenly realize you would give anything to have that little version of them back for five minutes.

That's what I'm really photographing.

Not just smiles.

Not just pretty pictures.

Your people. Your memories. Your story.

And after 20 years behind the camera, I can't imagine doing anything else.

— Melody
Snookysmiles Photography