We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa McGowan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Every day I challenge myself to be uncomfortable, to push past the apathy and anxiety, and never let other people’s perceptions define me or my journey. That’s risk-taking, truly believing in yourself, and not allowing negative energy in your space. I’m most proud of investing in myself and understanding my value. We all have the confidence in ourselves to take risks, but we must all find the confidence within ourselves to succeed.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a photographer who specializes in portraits, family, and child photography. Storytelling is a very important aspect of my craft, and I believe representation matters. In the beginning, I questioned every part of my decision once I started my business. My career in photography was about 8mos ago, and not knowing the ins and outs of the photography world was a little scary, but the initial fear of starting a business is doing it. I stopped looking at others and saying “I wish that was me” and started saying “okay, I can do that too.”

What sets me apart from other photographers is my authenticity to capture real moments, and understand my clients. All my sessions are just made up of moments. It takes no less than 1/500th of a second for me to capture the perfect image in a frame… which is quick. I create photos that my clients will marvel at when they see the finished product, so I try to assure them that no session is perfect, but if they remove expectation, and be with me in each moment they will fall in love with the final product. When I have my clients’ full trust, they will receive my full vision and that is exactly what people are investing in when they choose me as their photographer.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, this is a fun question… after years of living in other states, I was so eager to scout out some of the new and exciting restaurants and bars in Dallas- these are some of my favs!

Eats:
Paradisco
Cake Bar
Eno’s Pizza
Yardbird
Ocho Latin Cuisine

Hang out:
Lakeside park
Klyde Warren Park
Northpark Mall

Drinks:
Four Corners Brewing Co.
Sky Blossom
HG Sply Co.

Visit:
Texas Rangers Game
Perot Museum

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am also grateful for my support system. My husband, JP, and my son, Kellen, motivate me daily. They inspire me to push my creative process to master my craft. My friends are also a huge part of my success. They continuously encourage me and help me out, especially when I need models to practice my photography techniques- they just believe in me and it’s the best feeling knowing you have people in your corner who want to see you succeed and will help you achieve it.

Website: https://www.melissakmcgowanphoto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissakmcgowanphoto/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mkmcgowanphoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissakmcgowanphoto

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