Meet Melanie Tongoc of Irvine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Tongoc.

Melanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started photography more than a decade ago with a passion for photography but no clear direction on where to take it. I remember immersing myself every night with YouTube tutorials on how to use my camera, how to pose models, how to harness natural light, how to edit photos. It was such an obsessive curiosity to me and something I really became passionate about. My husband could clearly see that this was something I loved and so he would tell people about my photography hobby and one day he set up a client shoot for me to practice on, and it really just snowballed from that moment on.

I kind of became a Jack-of-all trades photographer after that for a few years. Whatever photography needs people had: family photos, pet photos, birthdays, weddings, newborn photos, I tried them all. It really wasn’t until I became pregnant and had my first child that I really started to specialize in motherhood photography.

There is something so special about documenting the journey of a mother going through pregnancy, the newborn stage, and the subsequent yearly photographs with their growing family that truly pulls at my heartstrings. Even more than that, I love being able to help mothers find the beauty and organization of being able to capture these moments in their life because I am in the thick of this same season. The season of wanting to bottle up these snippets of time with our little ones because they’re the most important people in our lives.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The hardest part of being a working mom in this early season of motherhood is so universal. It is balancing the guilt of wanting to pursue a career while having little babies around who want and need your constant attention.

There have been plenty of nights where I have (and still do) overextend myself in order to get both jobs done because I want to be the best person for both my family and my clients. The guilt is something I am still trying to balance on some days, but I am so grateful that my clients appreciate my work and therefore I am able to decrease my workload while holding my work to an amazing level of quality that I continue to stand proudly behind.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a maternity, newborn, family photographer who specializes in light, bright, and vibrant photos that look effortless. I am always so grateful when potential clients come to me complimenting me on the images they found online. What I often hear is that my photos are bright and captivating and what they love the most about the images is that everyone in the photos look candidly joyful and beautiful- something I take great care in trying to highlight in the photographs that I take. These are the type of images that hang around the homes of all my clients, and I want them to be as equally proud to display them as I am.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Yes! I wanted to include a fragment of what makes my secret sauce so special in terms of photography. I have a special questionnaire that gives me insight into what my clients are looking for in their final images and I try to get to know each of my clients so I can better tap into what would make these images special to them. I do include complimentary access to my Client’s Closet filled with custom dresses that flow and accentuate moms in all the right places. The whole process is streamlined to best get mom to the finish line and the priceless final images into her hands as simply as possible.

Pricing:

• Packages currently start at $1250

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melliemadephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melliemadephotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melliemadephotography
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/melliemade-photography-irvine