MJ is definitely the Baby Whisperer! My daughter was 7 days old and wanted to stay awake the whole time even though we followed all of the instructions. M lulled her back to sleep by humming, rocking and so much more. She kept the studio warm for the baby, played gentle music, changed her diaper and even fed to get her to fall (and stay) asleep! I was in a lot of pain from my c-section and you would never know it from the group shots. She even got my 2.5 year old daughter to hold still long enough for some group shots that MELT my heart! If you are looking for beautiful photos and someone who will keep your baby safe and treat your child(ren) as she would treat her own, then look no further! I am so in love with our photos that I have already paid for two more sessions this year!! M is so approachable and caring that I walked away feeling like a friend rather than a client. So many businesses treat their clients like walking wallets and it is so RARE to find someone as incredible as MJ! read more

MJ is a consummate professional who goes out of her way to capture the personality of her subjects, which is not always a perfectly posed, cheesy smile. She takes the time to learn about her clients and shoots them in a way that reflects life, love and personality. I've worked with MJ before to get family beach photos, a boudoir session and she's used my daughter as a model for a dancer photo shoot. She is an artist, not just a point and shoot photographer, and she does like to edit for lighting and some stylized effects. Because she is a professional, she shares the proofs that she is most proud of with her clients. Her beautiful photos adorn my walls and I plan to use her again in the future. Highly recommend MJ! read more

She really is the best of the best!!! She did my wedding and my pictures turned out AMAZING!!! The best quality photos you can buy. Whenever I show anyone my wedding photos they always say "wow they look like they came straight out of a magazine"!! That's how good she is!! Go to her Facebook page and you will see all the BEAUTIFUL pictures she does!! She was so sweet, flexible and very professional the whole time we had her. I had a few ideas of some poses I wanted to do with my bridesmaids and there was no hesitation from her and they turned out great!!! She was the less stressful part about my wedding. I will always and forever rave about how amazing she is to everyone because she really is the BEST!! read more

Photography by MJ reached out to my family after seeing our twin story on the local news. We went through a whirlwind of a pregnancy trying to carry our twins to term. Which involved us having to have a life saving operation while still pregnant to save their lives. MJ wanted to showcase our little ladies through her Baby Miracles sessions. She was so patient with both of our ladies and literally spent hours in studio making sure she took nothing but perfect photographs of them. To this day we have her amazing photographs throughout our entire home and had some printed onto canvases. I highly recommend her to capture all your family moments. read more

Melissa is by far the most professional photographer. She's devoted to the perfection of her work and goes above and beyond to provide the very best customer satisfaction. Every session Mj has done of my children over the years has been nothing short of amazing and the pictures are always beautiful and flawless. If you want the very best memories captured to last a lifetime, Photography by Mj is the place to go! She does not disappoint! I only wish we lived closer so I could utilize her services more often because no other photographer has been able to come close in comparison. Thank you for capturing the most beautiful aspects of my life read more

MJ is AMAZING! She is the baby whisperer and does beautiful work. She did my son's newborn pictures and I still look at them and love every one! She's also done most of our friends NB photos - all creative and beautiful. I moved across the country and seriously contemplated flying back for newborn pictures for our daughter (if only I knew the delivery day to buy tickets in advance!). Between email correspondences and face to face interaction, she has been nothing but sweet! I know from personal experience that she is one of the best photographers! I would use her in an instant if I move back to the area! read more

By far the very Best Photographer in Hampton Roads. Extremely professional and passionate with her work. She makes you feel so comfortable during sessions and gives great direction. I have used her three times so far and will again in the future. She has done my maternity, mommy and me, and newborn sessions and I couldn't have asked for better photos. I did my research before choosing Mj and it was one of the best decisions I have made. If you are on the fence with choosing a photographer CHOOSE MJ. She knows exactly how to capture those precious memories and her passion shines thru. A+++ read more

MJ is an absolutely AMAZING photographer. She is so fun to shoot with and makes you feel completely relaxed. This is saying something as we are a family of 8 and before MJ family pictures were a nightmare. My kids LOVE her!! She is extremely flexible and professional. She is so creative and always strives to give you something unique and truly special. She has been my family and friends "go to" photographer for 3 years now. My daughter will be a senior next year and there is NO DOUBT MJ will be the person we call to record that milestone. read more

MJ has been photographing my family for several years. I love her patience, creativity, flexibility and her enthusiasm. Our photographs have always exceeded my expectations. She has always gone above and beyond to accommodate my requests even my last minute changes of location. Her heart and love for her career shows. She even reached out and photographed my terminally ill friends family, priceless. She is the only one I trust with such precious memories. She makes the process so easy for this mom of 4, I can't thank her enough! read more

I have had several photography sessions with Photography by MJ, from family to boudoir, and always come away happy. Melissa is super professional and works her magic immediately. I have some of the best memories captured in her photos. She has managed to capture the true personality of our family, and even our dog in some of the pictures. I look forward to working with her again in the future. I would totally recommend Melissa's work to anyone! read more

We have had the privilege of having M, be our photographer for several years now. MJ has taken family photos, done "In the Woods" photos of our daughter, and senior pictures. The "In the Woods" photos of our daughter captured her innocence and beauty; simply beautiful. The senior session she did for our international student in 2016 ROCKED!!! By far the best photography in the Hampton Roads area. MJ is AMAZING!!! read more

Amazing photographer! Mel has been taking pictures of my family for 7+ years. She has captured moments that will forever decorate the walls of my home. We've shot in her studio and on location in downtown Norfolk. I especially appreciate her artistry, fairness, and timeliness. Mel is fairly priced and provides beautiful work product. It is my pleasure to continue to work with her and you should too! read more

MJ is the best in the area. If youre looking to have the utmost professional environment, accompanied by the best photos, than this is your place. MJ has done my family photos for 9 years and has always been professional and easy to work with. Dont trust some crazy unhappy person who is bitter about 15 min! Obviously MJ wouldnt win "Best of Chesapeake" if she didnt deliver on her photos and promises! read more

MJ did my daughter's bridal shoot and wedding. She was professional and so much fun to work with. She was open to our ideas and made the wedding shoot so much fun on an otherwise stressful day. She provided us with beautiful memories of that day. Memories that I still look through and get emotional about. Her work shows how much hard work she puts in so that her clients receive only the best quality. read more

MJ has photographed both of my daughters several times, and they always have a WONDERFUL experience! She makes them feel just as creative as she does beautiful, and finds a way to capture their inner selves in every shot. We adore having collages of all their many expressions on our walls, and are grateful for an artist that knows the value of these keepsakes of our growing daughters' many sides. read more

I absolutely love having my daughter's pictures taken. we had a photographer we loved in SC but after moving back to VA my daughter turned 13 and of course I was on the hunt for a photographer. I met MJ and liked her fb page and started to see the pictures she was taking and knew she was the photographer for us. She listened to what I wanted and made it happen. She is our VA photographer! read more

I had a photo shoot with MJ this past Sunday with some other amazing women. It wasn't just any shoot, it was a #love youbod shoot that she had decided to do. I have never felt so comfortable with someone in front of the camera as O did that day. It turned out beautiful and I would totally suggest this studio to anyone! Thanks Melissa for your professionalism and for making us feel beautiful! read more

Being a professional in this industry and working with Melissa at an event once before I can say she is top notch . When I moved away from Hampton roads I started referring my own VB clients to Melissa as I know they would be getting exceptional quality and treated right. Talented , professional, and down to earth . Highly recommend her for your photography needs ! read more

MJ is an amazing photographer! She has taken pictures of my 10 year old daughter that turned out beautiful. She also did some sports photos for my son Christian who is a senior in high school. They were the best action shots I have seen. He plays volleyball and the photos were off the hook amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more