intimate 35MM FILM & DIGITAL portrait PHOTOGRAPHY ROOTED IN STORYTELLING
For those who crave presence over posing.
Southern Maryland Portrait & Motherhood Photographer | Serving Washington DC & Beyond
ABOUT ME
HI, I’M melissa
LA – WORLDWIDE
I’m Melissa Suarez—a portrait photographer rooted in Southern Maryland, serving the Washington DC area and beyond.
I work mostly with 35mm film, sometimes digital.
When I’m not photographing motherhood and intimate portraits, you can find me documenting live music across the East Coast.
my offerings
INTIMATE PORTRAIT SESSIONS
A study in presence, expression, and self—photographed through the female gaze. These sessions are co-created, gently guided, and designed for those craving something honest and unposed.
Shot on 35mm film, the final gallery blends fine art and documentary styles: curated without being controlled, poetic without being performative.
Available in your home, in nature, or in a thoughtfully chosen space.
INCLUDES:
Free Consultation
90 minute session
35mm film scans (your choice of b/w or color)
Print Release
STARTING AT 1500
MOTHERHOOD SESSIONS
These sessions are meant to unfold in the beloved corners of your home—your light, your rhythms, your real life. No need to tidy, plan matching outfits, or script the day. I’ll guide gently where needed, but the beauty is already there.
This offering is especially suited for newborn sessions, early postpartum days, or simply the everyday intimacy of life with your children.
Documentary in style, these images are a record of connection: feeding, holding, resting, witnessing.
My role is to carry the camera. Yours is simply to be present.
INCLUDES:
Free Consultation
90 minute session
35mm film scans (your choice of b/w or color)
Print Release
STARTING AT 1500
The MOTHERHOOD arc
A quiet witness to the becoming.
This offering includes both a maternity session and a postpartum session (newborn or early motherhood), photographed weeks—or months—apart. It’s designed for those who want to document the threshold of motherhood not just as a single moment, but as a slow unfolding.
One session might take place outdoors, the other in your home. Or both in the same room, changed only by time. We’ll let the seasons of your life guide the setting.
INCLUDES:
Free Consultation
(2) 90 minute sessions
35mm film scans (your choice of b/w or color)
Print Release
STARTING AT 2500
virtual portrait sessions
A different kind of screen time.
These sessions are creative collaborations made through a phone lens—proof that connection doesn’t require closeness, and intimacy doesn’t need to be in the same room.
Whether you’re across the country or simply craving something soft and unproduced, virtual sessions are about being seen, as you are, wherever you are.
I’ll guide you gently through setup and angles, but the mood is the same as my film work: poetic and real.
What you’ll need:
– An Apple or Android phone or tablet with a strong Wi-Fi connection
– A well-lit space (natural light preferred)
– A sense of adventure & touch of creative energy
INCLUDES:
Free Consultation
90 minute session
Print Release
STARTING AT 600
Unfurling Sessions – documentary portraiture
Some stories can’t be told in an hour.
Unfurling is an immersive, slow-paced session for those moments in life that ask for more time—more light, more stillness, more space to breathe. Shot entirely on 35mm film, this is a day-in-the-life documentary experience, designed to feel more like being witnessed than photographed.
Whether you’re a family moving through a tender transition, a creative working on something personal, or simply someone who wants to be seen in your ordinary, radiant life—this offering gives us room to move gently and let meaning surface naturally.
These sessions are very limited.
INCLUDES:
Free Consultation
Full day or weekend coverage (up to 12 hours across 1–2 days)
Hybrid 35mm film & digital gallery
STARTING AT 4500
add-ons
in your hands: printed with care
Timeless keepsakes, made to be held.
For those who want their images to live beyond the screen.
I offer a curated selection of print options—from wall art to heirloom albums—created in partnership with a small-batch U.S. supplier whose craft mirrors the care that is put into your session.
These pieces are designed to last: quiet, tactile, and deeply personal. Whether you’re building a family archive or framing a single moment, we’ll choose the format together.
digital upgrade
This optional upgrade transforms your analog Base Package into a hybrid session. AT LEAST 20 DIGITAL IMAGES IN ADDITION TO YOUR FILM SCANS.
QUESTIONS?
here are some common questions.