Looking back on my childhood and teenage years I have always loved documenting the moments of my life. I was the girl with the camera who was saying “Let’s take a picture!” First disposables (hello not knowing what you would get and endless doubles!) and then my first digital camera in high school. I still remember it: tiny, blue and stolen off the dashboard of my boyfriend’s truck. Still salty about that one. Anyway, I brought my camera to every event and took photos of everyone and everything during college. Wanting to always remember through the images.

I don’t know why I had this desire to remember, it might be that I seemed to realize time goes by and nothing stays the same. I do believe photos are God’s way of allowing us to see visible growth and reflect on it.

I graduated college in 2011 with a Bachelors in Nutrition & Dietetics, married in 2012 and started moving around the country with my Air Force husband. There are a lot of factors that went into me asking my husband and parents to split the Canon Rebel t3i together as a Christmas present in 2013. I did ask for it with the intention of learning and becoming a wedding photographer. Let’s get to the reasons:

In my opinion, we did not have a good wedding photography experience. Sure, I love the photos because they are from when Brenton and I committed life together with everyone we love around us. But the client experience just wasn’t pleasant. I wanted to be able to give clients an experience that was the complete opposite of mine.
Growing up my father worked out of the house in his office upstairs. He was able to attend all our field trips growing up and be there when we were sick and needed to picked up from school. That’s what I wanted (and still want), to be able to work from home and be flexible for my family.
I wanted a job option that would be easily moveable from state to state. Moving is a part of our life and I knew I wanted a career I could relocate with ease. Entrepreneurship sounded like the best of all the worlds for me.
Remember how I quickly mentioned my bachelors in Nutrition, well I LOVE food and cooking all food. I also am drawn to beautiful food photography and wanted to start a food blog sharing my created recipes with beautiful images accompanying yummy recipes.

So the self teaching began… turns out most food was a great subject to help me learn manual mode. It isn’t squirmy, doesn’t talk back, I could pick it up to move it if necessary, looks good hot or cold. I’m still a big fan of photographing food! I can’t find the beginner food photos but these below were after 3 years of practicing! Yummmmmmmy. You can view my old food blog here (which I am still holding onto for hopes of finding the time between homeschooling and running my business to resuscitate it!).

Again, I was the girl who brought her camera to every squadron event so people knew I had a “nice” camera. In May 2015 my dear friend, Tiffany, down the street had her second baby and asked if I would take her newborn photos. I jumped on the chance! I did them for free and was so excited how they turned out. And a huge shout out to my best friend, Kelcie who gave me her old 50mm/1.8 lens… my first prime lens, so good! It really changed my game graduating from that kit lens! <3 There’s sleeping baby Oliver who is now 8!

From there I thought, “I could make this my thing” and started scheming on how to grow my portfolio, market and save up for a full-frame camera. Melissa Batzer Photography’s original name was Kindred Hearts Photography. After a year with that name it never really sat well, I felt like it limited me somehow and then I switched to Melissa Batzer Photography. I asked friends to be models, shot mini sessions for $25 and second shot for wedding photographers in Spokane. I worked on my editing and discovered the style that made my heart the most joy-filled. I shot my first wedding in 2017 where my sweet husband was my second photographer. He was a great logistics guy and my calming person, not so gifted with the camera though, sweet man.

Once we moved to New Jersey and had our first I decided pursing weddings at the time wasn’t for me with young children. Maybe I’ll pursue them again in the future, only the Lord knows. But I have learned my true love is families. Chasing toddlers, capturing tender snuggles that you will never grow tired of, holding hands that will soon outgrow your own. It’s all so beautiful and children grow way too fast to not keep photographing them for you!

I have photographed more families than I can recall over these past 8 years! Wow, 8 years in business… Just typing that made my heart flood with gratitude. It’s been stretching and humbling to embark on a business as a military spouse. Relocating every couple of years definitely has its difficulties as a service based business. But the Lord has been kind to me and always providing new and incredible families to work with with each move. Whether they started off as friends who have given me the opportunity to photograph or cold clients who I know can call my friends each and every client is now a friend and either a Melissa Batzer Photography family or bride & groom! How blessed am I to be gifted with the opportunity to meet so many incredible families and honored they trust me to provide heirloom images for their family and the generations to come. I can’t wait to see where God takes this little business of mine over the next 8 years.

Welcome! I’m so honored you are here checking out my blog. I wanted to tell you a little more about me; I am a family lifestyle photographer and a Mama of two. If you would like to learn a little more about me click here. I serve clients in Colorado Springs and Denver.

If you love these photos, and you are looking for a milestone, family, maternity, or newborn photographer in Colorado Springs and Denver I would love to learn more about you, your family, and the season of life you are in. I’m currently booking all of 2024 and early 2025 for my lovely Baby-Bump clients. Fill out the contact form here and we will be in touch!