Here to capture the moments you never want to forget, and bringing glory to God while doing it.
Marissa here!! Grateful & honored you somehow stumbled across my website! I don't believe it's an accident that you've found yourself here, as I don't believe in coincidences:) When you inquire with me, you will realize that I did indeed pick up my first camera when I was still in diapers (I have a picture to prove it). You could say God placed this calling on my life from a young age, but I took a lot of detours along the way.
Let me explain!
For as long as I can remember, I have always loved taking photos. I picked up a camera and photography a little more seriously when I was in the 7th grade. It brought me so much joy to capture a moment in time so I could remember it forever. I went on to capture my friends & family for fun, my brothers baseball team, other families, seniors and my travels throughout college. I also learned how to develop film in a dark room in high school which sparked my passion for all things film & nostalgia. I always seem to find myself randomly looking back at photos or videos, cherishing these memories with so much gratitude. A photo or video can immediately bring me back to that moment in time or season of life and I am more often than not… brought to tears.
BUT, wanna know something crazy?
I almost sold my camera.
Back in the Summer of 2022, I was so sure I had heard God tell me to sell my camera. To give up photography completely. I was like, “Okay, c’mon God are you sure I’m supposed to sell it?” And I just COULDN’T SHAKE IT. So I began selling some of my equipment and forgetting the idea and dream I would ever be a full time photographer. It had been a dream of mine for so long, but at the end of the day I was willing to surrender my dream to God to pursue His plans and His will for my life. One day, I told my husband all I was processing. And he asked me, “Are you sure you’re supposed to sell it? What if God didn’t mean to literally sell it, but was trying to speak to you about something else? What if you just gave photography two years and see what happens.” So I prayed about it, and I had peace to not sell my camera. Little did I know at the time, that question and encouragement from him actually was a prophetic word over my business. I decided I would give photography my everything for 2 years and see what happened. As I began to pursue photography, it soon became clear God wasn’t asking me to literally sell my camera, but my mindset about it. For the longest time, I saw photography as my side gig, my side hobby, I really only wanted to do it for money because I was always working other jobs. As I began to have this revelation, and started to surrender my ideas and my mindset when it came to my business to the Lord, He started to speak to me and show me all the different ways I can use my business as a ministry and love people really well through it, and ultimately, show my clients HIM. He also not only did that, but he provided me with 12 weddings and over 30 seniors in 2023! This is God’s photography business, not mine. He gets all the glory and praise for the past year, and all my future business!!
It has truly been the biggest joy to step into full-time photography, and I truly cannot wait to meet you, work with you, serve you, hear you story, become best friends, laugh together, cry together, create together and so much more!
all the very best,
marissa elise