Throughout the the month of November, our Photo of the Day series will be taken over by each of Rangefinder‘s newly minted 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography in 2019. The 30 honorees are featured in our November issue, and each of their full, 30-photo submissions, reviewed by the competition judges, can be found in our online gallery. For more behind-the-scenes insights, follow us on Instagram.

What motivates Melody Joy to create? “I am a movie buff, so cinema has always inspired me…maybe because thrillers, crime stories and suspense are my favorites, I tend to have a darker editing palette!”

The Chicago-based wedding photographer also loves to travel and says that her most recent trip, to Mexico City, involved eight days of “taking photos nonstop as I ate my way through the tacos of the city and found new ways to shoot light. I don’t wait for weddings or even paid work to ‘practice’ my art and love of photography. It constantly challenges me and grows me creatively as a photographer.”

Below are her behind-the-scenes insights on three of the photos from her submission this year.

Megan was a dream bride. Her poise and spontaneity balanced her lovable personality so well! One moment we were in front of this window taking this focused detail shot of her beautiful fur, dress and ring details, and the next moment, her and her bridesmaids are jumping on the bed in a pillow fight! I love when brides want to document all of the little details but still are relaxed enough to let loose with their best friends.

Jamie and Jeff just wanted to casually express their love for each other on the second highest mountain on an ocean island in all of the contiguous states. And I feel so grateful to have captured it and more importantly, to have witnessed their love. The view from this sandstone tower on the top of Mount Constitution blew my mind. 

When I travel with couples for elopements, you don’t always have time to physically research, but with technology today, you can always Google unique historic or geographical locations from any new area. I was able to scout this couple’s ceremony site the day before, but for their portraits we knew this tower would be a memorable spot, no matter what the weather ended up being because of its beauty and history. Now it has another special meaning for these two newlyweds. 

Mark will be checking out Ruth forever. I loved grabbing flat whites and capturing these two newlyweds roaming down all of their favorite lanes. These two very beloved humans had over 400 loved ones in attendance for their Edinburgh wedding. Finding a time to get away for a bit of alone time for portraits can be very welcomed, and of course, if the couple is up for a day-after session, this always helps your couple be able to spend more time with the ones flying in from all over to celebrate them. The lanes in this historic Scottish city are perfect for getting lost in the times; they help you become present as you find yourself alone amongst the tunnels and alleyway architecture, as we did on this beautiful day.