“You look through your lens differently when you see their life and who they are. They become so much more of a complex human. . . It’s about seeing them. It’s transformative,” says Melissa Stone of Brazen House Studios in Tacoma, Washington about how she captures authentic portraits.

Stone was a destination wedding photographer for over a decade before making a huge pivot in her life around the time of the pandemic. Going to fashion school made her realize she had been chasing glamour, and she decided to instead pursue creating authentic portraits. To facilitate her clients opening up to her about who they are, she started offering video storytelling sessions along with her portrait shoots and says it completely changes the session. Not only does the lengthy pre-interview she has with her storytelling clients change the way Stone photographs them, it also gives her clients an experience of being seen and appreciated for who they are, and beautiful portraits that remind them of the experience.

Stone recently sat down with Nikki Closser, host of The Portrait System Podcast, to talk about her career journey — from glamorous weddings to authentic portraits. Listen to it here.

Below she shares a bonus Q&A where Stone talks about how she pushed through fear to make this big career pivot, how she makes the genuine connections that lead to authentic portraits of her clients, and more.

Melissa Stone Q&A

What has been your biggest breakthrough in business?  

After 12 years of wedding photography, I started over and built a portrait studio from scratch – new business name, new style, new social media accounts. It made me realize how much I had been stuck in my ways for so many years. I had stopped learning because what I had been doing “worked,” but as a creative, I hadn’t been pushing myself. I realized how much my ego had gotten in the way and how much I wanted to be considered an “expert,” so I wasn’t great at looking at things from a beginner’s mind. Once I gave myself the space to look at everything through the lens of curiosity and not-knowing, it opened a whole world of creativity that I never would have imagined.  

Not that I recommend starting over from scratch to everyone, but I know that looking at my business and my work from a sense of playfulness and a desire to learn and evolve has changed everything for me.  

Most artists have had a point in their life when they knew this was meant for them. Did you have that moment?  

The first time a client trusted me enough to let their guard down. There’s always that moment in every shoot when you watch a client sink into themselves and just freely trust you. That first time, I realized what I was doing was more than just taking a cool photo; it was giving another human a safe space to feel comfortable in their body. It’s the most magical/addicting/makes-my-heart-want-to-explode kind of thing. I am reminded in every shoot that I have the gifts and ability to help others in an impactful way. 

How did you push past fear when building your business?  

I sit with it and recognize it. Fear is not the enemy, and the second I can mentally make friends with it and can say, “Melissa, I know you’re scared, and that’s ok. Everything is figure-out-able,” I feel empowered enough to keep going.

We put so much pressure on ourselves to do things perfectly, but it will never be perfect. Not everyone will like my work. Not everyone who walks through the doors of my studio will be a good fit. Not every social media post will land. But following my inspiration and my gut, and keeping the connection to myself, will never lead me astray.

We became professional creatives and business owners so we could create a system and a life that works for *us*, but it takes some trial and error to figure the system out, and sometimes, our egos don’t like that. But, everyone gets scared. Everyone feels fear. EVERYONE.

So, it helps to expect it, sit with it, and make friends with it. Fear is not always a stop sign but can be an opportunity to pause and give the younger scared parts of you a hug (like the parts that got teased at school or picked last for sports). Because honestly, the adult you? You totally got this.  

Making a connection with your subject is one of the most important parts of a great portrait. How do you make lasting connections with your clients?  

For me, it’s really getting to know them. Before my clients ever step foot in front of the camera, I spend a lot of effort in conversations and creating emotional safety. People come into my studio trusting me to capture who they are in this season of their life. I don’t treat the experience simply as creating a photo; it’s about getting to know their soul — what’s happening in their life, how are they actually doing, what are they proud of, what scares them, etc.

Even if a client is coming in for a simple work headshot, I want to hear about their job. Who are they at work? What do they love about it? What’s challenging? It’s about being genuinely curious and open, as well as actively listening, so when they look at the end result of the portrait, it’s more than a pretty picture. They are authentic portraits — a souvenir of truly feeling known and seen by someone.  

For someone starting out on their photography journey what advice would you have for them?   

Get weird with it and have fun! It’s easy to imitate others when starting out because it feels safer to copy someone who is doing it successfully, but don’t be afraid to march to the beat of your own drum. You have special unique gifts and a point of view that no one has. No one takes pictures the way that *you* do, and it’s leaning into that that will make you stand out in a market that is saturated. And just keep learning, always. Oh, and hire a bookkeeper/accountant who will pay your quarterly taxes for you — for reals.  

Follow Melissa Stone and Brazen House Studios on Instagram and Facebook.

As a thank you to our readers, we’re pleased to offer you a Rangefinder exclusive discount code to get 25% off The Portrait Masters course below. Use the code RF25 at checkout to redeem. This code cannot be used in combination with other sales.