ABOUT
About Family Photographer + Artist Melanie Gordon
I’m a steward of childhood. For over 25 years, I’ve been photographing the everyday magic of children and families to preserve and rekindle wonder. I help families stay connected to wonder, to themselves, and to each other. Through my lens, I help people see themselves and each other by revealing the truth and beauty in their lives.
My mission is to help kids feel seen and heard. When children feel seen and heard they develop a stronger sense of self and belonging—the foundation for a good life.
I believe in empowering children—through play, imagination, and creativity—to discover, express, and LOVE who they are. When I photograph them, I see future leaders, wonder stewards, love teachers, and imagination guides. When they also see themselves this way they become unstoppable.
I’m known for helping people feel like themselves in photographs—and for making images that look and feel like them. I never ask children to smile. Instead, I give them a safe space where I invite them to play and show me who they are. The resulting photos are naturally joyful.
I believe in the power of quiet revolutions, where embracing our authentic selves can activate joy and possibility and effect positive change in the world.
I’ve been exploring humanness for three decades—from my anthropology degree to my work as a portrait and documentary photographer, and in my art practice, photographing my own motherhood experience as I healed from breast cancer. Reckoning with my own quiet voice in a loud, male dominated world informs my work, particularly my ongoing project BLUSH, which is about girlhood and voice and how girls relate to agency, power, and freedom.
My fine art photography and short films have been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Laidlaw Foundation. My work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and commissioned by leaders committed to peace-building and improving children’s wellbeing. Four books have been published of my portraits.
I live in Toronto with my husband and two daughters.
Explore my art here: https://melaniegordonart.com
Please connect to book a session or collaborate on a project. Let’s make magic together.