About Melissa Lea
Melissa Lea has been capturing moments, places and feelings through photography nearly all her life and has been studying its dynamics since her first photography class in high school. Melissa’s first childhood camera in the late 1970’s, at age seven, encased 110 film. Since then she has worked with a wide array of formats including Pinhole Box, 4x5, Manual 35mm, and Digital. Her greatest enjoyment during the “darkroom days” was manipulating images through varied exposures, as Ansel Adam's was famous for, and hand painting color into finished black & white and sepia prints. In the digital age, Melissa continues this same creativity of print manipulation via exposures and color. Only now her paintbrush has been replaced with a computer mouse, manually detailing every aspect. Melissa constantly explores new ways of printing and presentation and comments, “I like to think outside the box. I find life more exciting and interesting that way”.
On a spiritual level, Melissa comments, “Surrounding ourselves with views of nature and other peaceful things recharges our spirit which allows us to live a happy, more peaceful, complete life. I feel blessed to experience the beauty and wonder that surrounds me on a physical, spiritual and creative level. And I am excited and honored to share these experiences with others through my photography.”
Melissa Lea has traveled various areas of Europe, Canada, and Hawaii. She has also traveled extensively across the mainland United States. She has explored a large range of terrain and cultures from Yellowstone to the Everglades, the Four Corners Region to the Smoky Mountains and the Hawaiian Islands to Ground Zero. During her 20’s Melissa resided in Chicago where she became deeply involved with the Native American community. She documented several events and
ceremonies both public and private.
Melissa continues to journey across numerous parts of the United States, mostly driving the “Blue Highways”, her favorite being Old Route 66. She has traveled various portions of The Mother Road over several years, starting when she was just 11 years old. She drove the entire route solo from Chicago to Santa Monica in 2006. Her Route 66 portion of photography is displayed in museums and shops across the country along the route. Melissa Lea is a staff photographer for the international publication of Route 66 magazine.
Born in Bedford Indiana, resided in Chicago IL from 1992 – 2003 and Nashville TN from 2003 – 2007, Melissa now resides in Albuquerque New Mexico....
2 blocks from her beloved Route66.
On a spiritual level, Melissa comments, “Surrounding ourselves with views of nature and other peaceful things recharges our spirit which allows us to live a happy, more peaceful, complete life. I feel blessed to experience the beauty and wonder that surrounds me on a physical, spiritual and creative level. And I am excited and honored to share these experiences with others through my photography.”
Melissa Lea has traveled various areas of Europe, Canada, and Hawaii. She has also traveled extensively across the mainland United States. She has explored a large range of terrain and cultures from Yellowstone to the Everglades, the Four Corners Region to the Smoky Mountains and the Hawaiian Islands to Ground Zero. During her 20’s Melissa resided in Chicago where she became deeply involved with the Native American community. She documented several events and
ceremonies both public and private.
Melissa continues to journey across numerous parts of the United States, mostly driving the “Blue Highways”, her favorite being Old Route 66. She has traveled various portions of The Mother Road over several years, starting when she was just 11 years old. She drove the entire route solo from Chicago to Santa Monica in 2006. Her Route 66 portion of photography is displayed in museums and shops across the country along the route. Melissa Lea is a staff photographer for the international publication of Route 66 magazine.
Born in Bedford Indiana, resided in Chicago IL from 1992 – 2003 and Nashville TN from 2003 – 2007, Melissa now resides in Albuquerque New Mexico....
2 blocks from her beloved Route66.