About Me

Hello! I am Melissa, the photographer behind Melissa Atkinson Photography, formerly My PB+J Photography. I have been in love with photography since I was in High School. My Dad handed down his Nikon camera my sophomore year and then later that year my parents purchased my first DSLR. I decided I wanted to pursue an English degree and graduated from CSUSB with a degree in English/Creative Writing-Poetry. Soon after working a career as a general manager and becoming a mother I fell back to photography and haven't looked back since.

I reside in Poway, a little city within the country in Northern San Diego county with my family: daughter (P)ayton and son (B)rayden and my hubby (J)ames of 16+ years. They are My PB+J, my biggest supporters and the loves of my life. They know wherever we go, my camera goes too. I love my dachshund/corgi, Delilah, aka my first born. I also have chickens that I swoon over every day and love when their fluffy butts run to me whenever they hear me. I also have an obsession for Disney and Disneyland treats. I get through the day surviving on little sleep and lots of caffeine, that's just how I roll. I also volunteer a ton at my kids schools and served as the PTA President from 2020-2022 and currently the PTSA President at the middle school level. I was awarded PUSD's Volunteer of the Year award in 2022. I also volunteer with the Rady Children's Poway Auxiliary Unit. I love being busy and thrive on a busy day, but I need a little quiet time thrown into the mix for sanity. Between sessions I am usually running to or from a baseball field.

I know how it feels to be on the other side of the lens and as a mother, I know that most of the time we don't make it into photographs. My goal with every session is to make everyone feel comfortable and have a fun time. Not all sessions go as planned, sometimes we have a cranky toddler or a teenager that can find 99 other things they'd rather do than take a photo. When you book a session with me, you will love the process and the memories that will last for generations to come. My clients always leave a session saying that I am "so calm" and made the experience "effortless and easy".

My gear: I shoot with a Sony a7iii and Nikon D750 and primarily use a 85mm, 35mm, 50mm and/or 70-200 lenses. I work on a Mac and hand edit every photo. All sessions are delivered digitally. Your gallery will be downloaded onto your computer and you can print at your favorite printer. I do have a print store that you can print from my professional printing service.

xoxo