Episode 18: Building a life you love with Mel from Not Little For Long

Capturing Motherhood

In this episode I am chatting to Mel from Not Little for Long. Mel is a newborn and family photographer based in both Liverpool and London. She’s going to discuss her photography journey, moving from studio to natural lighting, and how she has built her business using Instagram.

Mel started photography in 2017. Before then, she worked in media and advertising sales. When she left work in 2017 to travel, she didn’t know if she would be coming back to London. Her partner Gareth picked up a Fuji XT2 to take with them on their travels, despite the fact that neither of them had much experience with photography. It fell by the wayside at first, and halfway through their trip Mel found out that her nan was unwell. One day, as she was scrolling social, saw a picture of a newborn, and was inspired. This was what she wanted to do.

After they returned from travelling, Mel moved back in with her parents in Liverpool and turned their loft into a studio with their full support. Mel put everything into her new venture because she had to make it work. She learned about her camera and lighting by herself, but did take a workshop on posing newborns and babies safely. Every waking moment was practice; she worked for free, took inspiration from other photographers, and perfected her craft.

It’s easy to put too much pressure on yourself or become obsessed when you are creative. Mel would stay up until the early hours of the morning researching and finding new information. The job satisfaction now compared to her previous work makes it all worthwhile. It’s not easy, but the payoff is worth the late nights.

Connect with Mel:

Website: https://www.notlittleforlong.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notlittleforlong/?hl=en

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi’s Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/