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Local Photographer Captures The Essence Of Mothers-To-Be

Photo by Melanie Achenbach

27-year-old, Jennifer Spencer was photographed at Green Key Beach during her third trimester by Melanie Achenbach, a New Port Richey based amateur photographer.

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By Scott E. Smith | The Suncoast News

Published: July 9, 2008

New Port Richey - Capturing a feeling, sharing a smile, evoking an emotion with the intention of standing the test of time.

Melanie Achenbach, a New Port Richey-area amateur photographer, experienced a coming out a couple of years ago by sharing her love and passion for photography to the public.

"I seek out the natural beauty and strive to give objects a new sense of beauty," Achenbach beamed with confidence.

Achenbach believes everything happens for a reason. She also believes spontaneity is the key to her photography.
Achenbach has used her skills to photograph weddings, which are more structured, but attempts the unusual during those opportunities.

From one of those opportunities she was invited to photograph a bride after she became pregnant.

"A maternity photo collection is as beautiful as it is extraordinary," she stated.

The result touched Achenbach, who will continue to concentrate on mothers-to-be.

Achenbach enjoyed capturing the mother's emotions as she interacted with her unborn child. Including siblings in the collection is a great opportunity for the entire family to be part of the experience, the photographer believes.

The shutterbug in Achenbach surfaced about 15 years ago after returning to college to study graphic design and the birth of her only child, Lee.

"Even as an infant, Lee and I studied together," she giggled. "I made sure he had his own art supplies," Achenbach added and has since given him his own camera.

She is a fine artist who works in pen and ink with her artistic style leaning toward the abstract.

She attributes her natural sense of color and design to her father, who is creative and a fine artist. "My father exposed me to the arts," she said.

Achenbach works in both film and digital photography, which allows for versatility in capturing an image and has developed the capability of switching between color and black and white.

She also uses sepia tones to enhance her photographs.

She attributes much of her experience to living history events in which she participates in.
Living history events include living as our ancestors did including setting up camp and dressing in period clothing.

Achenbach would conceal her Minolta X-700, a 35mm film camera, by draping it in fabric to conceal its identity. She traveled the "camp" taking candid shots.

The images have been embraced by the living history community, giving her the confidence to exhibit her work.

Currently, Achenbach is the site manager for the PLACE Program at Sunray Elementary. PLACE stands for Pasco Learning & Activity Center of Enrichment.

PLACE is for children in kindergarten through grade five who arrive before or must stay late after normal school hours.

"Photography will be a continual part of my life," Achenbach said with a broad smile.

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