Business & Tech

Classic Impression Photography, Capturing Moments Between Pets and People

Local photographer Melissa Gillespie stepped out of her comfort zone to take on the career of her dreams.

Melissa Gillespie always wanted to be a photographer.  As a child, she received her first camera as a gift from her grandmother and used it to document the every move of her dog Jingles and other childhood pets. 

“Sometimes I took pictures of my little brothers but only if Jingles was in the picture,” Gillespie said. 

She combined her passion for animals and photography with her new business, Classic Impressions, which specializes in pet photography

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“I love pets and photography so it’s the best of both worlds,” Gillespie said. 

Her first professional experience came from working for a photography studio in Wichita. After some time there, in 1992 the Ohio native decided that she needed to return to Atlanta.

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“We just took what we had and came back,” Gillespie said.  “We had no jobs, no place to live but we made it.”

She began working as a librarian at the Art Institute where she received her diploma in commercial photography but when her position there was eliminated she decided that it was time to take her freelance photography career to fulltime. 

She started by taking photos for little league teams “to get back into it,” and by volunteering her services to local animal shelters. 

“I offer to go in and do their portraits with the backgrounds and the lighting and everything,” Gillespie said.

In addition to taking professional photos, she also posts them on her website and through social media, hoping that someone will see her photos and decide to give a lonely animal a forever home.    

 “You can really tell a shelter portrait and a portrait that has a family,” Gillespie said.  “It’s in the eyes and it just breaks my heart.”

Gillespie hopes that her services will help current pet owners as well to capture memories of their pets. 

“They’re only with us for a short time and I think it’s a nice little memento to have,” Gillespie said.  


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