About Melanie

Newborn and Maternity Photographer in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Why I Love Photographing Babies

Hi! I’m Melanie Montoya – a maternity and newborn photographer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I absolutely love photographing newborns. With three children of my own I know how precious the first moments in a child’s life can be. Time passes so quickly and remembering those times can be difficult.  I know exactly how new moms feel when they walk into my studio for their session.  They are excited and overjoyed, but at the same time they are tired, overwhelmed and a bit terrified because they have never loved something, or someone, so much.

Dear Mom, trust me when I say you are beautiful!

I have so many moms come into my studio who want pictures of their kids. Yet, when I ask them if they would like to get in the picture the answer is quite often, “No, I hate pictures of myself” or “I don’t need pictures of myself.” Consequently my heart sinks for her because I know what she is feeling. There are times when I feel it, too. I wonder how someone so beautiful can be so self-critical. Sometimes I just want to grab them, shake them and say, “Why cant you see what I see?! Why can’t you see what your children see?!”

Stop waiting until you lose the extra pounds. Stop concentrating on your alleged weak spots. You are beautiful now. Every stretch mark, wrinkle, and scar and every pound on you is loved by your children. Get in that picture for your children and more importantly, for yourself! One day your children will be going through their photographs and say to their own children, “look how beautiful your Grandma was,” and they’ll mean it.


I realized when you look at your mother you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.

- Mitch Albom

A Photography Session with Melanie Maxine

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