After losing everything in a fire, wedding photographer Elizabeth Messina built her brand on love, emotion and empathy.

Elizabeth Messina identifies as an emotional and affectionate person, two qualities that make her seek out human connections in both her personal and professional life. The photographer, who is based out of southern California, has a husband and three kids, and makes no clear separation between her work and personal life; she applies learnings from one to fulfill the responsibilities of the other. 

Born in New York City, Messina studied at the San Francisco Art Institute before returning to the East Coast in the early ’90s where she started her career in photography. Then, a life-changing apartment fire destroyed everything she owned. “I was flooded with a mixture of fear and gratitude,” she recalls. “The fire was devastating, but I was eternally grateful for having survived it.” Prior to the fire, Messina had a dream of being a traveling photographer but was too nervous to take steps towards realizing it. The fire made her realize how precious and fleeting life was, so she left the country and photographed throughout India for six months. “That experience helped me grow both as a woman and as an artist,” she says.

Upon returning to the United States and after having her first child, Messina was hired by a friend to shoot her first wedding. Messina’s one-month-old and mother came with her and the photographer took breaks throughout the day to nurse. “I fell into weddings without fully understanding what an incredible journey it would take me on,” she says. Enamored by the beautiful lights, the displays of emotions, and the intimate moments between the couple and their families, Messina came to see weddings as magical events.

Messina’s children are the greatest source of motivation and inspiration in her life. Her photography business was born out of her desire to be a good mother, she explains; motherhood and photography are therefore intrinsically connected in her eyes. “Motherhood is the most glorious kind of love,” she says, and “it is that love that fuels me as I navigate the unpredictable twists and turns of being self-employed.”

Being a mother has opened her up to learning about other people’s insecurities and love stories, which Messina believes has enhanced her ability to create authentic and meaningful images. Newborn photography makes up a good portion of her business, and she makes deep connections with the women she photographs. “My own experiences and vulnerabilities help me be a more empathetic artist,” she says.

But weddings carry the bulk of responsibility. To do each one justice, Messina’s process starts long before the wedding day as she tries to understand the priorities of the couple and logistics of their nuptials. It is essential to her that the couple is fully present with their family and friends, and that they feel confident that she has their best interests at heart as she navigates the festivities. Since no two couples display their love in the same way, Messina encourages them to express themselves naturally. Depending on the couple, the setting and the variables of the day, she is at times a quiet and unobtrusive observer, and for others, more immersed. “I get to witness such a special time in people’s lives,” she says. “That’s an honor and a responsibility.”

Through her work, Messina has learned to embrace her sensitivities. She has come to see that while being emotional can sometimes be overwhelming, it can also help her navigate life as an artist and create meaningful images for other people. She feels that her biggest responsibility as a photographer is to be authentic and to respectfully and artfully capture the stories that she has the honor of witnessing. “My hope is that my photographs touch people,” she says. “I hope to make images that people share with their families for generations to come.”

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