About Melanie
Genuine, comfortable photography experiences for OU seniors and Bartlesville and Tulsa families, so you can celebrate life’s most joyful moments for years to come!
Tulsa, OK Photographer Serving Tulsa and Bartlesville Families, and Norman, OK Photographer Serving OU Seniors
Life moves so quickly
In a blink of an eye, the very things you were ecstatic for pass you by.
And you never realize it until it’s a memory. One where you can’t quite remember the full extent of how joyful and exciting, yet totally sleep depriving it was when you were finishing up your last final exams as a senior at OU.
Or just how inquisitive and rambunctious your toddlers were until you see a photo of them stomping in a mud puddle or stooping to pick a dandelion.
Those small details, even when we work so hard to commit them to memory, tend to fade over time.
That’s exactly why I’ve set out to document those moments of your life. So you can have more than just a memory of whatever season you’re celebrating - no matter if it’s joyful, chaotic, or something in between!
Like all great stories, mine begins with a Jonas Brothers concert.
I’m Melanie, the Oklahoma girl behind the lens at Melanie Foster Photography. And I wasn’t kidding when I said my own story started while I was screaming in the stands at a Jonas Brothers concert.
Along with wanting to marry Nick Jonas, I just wanted to capture life’s precious moments. At the time, those moments revolved around snapping photos of the best boyband live and on stage.
But I soon realized those sweet moments involved having my own senior photos taken on the OU campus. And capturing the small moments of marriage and daily life with the most amazing man (no, he’s not Nick Jonas - he’s even better!) to put in our family yearbook. And having a photography session to highlight the joy of carrying our first child.
In the many years and seasons of life since I first picked up my camera, I’ve set out to provide exciting and intentional photography experiences for OU seniors and Bartlesville and Tulsa families to help you capture the meaningful moments of time so you can celebrate the joyful seasons God planned for you for years to come.
- Melanie
I can't wait to celebrate with you!
2011
Melanie Foster Photography officially launched during my freshman year at the University of Oklahoma.
2013 - 2015
Started booking OU senior photos - I've since photographed 150 graduates and counting!
2017
A three day trip to Richmond, Virginia for the Katelyn James Workshop completely transformed my business.
2020
New specialties and a new client experience - MFP families!
2020
After officially becoming Melanie Foster Russell, MFP moved from Norman to Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
2021
Ruth joins the crew!
150+
OU Seniors
Photographed
10
Years of Life Moments Captured
125+
Oklahoma Families Photographed
Bits and pieces of my heart
I’m so grateful for this life I lead, and these parts make it even sweeter!
If I could fit all of Ephesians onto this page, I would do it! In everything I do, I am bound by my faith in the Lord. I strive to always live a Christ-like life, and I am blessed to steward these gifts that God has given me.
My Faith
The answer to so many prayers. Jonathan is a blessing from God, and I find our love growing deeper with every day. Seeing the way he puts the Lord first, being the recipient of his sacrificial love, and our endless conversations about theology and culture are my favorite.
My Husband
My alma mater and my home away from home. I spent so much time on campus (including four years on staff!), and I’m grateful that I’m able to come back often to photograph the amazing seniors who are just as blessed as I am to be a part of the Sooner family!
OU
In the past year, I’ve fully embraced working to make our house a place my family is excited to come home to. Whether it’s trying out new recipes for Jonathan, baking sourdough bread, or adding new decor to our living room, I take pride in making our home the place where my family can come to truly relax and unwind.
Homemaking
I’m a summertime girl through and through. Being on the lake, the smell of my brother-in-law’s brisket in the smoker, the sound of my niece and nephews laughing, the feeling of grass between your toes, and fireworks booming from all across the lake - it's the best time of the year!
Summertime
Maybe I’m biased here, but I love recording life’s moments through photos and printing them in family yearbooks. Heirloom albums are a treasure to look back on and see how much you’ve gone through with each passing year as an individual and as a family!
Photo Heirlooms
Imagine yourself 5, 10, even 20 years from now…
Imagine Yourself
Will you tell your precious children about your old stomping grounds at OU? Or will you show them a real photo of you in your cap and gown in your favorite spot on campus?
Will you tell your grandchildren of their mom or dad when they were a kid themselves? Or will you show them what they actually looked like with their ruddy cheeks and floppy hair?
Even though life moves so quickly, we have the beauty of photos to help us remember all of our seasons. And to celebrate those moments for years to come with new family members alongside us.
ready to press pause on your memories?
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Brand + Website by: The Kate Collective