Melanie Thornton

We are surrounded by powerful images -- images of suffering or victory in the media, of beauty or status in advertising. Photographs compel us to buy things, to attend events, to visit new places. Can images also awaken us to faith? My current body of work “Faith- A Way of Life” looks at subjects rooted in a foundation of faith and explores the possibility of society’s growth in spirituality. This multi-phased project begins by looking first at the Christian faith, and my plan is to continue to explore on an inter-faith platform.

 

Biography

Melanie, originally from upstate New York, developed her passion for photography twelve years ago when a family friend gave her a used 35mm camera. In 1998 she was awarded first place in a National Photography competition documenting student life.  This milestone led to pursuing photography and anthropology at Union College in Schenectady, NY.  Melanie combined the love of two disciplines after receiving a grant to conduct field research in Barbados.  In 2002, she produced images for a solo photo exhibition exploring the impact of tourism on a rural Barbadian village. Since then she has traveled abroad for business and pleasure and continues to use the lens as a gateway for exploration.
In conjunction with her travel experiences Melanie is represented by a photography gallery in Delmar, New York.  Her time is also spent as a volunteer photographer for the HERC organization- Higher Education Resource Center of Boston.

www.melaniethorntonphotography.com