Born in Ohio, Mel moved to Seattle in 1984 from Washington DC, where he worked as an art director, before turning to photography full time. Primarily a self taught photographer, he received an MFA degree in Photography from Ohio University, and has taught at the University of Washington and Seattle University as well as The Photo Center School. For over 30 years Mel has been applying his unique and elegant vision to a variety of photographic projects. Whether he is working for the White House or the University of Washington, or pursuing personal interests, he always blends style and grace in the creation of his imagery.