Wedding, Lifestyle, and Creative Photographer in Minnesota & World Wide

Your Story, Our Lens, A Shared Vision

Every story, every milestone, every moment, I am here to capture it in a space where you feel seen, celebrated, and empowered.

I live for creativity, meaningful moments, and capturing you as you truly are, not just the posed shots.

Photography is my passion and art. From start to finish; building connections, capturing moments, and bringing it all to life through every step of the process. Everything I create is driven by emotion and vision. I believe in creating without limits and by allowing my creativity to flow freely, this allows me to create something meaningful without bounds.

Hi! I’m Melody Vang-Jilka

What It Feels Like to Work With Me

A Personalized and Collaborative Approach

Working with me is a partnership. I believe your vision deserves to be heard and I am here to bring it to life with you. We will collaborate every step of the way to ensure it is authentic to who you are, your input is at the heart of the process.

Comfort and Connection

I understand how important it is to feel comfortable in front of the camera. My goal is to create an atmosphere where you can be yourself. Through genuine connection and a relaxed approach, I’ll be here to help guide you throughout this process.

Work Ethic and Communication

Open and honest communication is so important to me, I want to understand your needs, answer your questions, and make this process as smooth and enjoyable as possible. You can count on me to stay organized, be responsive, and take care of the details so you can focus on being present.

Attention to Detail

Sometimes it’s the smallest details that makes a huge difference. I am here to ensure everything comes together, I’ll guide you to fix a strand of hair, smooth out a wrinkle on your clothes, reposition you, or adjust your posture to ensure you look and feel your best!

Boundless Creativity

I love exploring new ideas, locations, and different concepts. I am here to listen, understand your vision, and explore ideas with you!

  • “Melody made me feel like I was working with her to find the best picture in my eyes not just a model. I felt like my input mattered and the scenario I wanted the pictures for played into how she set up the shoot.”

    Jon Kohlrusch

  • “Working with Melody was so easy. Her passion for photography shows up in her scoping out the right options for our engagement session, her excitement in trying out different backdrops as we walked around the city, and in the edited gallery we got - it was so hard to choose our 15 favorites! She seems to know what feels authentic to us and our vibe, offering suggestions for poses that was natural, and yet a refined version of our usual dynamic that looks good in photo form. It helped us feel more genuine, rather than forced. I'm so excited for what our wedding day photos will be like!”

    Jessica Chung

  • "Melody did my husband’s and I engagement and wedding photos. Melody was patient and calm. Melody would direct people professionally and captured the special moments wonderfully. I will be booking her for all special moments in the future that I want photographed"

    Isabel Sanchez Black

  • “Mel always provides me comfort being in front of the camera. She listens well and is always open to hearing what I envision my session to be, and what outcome I’m searching for. She’s extremely responsive. Photos were timely processed and I had a great experience overall”

    Douchi Vue

  • "Melody was the best ! She was so patient with us. Came with great energy and ideas when we were completely lost. Truly made us feel comfortable infront of the camera"

    Becky & Kosey

  • “Melody took my engagement photos and I am absolutely in love with them! Not just that, but she is a transparent and honest photographer. I appreciate her determination to get the best captures for every moment. I have worked with Melody in the past for multiple occasions and she never dissapoints. It was SO special that we got her to photograph our engagement. You can tell she has an eye for detail which in return creates a beautiful master peice of memories I’ll forever cherish. I have nothing but gratitude and appreciation for her!"

    Liberty Yang

  • "Personable, relatable, and attention to detail"

    Samantha & Cookie

  • “Took my family photos with Melody and she was great, super professional and patient with my family. Truly appreciate the clear and responsive communication and answering all my questions in a timely manner. It was a pleasure to work with her.”

    Anguly Moua

  • “Melody had such a good vibe and the process of booking was easy. She was prepared for the shoots & knew how to pose us and make us feel comfortable which was a plus. Melody did a wonderful job during my wedding and was very patient. The photos turned out great. I recommend M.V. Captures for your engagement/wedding photos or just any photos overall. She’s so great to work with!”

    Breanna & John

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