Child's Play

Melinda's artistic vocation redefines the common perceptions of beauty and it is her love of people that is reflected in her photos. As in Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland", there is no telling what strange or silly thing is around the corner. Something is hidden in a smile, a darting glance, or in an odd pose or a steak of shadow on a subject's face. Children become adults and adults become childlike. There is an air of mystery, spontaneity and playfulness to her images. She rarely plans her shoots, but concentrates on allowing her models to reveal their inner selves to the camera. Melinda's ability to make her subjects feel calm, relaxed and liberated often provides deep insight into their personalities for the final frame.

 What intrigues her is finding beauty hidden within perceived flaws. "I like to change views of sensuality, intimacy and solitude 'Phototherapy' is how I refer to the process". Her approach brings a one-of-a-kind result that she says is instinctual. She cannot explain exactly how she works, but loves the way it feels when she is doing it. Many of her images leave the viewer questioning the story behind the scene, people rarely come away with answers, but instead more questions. This is the intriguing complexity of her esthetic intent.



Her work as a photographer in the last few years has included: several books (Dog Fight, King of the Urban Jungle, Bodies on Raw), fashion photography for Habitual jeans featured in Nylon, C Magazine and Hollywood Reporter style issue. Melinda's shots of animals were shown at the G2 Gallery in Los Angeles and photos of Brittany Murphy were exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery in London.



In addition she recently created a poignant video of the homeless veterans around Los Angeles titled "Home of the Brave “commissioned by the ACLU.



Melinda Lerner was born in the UK, daughter of Countess Maree Tarnowska and Arnold Lerner, the artist, photographer and cartoonist. Melinda would often