We had the good fortune of connecting with Mellisa Rasor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mellisa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was inspired to jump into photography following the birth of my first daughter in 2011. After seeing images of adorable babies in seasonal setups, I thought to myself “I can do that!”. At first I partnered with a local photographer doing set design and marketing. I’d create the mini sets and advertisements to match that he would use to promote and grow his business while gaining free images of what I thought was the cutest baby in Fort Collins. I slowly merged into lighting assistant, session scheduling, customer service, and photo editor. I even designed a streamlined website to help him get more business! I was doing everything EXCEPT taking the actual photo. After a rough divorce, I sought out community in the local punk music scene. I had decided I wanted to continue photography but needed to first learn how to efficiently shoot in manual. Low light photography had been a consistent challenge for me so, it was time to figure it out. I attended many local punk shows with camera in hand to really nail down this previously challenging lighting condition. Before long, I was giving full galleries of images to local bands and came up with Rasor Sharp Photography! I was able to use my portfolio from the local shows to gain media passes to bigger, more well known music acts like Flogging Molly, L.S. Dunes, In The Whale and so many more. Now I operate a successful portrait business that helps provide supplemental income for the girls and I, which I hope to launch into a full time career in the near future.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Rasor Sharp Photography offers senior portraits, concert photography, and small business branding. As a punk feminist, I tend to focus on the punk music scene and woman owned small businesses. I am different than other photography businesses due to my eclectic photography style and straight forward pricing. Photography somewhat comes naturally to me as far as composition and framing, learning lighting techniques is another story. Every single photoshoot I have, I leave realizing something I could have done differently or a technique I had forgotten about. It is an ever growing craft with endless techniques and skills to acquire!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A trip to Fort Collins would include a walk through Old Town to check out local shops like Curiosities, Nature’s Own, and Walnut Creek. We’d grab some lunch at Coopersmith’s and stop into Pinball Jones for a few rounds of pinball. I’d take visitors to The Lyric to check out the quirky art displayed and to catch a show. We’d spend the bulk of our time exploring local natural areas. We’d have to stop at Gryphon Comics to get our fill of nerd stuff and hit up Surfside7 for Karaoke night!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to thank Mic Gormley with Blast N Scrap for always welcoming me at their shows and allowing me to photograph the local acts…my partner, Rob Boehm for always pushing me to try new techniques and supporting me through my crippling imposter syndrome… and my daughters Haidyn and Natalie, they are the reason I continue to push to grow this business!

Website: www.rasorsharpphotos.com

Instagram: @rasor.blades

Facebook: @Rasor_Sharp

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