In Melissa’s images, the human body transforms into a means of expression, with the city as a backdrop for her intricately choreographed works to perform. With a degree in Documentary Photography from The Royal Academy of Art in the Hague, and a background in dance and movement, there are two disciplines that closely inform Melissa’s approach. Often improvising on set, Melissa welcomes serendipity in her compositions, beginning with ideas that are re-interpreted and re-shaped by the talent, letting performances happen naturally in front of her camera. 

Published in 2020, her award-winning publication ‘The City is a Choreography’ set the foundations for this method, and sees Melissa explore parallels between dance and daily life on the streets of a city. “I perceive the camera as a powerful tool where fact and fiction can work together to explore modern, social issues.” Alongside her editorial and commercial practice, Melissa is currently exploring the dynamics of female friendship and sisterhood in landmark project Ode, casting twenty-five pairs of best friends to capture their unique relationships.

Melissa Schriek

Melissa Schriek - Companion Photographer - Ode

Melissa Schriek - Companion Photographer - Hot Potato

Hot Potato

Overview

The Act of Protection, Duel

Future Figures

Fashion

ANIMA

Fitness Loss, The New York Times

Editorial

Travel

Last One Standing

Melissa Schriek - Photographer - Nike Dance

Nike Dance

Airbnb Portugal

Melissa Schriek - Companion Photographer - tanzhaus nrw

tanzhaus nrw

Commissions

Portfolios

Melissa Schriek - Companion Photographer - The City is a Choreography

The City is a Choreography

The City Is A Choreography

Melissa’s landmark project and publication 'The City Is A Choreography' explores how we connect meaningfully to our built environment. Photographed over three years, in cities around the world from Berlin to Los Angeles, Melissa uses her background in dance and documentary photography to address what it means to belong to a place. On this subject, she says, "I see the city as a place of constant movement, a rhythm we become part of once we step on to the streets".

Personal

Melissa Schriek - Companion Photographer - Personal

Melissa Schriek - Companion Photographer - ANIMA

Schauspiel Frankfurt

Balagan Studio

Melissa Schriek - Companion Photographer - Self-Portraits

Self-Portraits

Amsterdam-based photographer Melissa Schriek’s work explores the border between staged and documentary photography, using her photographs as a tool to raise questions about how we relate to one another and our environment.