let's get to know each other
My name is Victoria Natale Miller
I'm a wedding and portrait photographer, based in Staunton, Virginia. I first picked up a camera when I was maybe 3 years old and haven't put one down since. Memories fade over time but a well-kept photo can last generations. I love knowing I am preserving precious memories that you will hold on to for many years.
Outside of photography I love reading, traveling, hiking, dancing, playing with my kittens, painting, and enjoying a nice cup of tea.
More than just a Portrait Photographer
I started my photography journey when I was just 3 years old, but I have been doing it professionally since I was in high school. Many photographers believe they have to choose just one niche within a category (for example within portrait photography they may only shoot weddings, or seniors, or families) but that was just never my style or desire. I love all the stages of human development and being able to photograph seniors who then had me photograph their wedding and then their growing families has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. I strive to create beautiful, meaningful art that is worthy of the generations it will be shared with and the story it has to tell. Before taking photography as seriously, I was actually training to become a ballerina. I still teach sometimes, and I even still take classes just for fun. I love the challenge and the artistry. I believe this makes me a better photographer as well. I know the body and how it moves, what looks natural and elegant vs what looks awkward and funny. When I begin photographing whether it's a session or a wedding, I come into it with the knowledge of the arts I have been trained in (dance, music, painting, writing, drawing, and filming) and each one brings an element to photography that adds a depth and shows a person - that is when I know I have created a portrait and not just a picture.
You know that feeling when you dont want a moment to end? Me too - thats why I picked up a camera.
It is easy to think that booking a professional photoshoot is only for those who are big on posting to social media these days. But it is so much more. When your flowers die from your wedding and the kids are all grown up, what preserves the memories? Photos do. Whether you post them on Facebook or print them to store in an album, those will be the photos you reach for to show your grandkids one day.
Those will be the photos that make you say, "I remember when...". Photography to me is more than just getting the Instagram worthy shot. It is about capturing a true and authentic self and the memories you are creating with your friends and family in those moments. A photograph allows you to travel back in time to those moments, and I think that is one of the most beautiful and amazing things.
Take a look at some of my personal photographs from my travels
My Own Memories
I love to travel, and I have been to several different countries and places. These photos are special to me because when I look at them, I can remember exactly where I was and the weather those days and the people I was with and the things I did. I can remember how I felt and the hopes and the dreams that I had at those times. Yes, even the photos of the flowers I took for a reason.
"You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved."
-Ansel Adams