Melissa McGaw is a freelance editorial photographer who specializes in travel, natural history, and outdoor recreation.

Her assignments have taken her from southern coastal swamps to mountain hills and coves, from the studio to the interiors of quaint Inns, from equestrian stables to craftsmen’s’ workshops.

Her career began in 1985 when she became a photographic assistant to Jim Erickson, a renowned commercial photographer. After a few years she left the advertising world and joined the NC Wildlife Resources Commission as a staff photographer for their monthly publication Wildlife in NC. During her fourteen years with the commission, she used her fine arts background combined with skills acquired in the studio to bring a unique perspective to her editorial assignments.

Melissa’s work has appeared in national publications such as Wildlife Conservation, Innsider, American Forests, Spur, Defenders, and Cowboys & Indians. On the regional level she has been published in Wildlife in NC, Mid-Atlantic Country, Friends of Wildlife and Coastwatch magazines.

She makes her home in Cary, North Carolina.