Photo Credit: Nityia Przewlocki
About Melina Meza
Growing up in Northern California, I found solace and inspiration in the natural world, shaping my path as both a lens-based artist and a wellness advocate. At the heart of my practice lies a reverence for the present moment, where mindfulness and artistic expression intertwine. Through my images, I explore the profound connection between inner peace and the Earth’s awe-inspiring beauty. Photography, for me, is a meditative act of co-creation with the nature.
My work incorporates a diverse array of techniques, including in-camera multiple exposures, motion, and macro photography, resulting in a poetic interpretation of the landscape.
Beyond aesthetics, my creative alliance with nature is grounded in an understanding of its healing properties. As a passionate advocate for healthy living, I strive to share the transformative benefits of immersing oneself outdoors. Through my art and teachings, I want to inspire others to cultivate a meaningful connection with their environment, fostering harmony, joy, and a sense of belonging.
-
2025 Nature Medicine and Poetic Landscape, Uptown Gallery, Oakland, CA
2024 Nature Muse, Home Gallery, Oakland, CA
2023 Yosemite Dream, Home Gallery, Oakland, CA
2023 Reciprocity, NY2CA Gallery, Benicia, CA
2022 Pause, Next Space Co-Working, Santa Cruz, CA
2022 Poetic Nature, Home Gallery, Oakland, CA
2022 Pause, The Lightroom, Berkeley, CA
2021 Following the Light, Home Gallery, Oakland, CA
2018 Enchanted Landscapes, Home Gallery, Oakland, CA
2017 Wonderment, Home Gallery, Oakland, CA
2016 Dreamscapes, Home Gallery, Oakland, CA
2014 Yogis in Nature, Mountain Yoga, Oakland, CA
2014 Yogis in Nature, Berkeley Iron Works, Berkeley, CA
2013 Branching, Rare Bird, Oakland, CA
2012 In Season and On the Go, 8 Limbs Yoga Centers, Seattle, WA
-
2026
Orange Crush, Gray Loft Gallery, Juror Ann Jastrab and Jan Watten, Oakland, CA
2025
The Favorite Picture You Took in 2024, Lenscratch Part 13, Juror Aline Smithson, (online)
Purple, Gray Loft Gallery, Juror Ann Jastrab and Jan Watten, Oakland, CA
Alameda on Camera, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
2025 Member’s Juried Exhibition, Juror Allie Haeusslein, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA
Botanical: The Art of Plants, Juror Wendi Schneider, Photo Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT
Water, Juror Catherine Couturier, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
Color + Space, Juror Ann Jastrab, Photo Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT
Sanchez 50/50, Jurors Melissa Kreisa and Rose Sellery, Pacifica, CA
8×10 Fundraising Exhibition, Juror Ann Jastrab, Center for Photographic Arts, Carmel, CA
Botanicals - Flora of the World, Juror Lee Ann White, Decagon Gallery (online)
Ghosts, Goblins & Other Apparitions Exhibition, Juror Aline Smithson, (online)
Portals, Juror Ann Jastrab, A Smith Gallery, Johnston City, TX
2024
The Sheridan Prize for Art, Juror Eduardo Soler, Oakland, CA (online)
Exquisite Little Things, Gray Loft Gallery, Juror Jan Watten, Oakland, CA
Human Presence: Faces, Figures, Crowds, Belvedere Tiburon Library, CA
Motion, East Bay Photo Collective, Juror Malcolm Wallace, Oakland, CA
Landscape, Photo Place Gallery, Juror Ann Jastrab, Middlebury, VT (online)
Unmoored, A Smith Gallery, Juror Deborah Klomp Ching, Johnson, TX
East Bay Depot for Creative Use Auction, East Bay Depot, Oakland, CA (online)
Among the Trees, Gray Loft Gallery, Juror Jan Watten, Oakland, CA
Summer, Southeast Center for Photography, Juror Aline Smithson, Greenville, SC
Yosemite Muse Collection, The Grand Gallery, Oakland, CA
A Sense of Place, Photo Place Gallery, Juror Paula Tognarelli, Middlebury, VT
All About the Light, Southeast Center for Photography, Juror Michael Pannier, Greenville, SC
Sanctuary, A Smith Gallery, Juror Kevin Tully, Johnson City, TX
Alameda on Camera, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
Interiors, J A Smith Gallery, Juror Ann Mitchell, Johnson City, TX
Pretty in Pink, Gray Loft Gallery, Juror Ann Jastrab and Jan Watten, Oakland, CA
The Favorite Picture You Took in 2023, Lenscratch Part 13, Juror Aline Smithson, (online)
2023
The de Young Open, The de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
Summer Salon, Gray Loft Gallery, Juror Jan Watten, Oakland, CA
Quiet Landscapes, Photo Place Gallery, Juror Wendi Schneider, Middlebury, VT
The Get Aways, H Gallery, Ventura, CA
2022
Shades of Gray, Gray Loft Gallery, Juror Ann Jastrab and Jan Watten, Oakland, CA
-
Chappaqua Crossing Building, Chappaqua, NY
Washington Township Building, Swell, NJ
-
Honorable Mention, Color + Space, Juror Ann Jastrab, Photo Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT
Winner Monochrome, Alameda on Camera, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
Honorable Mention, The Sheridan Prize for Art, Juror Eduardo Soler, Oakland, CA
Director’s Award, Sanctuary, A Smith Gallery, Juror Kevin Tully, Johnson City, TX
-
2011 Becoming Landscape Series, A Smith Gallery
-
2022 Poetic Nature Collection, Limited Edition, Self-Published
-
Wide Open, SHOTS Magazine Issue No. 167 Summer 2025
Surfacing, Sun Magazine, January Issue 2025
Introvert, Sun Magazine, December Issue 2024
Unmoored, Exhibition catalog. A Smith Gallery, September 2024
A Sense of Place, Exhibition catalog. Photo Place Gallery June 2024
All About the Light, Exhibition catalog. Southeast Center for Photography June 2024
Sanctuary, Exhibition catalog, A Smith Gallery March 2024
Interiors, Exhibition catalog. A Smith Gallery, January 2024
Moving Pictures, SHOTS Magazine Issue No. 162 Winter 2024
Quiet Landscapes, Exhibition catalog. Photo Place Gallery June 2023
-
2025
Treasure Hunt Retreat: Yoga and Photography, Southern Iceland
Treasure Hunt Retreat: Yoga and Photography, New Orleans
Art of Seeing – Photography and Mentorship
2024
Treasure Hunt Retreat: Yoga and Photography, Marfa to Big Bend, TX
Yoga and Creativity Retreat, Feathered Pipe Ranch, Helena, MT
Treasure Hunt Retreat: Yoga and Photography, Joshua Tree, CA
Treasure Hunt Retreat: Yoga and Photography, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Awakening the Muse, Photography and Mentorship Online Course
2023
Treasure Hunt Retreat: Yoga and Photography, Joshua Tree, CA
2022
Art of Seeing – Photography for Beginners 3 Week Online Course
Art of Seeing – Photography for Beginners 3 Week Online Course
-
2023 Portfolio Review Course CCSF with Sarah Christianson, San Francisco, CA
2022 Summer Mentorship with William Neill (online)
2018 Finding Focus with Tony Rizutto at Photographer’s Breakthrough, Vancouver, Canada
2017 Rocky Mountain School of Photography – People and Story Telling, Missoula, MT
2016 Rocky Mountain School of Photography – Intermediate Photography, Missoula, MT
1995 Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, Bastyr University, Seattle, WA
-
2023
Juror, Alameda On Camera, Frank Bette Center, Alameda, CA
-
2024-Present East Bay Photo Collective
2022-Present Griffin Museum of Photography
2023-Present Berkeley Art Center
2022-Present Center for Photographic Art (CPA)
2022-Present The de Young Museum
2021-Present UC Berkeley Botanical Garden