I’m an Australian-based photographer specialising in environmental and portrait photography, with a focus on storytelling that captures the deep connections between people, place, and nature. My work sits at the intersection of fine art and documentary, often exploring the impact of humanity on the environment — and vice versa.

Over the years, I’ve been honoured as a finalist in the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize, the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize, and the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year (ANZANG), where I won the “Our Impact” category and have been shortlisted multiple times.

Whether I’m working in wild landscapes or creating intimate portraits, I aim to produce images that are both visually striking and emotionally resonant. My photography is available for editorial, conservation, commercial, and commissioned projects across Australia and beyond.

Part of the River on the Brink exhibition, Menindee Fish Kill is a powerful photographic work capturing artist Bonita Ely lying in the drying bed of the Murray-Darling River at the site of the devastating 2019 Menindee fish kills. This collaborative image responds to the ecological collapse of Australia’s largest river system, documenting Ely’s performance as a gesture of mourning and environmental protest.

Photographed on-site during the aftermath of one of Australia’s worst environmental disasters, the work confronts viewers with the stark reality of water mismanagement, climate crisis, and ecological grief. Menindee Fish Kill invites reflection on the fragility of the Murray-Darling Basin and the cultural and environmental implications of its decline.

This collaboration forms part of a broader dialogue on water, climate, and care – central themes of the River on the Brink exhibition.

NOTICE:

For many years, my brother, Michael, who resides in the US, has created several hundred imposter/fake social media accounts, defamatory blogs with false information and e-mail addresses using my name, likeness and images. Currently, there is an intervention order in place that was issued in Australia in December 2021 and is registered as a Foreign Intervention Order in Nashville, Tennessee, which was EFILED on 12/13/21 04:04 PM CASE NO. 21X891 by Richard R. Rooker, Clerk.

The intervention order doesn’t deter him as he is still actively impersonating me.

E-MAIL CONTACT: info@melissawilliamsbrown.com or melissaw1970@gmail.com.