Photos by Marc Melkie.

Through half closed eyes. 

My name is Marc Michel Melkie. With a name like that I probably should have been a country western pop star, instead I pretend to be a world famous DJ like Kaskade. I have two beautiful daughters and an even more beautiful wife. While I might do fractions and HSPUs better than her, she is stronger than me in many ways that I'll never gain on. 

The majority of the scars on my hands are either from shucking oysters or being shot by semunitions. I never knew back then just how much I would become to depend on my hands in my careers. Yeah I used to work for the Dept of State while I attended LSU. Even applied for the secret service. Worked in the construction/ engineering world, my actual undergraduate major, for a few years and intended on going to law school. Even sat for the LSAT. Completely changed directions and wound up in chiropractic school after attend Vale Tudo classes at Parker University. People think it's two completely different fields until I explain to them no it's simpler - it's only mechanics of one machine vs many.  My friends who have become attorneys generally advise people against going to law school, it's a brave new world and not very forgiving. The state of Texas considers me a doctor, yeah ... I know. And with all the jobs and work I've done, I currently work for one of the best companies on the planet. That's not an exaggeration- besides our company being honestly ranked as one, we help people heal and rid them of their pain while being there to help one another to help their patients. 

I do believe in purpose and that there's a ghost in the shell.  I am ridiculously blessed with this understanding and try to hone my God given skills with the help of my Band of Brothers. Photography, painting and art in general is one of the only things I really remember doing and enjoying from under the age of 8 to this day almost 30 years later. There's always crests and troughs, but I've never deviated. I really only try to show what beauty there is out there to see so people can know it does exist. Fine art and photography is what I consider opulence and I am fortunate that I've been able to dance, taste and contribute to this world.

I am available for commission, so feel free to reach out. Oh, and I have a chiweenie and a long-haired dachshund. 

Might still do the law school one day. Man, that's a lot of reading, though. I haven't even read over all this nonsense that I wrote.