From Disposable Cameras to Documenting Your Beautiful Reality
You know how some stories just quietly unfold, shaping us in ways we don't even realize until much later? For me, my own story has always had a camera woven right through it. It’s been this constant presence, watching quietly, and eventually, it became the way I found my true calling: capturing the beautiful, unposed reality of your life.
The Foundations of a Lifelong Passion
I can barely remember a time when I didn't have a camera in my hand. From a young age, I’d always have a disposable camera with me, just snapping pictures with friends for fun. At summer camp, we even had darkroom photography as an activity sometimes. It was so cool walking around camp, finding creative ways to take pictures, and then the whole process of developing the film – the quiet anticipation of watching the images emerge and come to life.
It was so cool walking around camp, finding creative ways to take pictures, and then the whole process of developing the film – the quiet anticipation of watching the images emerge and come to life.
High school deepened that early interest, with darkroom photography teaching me a lot about light, composition, and the technical side of things, and then a digital photography course showing me all the cool stuff you could do with Photoshop.
Then, fast forward to my senior year of college when I had a semester with just one required class. That left my schedule wide open, so I picked a photography class. I borrowed my dad’s DSLR for the semester and learned even more about both the technical and creative aspects, including more Photoshop. After college, I had to give the camera back, and my cell phone became my main camera for the next ten years.
I’d been looking for a hobby, and photography kept popping into my head. Then my dad mentioned he was finally getting a new camera, and I casually asked what he was going to do with his old DSLR. He didn’t have any plans, so he just gave it to me. It was perfect timing!
It had been so long since I’d used a "real" camera. Words like aperture and shutter speed sounded familiar, but actually controlling the settings? That was a different story. My dad’s advice was, "Just set it on auto, you’ll get great pictures!" But I wanted more than "great pictures." I wanted to re-learn the technique, to understand light, and truly control my camera. So, I found Jared Polin online and bought his "Guide to Getting Out of Auto." Things really started to click for me again. I even started a blog, "Live & Learn Photography," to share my journey of re-learning and re-connecting with photography.
Once I felt comfortable shooting in manual, I started exploring Adobe Lightroom. I quickly realized most photographers did a lot of their editing there, which was new to me since I’d only learned Photoshop in my high school and college classes. So, I dove into Lightroom too. After about a year, I was getting some pretty good images, but I could tell that the ancient DSLR my dad handed down could only take me so far. That’s when I decided to invest in a new mirrorless camera.
The Quiet Shift from Hobby to a Deeper Purpose
At that point, it felt like time for a fresh start. I basically burned everything to the ground in a good way – deleted my old blog, started a whole new one on a new website, and rebranded to Mel Usry Photography. Over the next year, I shot and blogged about my vacations, things happening in my life, my first professional branding photoshoot, and some events I attended. This was a great way for me to continue practicing and honing in on my skills as a photographer, but left me still unsure of how to actually turn this passion into a business. I didn’t know what I wanted to photograph, and I didn’t really know why.
The journey truly deepened when I became a mother. I suddenly understood on a visceral level how quickly a season can pass—how a moment can feel slow while you're living it, but impossibly fleeting when you look back. It was through this lens that I discovered Made for Mothers.That community was the catalyst, the gentle nudge that shifted Mel Usry Photography from a personal blog into a business – something I’d been quietly dreaming of ever since that DSLR landed in my hands back in 2022. As a community rooted in a family-first philosophy, Made for Mothers helped me learn the business side of things while keeping what’s most important centered in my life. It was a gentle reminder that you can grow a business without sacrificing your own values, and that the best work comes from a place of authenticity, not hustle.
The journey truly deepened when I became a mother. I suddenly understood on a visceral level how quickly a season can pass—how a moment can feel slow while you're living it, but impossibly fleeting when you look back.
Through Made for Mothers, I learned about Molly Balint, the founder of the SOFT business movement. Soft, is the most perfect word to describe how I like to live my life, and how I wanted to start my business. I’ve always been the quiet one in the room, and how seen I felt to learn that you CAN run a business in this way. I signed up for her last round of SOFT Business School, and this newfound clarity was solidified.
I finally understood my deepest "why" and how my personal journey as a mom—as someone who deeply cherishes those unposed, in-between moments—was the foundation of my art. The dots connected. My love for documentary photography wasn’t just a style; it was a mission.
My purpose became clear: to show families the beautiful, honest truth of their everyday life.
Now, my work is about more than just taking pictures. It’s about creating a timeless legacy for families who are in love with their real life, just as it is. My ideal clients are the ones who cherish a messy kitchen, a pile of shoes by the door, and the pure joy of a slow morning together. They are the families who want to be fully present with each other, who value authenticity over a perfectly posed photo, and who want to remember the magic of this exact season of their lives.
This whole journey, from a kid with a disposable camera to a documentary photographer, has been about learning to truly see – to see the quiet connections, the unspoken stories, and the beautiful, honest truth of your life, exactly as it is.
And I’m here, ready to hand those moments back to you.
Every image and every word is part of a larger visual narrative that preserves a fleeting season of life for generations to come. If you're like me, you may be used to being the one behind the camera, but my documentary approach is all about capturing authentic moments, with you in the frame. My promise is to create a space for you to feel completely comfortable being yourselves, so your unique story can unfold naturally, and you can be part of your family's story, too.
