Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Cave.
Hi Melissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been the person with a camera in my hand. Long before photography became a business, I was the “family photographer,” documenting birthdays, holidays, and all the ordinary moments in between.
After losing my dad, those photographs took on an entirely new meaning. They became some of my most treasured possessions and taught me that photography is about so much more than creating a beautiful image. It’s about preserving people, memories, and seasons of life that we can never get back.
In 2013, that love for photography became M. Cave Photography. I built my business alongside a full-time career while raising two daughters with my husband, learning and growing along the way.
Over time, I discovered that I’m especially drawn to photographing people as they step into a new season of life. Today, I primarily photograph high school seniors through M. Cave Photography, and I also co-own The Photography Mrs, where I photograph weddings. I love both equally because they represent such meaningful transitions: one chapter ending and another beginning.
My faith and family have remained the foundation through every season of my own journey. More than a decade later, I’m incredibly grateful that I get to preserve these moments for others and give them photographs that I hope will become even more meaningful with time.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. There have been a lot of bumps along the way. I’ve experienced slow seasons, watched the photography market become more and more saturated, and had to navigate running a photography business through COVID.
At the same time, I was working a full-time career and raising my family. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I also went back to school and earned my master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources.
There have definitely been times when I’ve questioned what I was doing or wondered if I should keep going. But I think every season, even the hard and slow ones, has taught me something. Photography and the business behind it have changed so much since I started in 2013, and I’ve had to learn to change and grow with it while still staying true to why I started.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a photographer specializing in seniors and weddings, and while they may seem like two completely different things, I love them for the same reason. Both are about documenting someone right as they’re stepping into a new season of life.
Through M. Cave Photography, I photograph high school seniors and really focus on making their experience feel like them. I want to get to know their personality, what they love, and what makes their senior year unique. I also co-own The Photography Mrs, where we photograph weddings and get to document couples beginning their lives together.
I think what I’m most proud of is the relationships I’ve built along the way. Some families come back year after year, and I’ve had the opportunity to watch kids grow up, photograph siblings, and be invited back for new milestones. That means more to me than any number of followers or bookings ever could.
What sets me apart is probably that I genuinely care about the people on the other side of my camera. I want beautiful photos, of course, but I also want people to feel comfortable, seen, and like themselves. At the end of the day, I’m not just trying to create a pretty picture. I want to give someone a photograph that will mean even more to them ten or twenty years from now.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’ll listen to the occasional podcast, and I have a somewhat dusty collection of self-help and business books that I swear I’m going to finish one day! But honestly, my faith is probably the biggest resource I lean on. Scripture, prayer, and my church community help keep me grounded in both life and business.
I also find inspiration in everyday places, whether it’s something I see on social media, a new location I drive past, or an idea that randomly pops into my head. I use Canva constantly, and I’m always learning and trying new things. Even after more than a decade in photography, I don’t think you ever really stop learning or evolving.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mcavephotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcavephotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcavephotography
- Other: https://www.thephotographymrs.com
