Photo Editor Melissa Houston gets ready for a dance recital in 2007. The moment reflects her early years of passion for performing, which would later inspire her career in journalism and photography. Photo courtesy of Melissa Houston
For as long as I can remember, I have always lived in front of a camera. Whether it was through dance videos, gymnastic competitions or even just embracing my outgoing nature, my life has been a constant performance for the lens. But with this constant spotlight I put on myself also came an underlying pressure to follow a mold that the camera seemed to create for me.
It wasn’t just this expectation of perfection from myself, it was the feeling that my entire existence — like how I looked, spoke or interacted — was constantly under review and being evaluated and critiqued. The worst part? The harshest critic was usually myself.
If my teachers weren’t the ones dissecting my movements or appearance, I usually did it for them. Every detail was magnified, and perfection seemed to be the only acceptable outcome for me.
Even through all the pressure, I still had a love for creativity. From a young age, I found a passion for documenting my life through a lens that captured me in my truest form. As I made these videos, I realized what I loved was not just being in front of a camera — it was telling stories through it.
This passion brought me to where I am today, majoring in Journalism in college. It is a field that blends my love for creativity and my outgoingness into something that seemed like the perfect fit. Even though I didn’t realize it, there was still something missing.
It wasn’t until I impulsively decided to take photos for the Graphic and started experimenting with photography that realization hit me: every single photo taken is a story told through a different perspective. And that perspective doesn’t need to fit any predefined mold.
The photos I took all had their slight imperfections, but that is what made it unique and beautiful. This theory is the essence of wabi-sabi: finding beauty in the imperfect and transient. Through the blurred edges, the soft focus and moments where things did not go as planned, the photo was made meaningful and beautiful.
Though I am still learning about wabi-sabi with every photo I take, there is something really empowering about adopting this mindset. My imperfections are part of what makes me real, and accepting those imperfections has allowed me to live a life true to myself, without trying to fit a mold that doesn’t feel right.
Photography has taught me to stop striving for perfection. It has shown me the true value in embracing what is real, and the moments that aren’t flawless but are meaningful. Just like in every photo, every person has a unique story.
A camera to me now seems a tool for expression and not judgment. It is a way to capture life as it is: real. And it is no longer about fitting into the camera’s lens — it’s about finding the one that fits me.
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Contact Melissa Houston via email: melissa.houston@pepperdine.edu
