We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ryan Mello. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ryan below.
Ryan, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I just feel like I’m supposed to keep going. Like my mission isn’t quite complete. I’ve always got one more shot to take or one more hurtle to climb over. Giving up while seemingly easy is and never will be an option!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
From Group Homes to the Gallery: The Grit and Vision of a West Texas Film Photographer
If you asked him where it all started, he’d probably tell you it was long before the war, before the long-haul drives across the country, even before the darkroom smell of fixer became second nature. For this Odessa-based film photographer, the camera has always been there—quietly documenting, quietly healing.
At 14, his world shifted. His mother gave him up, and he found himself navigating the uncertainty of Massachusetts group homes, including Salem’s Plummer Home. It was a rough start—formative, but not defining. “I think I was always shooting with a purpose, even before I realized what that purpose was,” he says. “Back then, I didn’t know I was telling stories—I just knew I wanted to capture something real.”
At 18, he joined the Army with a dream: become a combat correspondent, tell stories from the front lines, lens in hand. But military needs had other plans—he was assigned as a track vehicle mechanic. Still, even on deployment—twice to Iraq—he found ways to keep shooting, even if only in fragments. But war leaves its own impressions. What followed was a spiral: years of struggling with alcoholism, a long, dark chapter that nearly drowned the creative voice he’d nurtured since childhood.
Then came the road.
Driving trucks cross-country might not sound romantic, but for someone trying to rebuild himself, it was everything. “It gave me space—physical and mental—to breathe. To see the country. To fall in love with it,” he says. Those endless highways and small-town pit stops reignited something powerful: his obsession with photography. Only now, it had evolved.
Today, he shoots exclusively on film. “There’s something about film—it forces you to slow down, to be intentional. It’s unforgiving, but that’s what makes it beautiful.” His go-to gear? A well-worn Mamiya C3, a Minolta SRT-101, and a Canon A-1—each with its own history, its own quirks, just like their owner. He develops and scans all his own negatives, and in fact, he’s the only film developing service currently operating in Odessa, Texas.
By day, he manages field operations in the oil industry—rugged work in a rugged place. But by night, he’s plotting his next move: opening a gallery and studio space of his own. “I want to build something here, something permanent. A place where people can experience photography the way I do—not just as images, but as stories, as memory, as truth.”
His work straddles both the commercial and the artistic—rooted in realness, never forced. “I shoot like I see it. That’s all I’ve ever done.”
From abandoned group homes to war zones, from the isolation of the open road to the raw honesty of film grain, his life has always been about capturing what’s real—even when it hurts. And now, through the lens of a camera, he’s telling those stories—on his own terms.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Rooted in empathy, patience, and genuine human connection, my greatest strengths lie in interpersonal communication and the ability to meet people where they are. Whether leading a team or working one-on-one, kindness and understanding are always at the forefront. Technically, I believe mastery comes from relentless curiosity—especially with film photography. I’ve committed myself to studying all aspects of the craft: from chemistry and camera mechanics to history and artistic theory. If you’re going to work with film, you should know it inside and out.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Over the past year, my biggest growth has come from fully committing myself to film photography. What started as a creative outlet has become a disciplined craft and a daily practice. I’ve gone all-in—shooting, developing, scanning, and studying everything I can about film. It’s more than just taking pictures now; it’s about understanding the entire process from exposure to emulsion. That dedication has sharpened my eye, deepened my patience, and pushed me to create with more intention and authenticity than ever before. Film has taught me to slow down, trust my instincts, and respect the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rcmellophotography.shootproof.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.cmellophotography?igsh=MWZlYWVteHZpMDlzNg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18YiDPEQh2/
Image Credits
R.C Mello Photography
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