Some people come to photography with a camera. I came to it with a decade of other jobs first — and that's exactly what makes the work different.
Before I shot campaigns for hotels and consumer brands, I was building them from the inside. I founded and led a fashion and travel platform, ran an in-house e-commerce photo studio, covered Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, and worked my way from journalism intern in Paris to Features Editor at one of the leading digital publications in the lifestyle and wedding space. Eventually I became Blog & Content Director for The Blonde Abroad — a Forbes-listed Top 10 travel platform — where I led editorial strategy, oversaw creative direction for brand campaigns, managed a distributed team, and collaborated with major partners including Travel + Leisure, Capital One, Chase, and Vuori.
That background gave me something most photographers don't have: I've sat on the brand side and the editorial side. I know what a marketing brief actually requires. I know how a
Meet Chelsea
Photographer, Creative Director, Content Strategist
campaign gets built, what makes it fall apart, and what imagery needs to do at every stage of the funnel — from awareness to conversion.
Which is why before I pick up a camera, I want to know where these images are going. Email campaigns, paid social, website headers, print, billboards — because that changes everything about how we shoot. Horizontal or vertical. Room for a text overlay or not. Detail shot or lifestyle moment. I'm not just delivering photos; I'm building a content library that's been thought through before a single frame is captured.
Clients describe me as a rare breed who understands how to fuse business with art — someone who knows that beautiful photography is only valuable when it's also strategic. That's the lens I bring to every project: imagery that knows exactly who it's for, what it needs to communicate, and how to make the right person stop and pay attention.
I'm based in San Diego and work with premium consumer brands, luxury hospitality properties, and lifestyle companies across the US and internationally — as a photographer, creative director, and production partner, depending on what the project calls for.
Photography lives at the intersection of art and commerce. When creative vision and commercial strategy align, that’s where the work has the most impact.
Firm believer that a well-executed pun is genuinely an art form
Grew up learning photography from my mom, which means I know how to make anyone feel at ease in front of a lens
Art history nerd who studied and lived in Paris — and will absolutely derail a museum visit with unsolicited fun facts
A Few Things...
Ask me about koalas with chlamydia
(I make a great dinner party guest)
— Amanda, Digital Account Supervisor / J Wade Public Relations
"Chelsea was so incredible to work with — extremely collaborative, open to in-the-moment ideas, and she made sure we got the shots we wanted and more. From start to finish, the whole experience was so well organized. She works seamlessly with both agency and client teams, and always makes sure everyone's needs are met."
— Liz, Brand Manager / WonderFold
"She brings fresh creative ideas, handles everything from location scouting to logistics, and just gets what we're going for. She genuinely feels like part of the team."
— Maddy, Missing Piece Marketing / Noble House Hotels
"The creative directive was magical — the best experience I've ever had working with photographers."
— Hannah, Art Director / Lively Root
"Extremely professional, detail-oriented, and has a natural eye for what looks best. We've updated all of our imagery with hers and our site looks so much better — she delivered exactly what we needed across email, website, and social."
