We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Celeste Moore a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Celeste, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I want be remembered as a hardworking artist who tries to bring the conversation of being black and working in such a privileged industry to light. Being a photographer and making connections is already hard enough as is, but being black and a woman who tries to bring out topics that make you really dig deeper into our culture is what I strive to do for my work.

Celeste, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hello, my name is Celeste Moore. I am a growing photographer and stylist that is based in Cleveland, OH. I grew up in Bowie, MD but went to college at the Cleveland Institute of Art, This is where I got my bachelor’s degree in Photography. I first began my photographic journey with self-portraits, which has helped me gain a lot of confidence in myself while still learning what I am capable of creating and doing for other people when I work on their portraits. I bring out the many personalities through my work, while also experimenting a lot with every photoshoot I do. Whether that be trying a new lighting style, new camera, different lens, etc. I have many creative outlets that span Illustration and graphic design. All these things mesh into my work whenever I create new concepts and ideas.

The work I am most proud of would be my C.R.O.W.N series which showcases the diversity of black hair and women in general. This was the thesis project that I worked on for a year, which included a photo book, stickers, posters, and a documentary video that could be watched to show the progress of each hairstyle that was included in my show.

Now that I am opening my services to potential clients, I want them to feel comfortable and truly be themselves while in my presence and the camera. I know most people are camera shy but I really take pride in setting an environment that is safe and also fun, which really helps my models shake off that shyness and really start to feel beautiful. I enjoy capturing those authentic smiles or intense gazes in my work, which can be enhanced with lighting. I like to have fun with my photos and the people I am working with!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Seeing how your work turns out after a photoshoot.

Of course, I always check during the shoot to make sure my focus and lighting are right. However, when you actually have a moment to sit down and admire how far you’ve come, it can be really rewarding. Sometimes artist are their own critics, we are too hard on ourselves and sometimes forget how far we’ve come and just how much we have improved from the beginning. Being reminded after seeing such raw images can be uplifting.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m still building my audience but consistency is the key! We all have our burnouts and moments of tiredness, just don’t stay in this headspace for too long because you’ll never create again. I’ve learned that if you stay consistent, even interacting with your audience on older imagery can be really helpful with your engagement. TikTok is a powerful tool as well. Creating those videos and gaining an audience is easy. You just need to keep it up in order to build a loyal base.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.celeste-moore.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celeste.creatives/?igshid=NzAzN2Q1NTE%3D
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx4bUyeV5eivfQjlyAmulUA
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@celeste.creatives?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Image Credits
I would like to thank Britt Miller, Brittany Galloway, Rada, Ewuresi Archer, and Crystal Miller for allowing me to take photos of them!