We recently connected with Chelsea Chavez and have shared our conversation below.

Chelsea , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

My name is Chelsea. I am a self-taught portrait and wedding photographer living between Los Angeles and Hong Kong. I specialise in creating fine-art-inspired photography that imparts an ethereal, soft, and romantic feeling to the audience. My photography inspiration comes from both eastern and western cultures, which I find unique and unlike any other. I am proud that I am a self-taught photographer and am able to get featured by popular wedding magazines like Bride & Breakfast within the first year of my career. I I first started photography when I was in Hong Kong and had just gotten engaged. Experiencing the joy of being captured in the celebration of special life moments inspired me. I wanted to be the one who could capture the authentic moments and emotions that people cherish. Photography, to me, is about capturing a passing moment that is true.

Being a photographer is never a smooth road. There is constant competition with other talented photographers in SoCal. Additionally, moving from Hong Kong to LA, I have encountered cultural differences that I am working to adapt to. In a fast-evolving industry like photography, staying updated with the latest trends, techniques, and technologies can be challenging for self-taught photographers like myself. However, with a self-motivated personality, I always want to learn and advance my knowledge in photography by reading books and videos. I also enjoy connecting with other like-minded photographers to learn from each other. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to build connections with several talented and successful photographers from whom I have learned a great deal. Working as a team with them has been incredibly beneficial and amazing to me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I specialise in creating fine-art-inspired photography that gives a dreamy and ethereal vibe. I am proud that I am a self-taught photographer and am able to get featured by popular wedding magazines like Bride & Breakfast within the first year of my career. If you would like to know more, feel free to check out my website and instagram.

website: www.chelslcwphotography.com
instagram: www.instagram.com/chelslcw.photography

Weddings starting from $1800
Engagement starting from $400
Family Portrait starting from $350

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Life is all about people, moments & emotions that we want to hold on to. I believe my main driving force in my creative journey is my passion to capture the love and connection between people. It also allows me to get to know my clients’ stories, which always bring me joy in my creative work.

Through my art, aiming for emotional resonance for my audience, I wish to also create emotional connections through my photos that enable my clients to revisit when they need to. Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything

Have you ever had to pivot?

Other than being a photographer, I am also aiming to pursue PhD degree in clinical neuropsychology. I love how photography enables me to explore the artistic side of my life while my main job allows me to explore humanity scientifically.
I love both perspectives as they both enrich my vision towards life. However, Balancing two career goals can be challenging but with effective time management and prioritization, it can be manageable. For example, I will allocate specific hours/days to each job. This could be alternating days or certain hours dedicated to each job. I would also Identify the most critical tasks for each job and ensure they are completed first. With clear priorities and allocation, pivoting between multiple roles is possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chelslcwphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelslcw.photography