Chelsie Parish Photography

I love pretty photos. It's golden hour, the lighting is perfect, the angles are just right, the quality is excellent, and the smiles are big. But that is not what made me a photographer. I annoyed my friends and family at every function by asking for group photos, saying 'just one more,' sneaking up behind them and surprising them with a flash. Now, as we have grown, graduated, accomplished career goals, found our people, lost our loved ones, I have had so many close ones thank me for always having my camera around. I look back at my ever-changing life and love seeing the memories frozen in time. Holding hands, staring out windows, sports events, silly faces that I don't want to be posted on social media. Even the so-called bad memories, things you wouldn't expect to want to be documented, have some of the greatest recollections for me as I've seen improvement from those moments; I have physical proof of a lesson learned.

This journey began in the sixth grade when I received my first camera as a birthday gift from my parents. Suddenly, I became the official photographer for our family vacations, dinners, and annual traditions like Christmas Eve in New Mexico. My passion for capturing moments only deepened in high school, where my involvement in the yearbook committee eventually led me to serve as editor-in-chief, a role that taught me the importance of preserving memories through images.

As I contemplated the future, my heart was set on photography. I pursued my dream at Phoenix College, where I graduated with an Associate's degree in Digital Photography in December 2016. That education was not just about learning the technical aspects of photography; it was about refining my ability to see and capture the world and the people around me in their most authentic moments.

It is nothing short of an honor to now capture your milestones, celebrations, achievements, busy Tuesdays, lazy Sundays, toddlers crying, first dates turned into 'I dos', rainy Aprils, 'but it's a dry heat' Julys and everything in between. I'm not just taking photos; I'm freezing moments in your life that will never be the same again as in that frame. My work, your memories, will be more valuable as time progresses. Let's immortalize them together.

Cheers! -Chelsie