Bored with academics since the 7th grade, Chelsie Parish wasn’t sure what to do after high school. Like many young adults graduating high school, she loved the social aspects of school but felt the pressure to choose a path. Passionate about photography, Chelsie wanted to explore that, but with the fewest classes in general studies as possible. She attended a Maricopa County Community College event with her mom and discovered ұ had a great photography program. She qualified for an honors scholarship–her boredom with academics did not reflect her work ethic–so she pursued the photography-focused creative classes at ұ.
“The entire program taught me so much,” Chelsie said. “There was a wide variety of classes–from art history to commercial photography to editing–and most of the teachers were professional photographers or creatives who happened to be teaching.” Faculty shared their real-life experiences in class lessons spanning different subjects. Two photography teachers who stood out to Chelsie were Jennifer Laffoon, Coordinator of Photography Studies, and .
ұ Photography Faculty Expand Photo Know-how and Business Skills
Jennifer taught Chelsie the basics of photography and shooting with film. “These days, everyone can click a button and have 1,000 images on a phone ready for display,” she said. However, knowing how to compose a photo, ensure the lighting is right, and develop film, with the possibility of not a single photo working out, made Chelsie think of the movie Karate Kid. “Jennifer mentored me in a personal project for the honors program, which led to the project.” Inspired by photographer Brandon Stanton, who started Humans of New York, Chelsie appreciated that Brandon’s photos weren’t just about the art of a photo but more about his conversations with the person on the other side of the lens, so she focused on keeping her photos documentary and journalistic rather than fine art. Jennifer guided her through sorting the images to find those that worked and offered enough variety to make the piece feel complete. Chelsie said, “Jennifer was also able to find me space in the ұ library to display my project for a few weeks.”
“Jesse Rieser was my commercial photography teacher,” Chelsie said. “He kick-started my photography business by assigning us projects like creating business cards, making an Instagram presence, and creating websites for our future clients. “The real-life assignments allowed me to have the platform for my business before graduating.” Chelsie also noted that Jessie is a renowned photographer and gave great advice on how to go after commercial clients and brands and be professional on sets. “He also connected me to photographer Nicky Hedayatzadeh, who I interned alongside for six months.”
Chelsie Parish Photography is Launched
With this experience, Chelsie started her own business,. Yet, she considers it more of a side hustle. “I feared the stress of making money would take away from my creative joy while doing it. Every artist’s worst nightmare, right?” I have a full-time job but can still run my photography business because I have all the fundamentals and skills from my experience at ұ.” After graduating from ұ with an Associate’s degree, Chelsie found a community of photographers to continue to learn from and be inspired by. “You can always continue to grow and learn in and out of a classroom,” she said.
She admits owning any business can be challenging and a source of great pride. “I have some days where I feel overwhelmed trying to schedule multiple shoots, find time to edit the photos and face the constant insecurities of wondering if my clients will like my work. Yet, when I look back at the pictures I have taken, I feel pride in my artistry, knowing I was the one who brought the camera and froze time for them.”
Advice for Other Photographers and Creatives
Her best advice for other photographers or artists would be to push the internal self-doubt to the back of your mind and go for it. “There will always be a level of wondering, Am I good enough? But you will never get better if you don’t try.” She said that experience–and the experiments of shooting at weird angles–might lead to your favorite photo. However, she considers one piece of advice essential: “Always, always, always download and back up your photos as soon as you can!”
Do you have an interest in opening a photography studio or becoming a freelance photographer? Want to elevate the photography in your social media posts? Have a business where photography is essential to selling your product: food, fashion, or art? Explore ұ’s Photography Program and make your mark in the visual world with a Certificate in Commercial and Freelance Photography or an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science in Photography with the option to transfer to university.