Today we’d like to introduce you to Celena Riley.
Hi Celena, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I grew up drawing and painting in my free time and eventually developed an interest in film and directing. For the longest time that was my dream– bringing my stories to life as a director. I had such a creative mind as a kid. I was always coming up with book ideas or tv show episodes that I wanted to make real. I had an interest in photography as well and got my first point-and-shoot camera on a Disney cruise when I was 10 years old. My dad always had expensive DSLRs as a hobbyist and would teach me the technicalities of photographing. It was always a hobby of mine, but not something I ever considered to be my career until he passed away in 2015. Our family was always together to support us through that tough time and I became the designated photographer who would take photos to document it. From there, I started freelancing taking portraits of family and friends. When I picked my dream school, SCAD, I had other interests and debated what my major should have been. However, I knew that photography was my passion and that I wanted to continue my dad’s legacy knowing he would be proud of me following my dreams.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Getting to where I am today has definitely not been easy. I hate to be the person with a sob story, but my dad dying truly was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through and I would not be who I am today without it happening. Between traumatic events and growing up with an undiagnosed learning disability, mental health was something I severely struggled with. My social anxiety spiked in high school which made it hard going to class every day. I was a straight-A student my entire life, but my grades plummeted before I graduated. My anxiety, undiagnosed ADHD, panic disorder, and eventually depression took over my life, making it hard to do my best work. This carried into college and got increasingly worse until I decided to start therapy. Even after going to therapy and medicating my mental illnesses, I still struggle with the same issues to this day. Being a photographer, it can be hard going to photoshoots that I planned weeks in advance simply because I wake up and feel awful the day of. When I feel bad during a shoot, I don’t produce my best work. When I don’t produce my best work, it’s hard for me to complete the editing process because I’m not happy with the final results. It’s a constant cycle of struggle, but I still absolutely love my job.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a portrait photographer. Right now, I specialize in lifestyle and wedding photography. I say “right now” because my specialties have changed so much over the course of my college career. When I started, I had no idea what I wanted to pursue. I eventually found my way into fashion photography, favoring the boundless creativity and concepts I could explore. Eventually, and more recently, I realized that I was struggling with the technicalities too much to be happy in fashion. I decided to start shooting more lifestyle portraits and quit my part-time job to focus on my own business. It was a daunting process, but I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. I’m now photographing my own clientele, assisting successful wedding photographers, and collaborating with local businesses here in Savannah. I’m truly living the dream.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was very much the quiet type. Most of this was attributed to my social anxiety. However, when I was with my friends, I was always speaking up and cracking jokes, matching the “class clown” energy they had. I was interested in so many various things when I was younger, like astronomy and dinosaurs. Science always fascinated me, and at one point I wanted to work with animals for a living. If I ever had to quit photography, that’s probably what I would do. I was a theatre kid in high school. I never got leads, but I loved the feeling of creating a conceptual masterpiece on stage. There was no better feeling than being with my friends in the spotlight, telling stories in the most beautiful way for an audience. Although I’m almost a completely different person than when I was a child, I’d say my personality hasn’t changed much. I generally keep to myself in public spaces but I love being social on my own terms.
Contact Info:
- Email: celenariley@outlook.com
- Website: celenariley.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/itscelena
- Facebook: facebook.com/celenarileyphotography
Image Credits
Celena Riley Photography
