Come for the gorgeous photos, stay for the charmingly awkward enthusiasm.

Woman with short hair sitting indoors, wearing a light-colored top, with chin resting on hand, gray brick wall background, round wall light.

I’m Kelli — a wedding, lifestyle, and branding photographer based in Portland, Oregon. I create cinematic, honest photography for couples, creatives, and brands who value story, soul, and light. My background is in photojournalism from the University of Texas, where I fell in love with storytelling through images. That foundation still shapes my work — whether I’m documenting the quiet intimacy of a wedding day or the vibrancy of a creative brand.

My work has been featured by Vogue Italia, the Hammer Museum, Google, and more — but what matters most are the people in front of my lens. I believe in photographing others with honesty and compassion, creating space for joy, ease, and real connection.

I live with my partner Cody and our Border Collie Rue, who keeps me moving (even in the rain) and reminds me to look for the small, beautiful things. When I’m not photographing, I’m probably dreaming up a trip to a new country, writing stories I’ll one day finish, or gabbing on the phone with one of my many long distance friends.

“Photography is a way of remembering that beauty is always there, waiting to be found.”

Black and white photo of a woman seated, wearing a dress, with her legs crossed, resting her chin on her hand, against a textured backdrop.

I follow the light.

I was in my early twenties when I really found photography — or maybe when it found me. I carried a camera everywhere, chasing moments that felt important. Moments that made me feel something. Every time I captured a frame I was proud of, I was elated. Looking back, the photos weren’t always technically great, but they mattered to me. I knew there was something special here — and I’ve been chasing it ever since.

Life hasn’t always been easy. I’ve known disappointment. Family cancer diagnoses. Bare-bones meals so I could make rent. Deep self-doubt. Days when fear and shame felt heavier than anything I could carry. Life is messy. Uncertain. Sometimes unbearably heavy.

But even in those moments, I could follow the light. I saw it — the golden glow on someone’s face, the dappled light across a wall, the quiet beauty of something fleeting. Suddenly, I was present again. Grateful again. In love with the world again.

That’s what photography is for me: A way of seeing. A way of remembering that beauty is always there, waiting to be found. And that’s what I want for you. Whether I’m capturing your love or the way you exist in this moment, I want you to feel what I’ve always felt — that life is worth seeing, worth holding, worth celebrating.

I’d be honored to share that with you. If this resonates, click the button below and let’s create something honest and beautiful together.