Meet Chelsea

Chelsea grew up in the Midwest surrounded by storytelling and creativity. Her mother was a journalist and editor for a number of small-town newspapers, and Chelsea grew up watching her interview, write, design, and tell the stories of her community—including interviewing Barack Obama and publishing a story about him in the newspaper during his first presidential campaign. Her older brothers followed creative paths of their own—one studying film and building a nearly 20-year career in television, and the other becoming an industrial designer. All together, those influences gave Chelsea an early appreciation for storytelling, creativity, and thoughtful design.

She followed her brother to Iowa State University, where they found support in one another. There, she studied Apparel, Merchandising, and Design, building a foundation in composition, proportion, balance, and visual design. After graduation, she moved to New York City where she worked in merchandising and product development across the fashion and travel industries. She began carrying a camera and photographing the people, architecture, and everyday moments around her.

Photography soon became part of how she traveled, accompanying her on cross-country road trips and giving her a way to document places and moments as she experienced them. Later, while living in the Carolinas, Chelsea worked in a portrait studio photographing seniors and discovered how much she loved working with people and learning subjects. Now back in Iowa, Chelsea works as a school photographer while building Four Stories Photography Co., with the goal of growing it into her full-time work.

Her approach to photography brings together everything she has learned along the way. Her design background shapes how she thinks about framing, positioning, proportion, and balance, while her experience with people has taught her to leave room for the expressions and moments that can't be planned.

Her time in fashion also shaped a deeper appreciation for authenticity. Just as she was drawn to the character and honesty of natural fibers over synthetic ones, Chelsea prefers photographs that feel true to the people in them. She avoids heavy editing and AI-generated alterations, choosing instead to work with real light, real environments, and genuine moments.