Thanks to an itinerant childhood, I am a curious and passionate image maker and traveler. I have settled back down in the San Francisco Bay Area after exploring the world with my camera full-time for four years. During my travels, I photographed anything that caught my eye. I have always been a bit of a magpie, always watching the light as it moves across the scene revealing something that inspires me to make a photograph. 

Now that I am back in the Bay Area, I am focused on creativity, education, and community. In January 2020, I joined the art photography faculty at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California were I teach digital image making, editing, and cinema studies. Then in December 2021, I joined the graphic design faculty at Mission College in Santa Clara, California where I teach the history of photography.

Through my workshops and as an active board member for the East Bay Photo Collective, I continue my passion of creating community and promoting arts education. In 2019, I developed a private Facebook group for all who identify as women and are serious photographers called “photograpHER”. photograpHER is an global community of active, talented, and enthusiastic women photographers providing inspiration, resources, and empowerment to one another. We also collaborate on joint projects, such as the exhibit and publication of a photo book called “Ballad of Our Changing World“. If you are a woman photographer, please visit the Facebook page and join us. 

My skills and experience in creating fine art, street, event, and travel photography translate well to personal and professional portraiture, event, and lifestyle photography. 

If you are interested in discussing your portrait or event photography needs, are interested in my workshops, or having me give a talk to your photography group, please send me an email at neeley@drown.com. Let’s discuss how we can work together.