“Kelley has an extraordinary gift. Whether the subject is girls’ education, the plight of sweatshop workers, or her own father’s last weeks of life, Kelley’s sensitive storytelling and gorgeous photos bring us face to face with the humanity of others. It’s a kind of alchemy, really: using mere words and pictures, Kelley presents us with actual people in all their beauty and complexity. In this way, she conjures not our sympathy but our empathy. Her work allows us to see ourselves in others, and vice versa—to appreciate both the common aspirations that unite us and the stark inequities that divide us.” —Laurie Mazur, Senior Content Editor and Writer, Princeton University Press
I’m a Washington, DC-based visual storyteller, writer, and designer. For more than 20 years, I’ve photographed the people, places, and stories that matter—to families, schools, businesses, nonprofits, and NGOs worldwide.*
My work has taken me to more than 30 countries across Africa and Asia. I’ve written, photographed, designed, and published more than 20 books, and produced videos and stories to support programs serving vulnerable populations around the world.
Whether I’m working close to home or halfway around the world, the same approach guides my work. I’m looking for everyday moments grounded in our shared humanity. Moments that hold recognition, tenderness, humor, dignity, and joy. Moments that reveal what makes a family, a school, a nonprofit, or a business unique. The goal is to create photographs and stories that feel honest and alive—helping us see people we know and those we may never have the opportunity to meet with fresh eyes.
After all these years, there is one thing I know for sure: Everyone’s story matters.
I’d be honored to help tell yours.
*My international clients have included USAID, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education, the British Council, Save the Children, CARE, World Vision and others. See more of what people and organizations say about my work here.