http://www.chelsea-elizabeth.com/

Chelsea Elizabeth Photography, Half Moon Bay, CA (2026)

07/23/2024

some favorites from the weekend with some favorite humans 🫶🏻

02/26/2024

I recently saw a quote that said the reason we get married is to have a witness to our lives..⁣
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I feel so lucky to have witnessed a glimpse of Ana and André’s love story on this sunny February day while in Lisbon. Truly good people that I hope to go visit again one day 🫶🏻

08/23/2022

One of my new favorite venues, tucked way away in the mountains of northern CA. ⁣
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Where there’s no cell service but there is a local dive bar 5 minutes down the road that the bar tender will give you pizza and the regular patrons will teach you to swing dance. ⁣
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Anyway. Here’s some of my favorite shots from Elyse and Tim’s beautiful wedding 🤍⁣
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Venue: ⁣
Photographer:
Videographer:
Caterer:
Cake:
Florist: .grays
Hair:
Makeup:
Photo booth:

04/22/2022

These April storms are giving me alllll the PNW feels lately 🌲⁣
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Heading to some pretty fun places this year but one place I will always love to visit is the PNW, especially Oregon! So when the fog rolled in on us during Jon and Sam’s e-sesh, I was stoked and had to take full advantage of the moodiness! ⁣
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Being able to adapt and shift your vibe of the session to whatever weather comes along is a great quality to have as a photographer, and as a client! Sometimes the best thing for the session (or wedding) is to just let go control and go with the flow instead of stressing over the things that you can’t control, like the weather. ⁣
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But just for fun, if you could control the weather, what would be your ideal weather for your session?

04/20/2022

If you’re debating a small wedding versus a big wedding keep reading… ⁣
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Here are 3 perks to a smaller wedding that may help you decide: ⁣
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1. Less expensive! A lot of the time your budget goes to feeding your guests, the cost of plate per head can add up quickly! And not to mention if you’re planning on having an open bar… ⁣
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2. More time! I cannot tell you how many past brides and couples I’ve spoken to after their big full weddings and they’ve all said the same thing: that the day flew by and they wish they had more time to enjoy it. When you plan a smaller wedding, there’s typically a lot more open space on your timeline for you to relax and not be rushed. So you’re able to enjoy each moment and take in every memory! ⁣
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3. You get to be surrounded by the people who care most for you and your partner and actually spend time with them all… more than just at the table greets! The guest list is one of the hardest parts about weddings. When you have a 400 person cap, you start inviting people like your second cousin you’ve maybe met once. When you decide to limit the list and make it more intimate, you get to enjoy your day with the people that mean the most to you!⁣
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And bonus! When you save money on a smaller guest list, you can spend that part of your budget on something else, like a cool destination for the ceremony or an epic honeymoon! ⁣
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Now spill, if you had to choose, would you want a small intimate wedding or a big party? (No wrong answer 😉)

04/18/2022

Oh hey! It’s me 👋🏼🙃⁣
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In case you’re new here, or you’ve just been wondering where the hell I’ve been for the last two months… 😅 ⁣
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I’m still here! Still alive! And still “taking photos or whatever” as most people like to refer to it!⁣
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Back in February I decided to take two weeks off of social media when I went on vacation… and ever since I’ve had the hardest time wanting to get back on here and post. Not because I don’t love sharing my work with you guys but because I realized once I stepped away, just how much pressure I was putting on myself with this little app. The toll that it had taken on my mental health. And the anxiety that weighed me down feeling the obligation of measuring up to the perfect feed. ⁣
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So I didn’t post. Not to my feed and barely even to my story. I wanted to get back to living life without feeling the need to share every minute of it. ⁣
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And guess what… ⁣
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My business is still doing great! I’m still getting inquiries, I’m still shooting and I’m still doing what I love! ⁣
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Not to say that I haven’t missed Instagram, but before this unintentional hiatus I was so scared (as I’m sure many of you are) that if you take time away from here you’ll become irrelevant and your business will suffer for it. But I’m here to say, it’s OKAY to prioritize your mental health. You won’t fail just by taking a break. In fact, it’ll probably be the best thing for your business in the long run! ⁣
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With all that said, I’m back 🙌🏼🤣 and can’t wait to share what I’ve been doing so far this year!

01/21/2022

Wanna know how to succeed in this life?? ⁣
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Surround yourself with people that cheer you on and encourage you every step of the way! ⁣
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I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for my community. My tribe. My support system. They have gotten me through some of the darkest moments and been there with me to celebrate the joyful achievements. ⁣
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This job isn’t as glamorous as this app portrays it. It’s hard. It’s exhausting. It can be very lonely. It can cause some major feelings of self doubt and imposter syndrome where you question whether it’s even worth it (spoiler: it is 😉). And if you’re trying to go it alone, I dare say that it may even be impossible. ⁣
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So I wanna thank my community, my peeps, my dummies, for getting me here and constantly cheering me on whether in work or life! I prayed for a community like you for years and God answered with some of the most incredible and supportive people. You know who you are 🤍⁣
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I also want to encourage anyone that may be reading this that’s craving community or friendship, leave a comment and say hi or shoot me a DM and let’s connect!! Whether you’re in CA or not, I’d love to come alongside you and encourage you and support you! You’re not alone in this life and I genuinely would love to get to know you!!

01/14/2022

A few from one of my favorite shoots last year in my favorite place 🌵⁣
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SWIPE to the end to see how the shoot really went 😆⁣
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Pro tip: watch where you’re stepping while walking backwards in a desert full of Joshua trees and cacti 👍🏼 Probably one of the more painful things to happen to me while at a shoot (didn’t feel it going in but DAMN it hurt pulling them out) but thankfully Cody is a nurse and was able to help me out while Bethany provided the “pain killer” 🤣⁣
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So.. Who wants to have some desert fun with me this year? I promise if anyone ever gets hurt it’ll be me 😉

10/19/2021

POV: spending your Saturday exploring downtown Carmel and ending the day playing in the ocean and watching the sunset while looking for that green flash! (iykyk)⁣⁣
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I often forget that my job is actually a job. Not that it isn’t hard work, but I absolutely love what I do so most of the time it doesn’t feel like it! And Saturday with Ben and Jamie, was one of those days! ⁣⁣
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Engagement sessions are one of my favorite things that I photograph. Not just because my couples are excited and so in love that it makes for beautiful photos, but because I get to photograph and be apart of an entire experience with you! These are where we get to know one another even better than we already do. Where we meet up for drinks or food and hangout and laugh until our faces hurt like old childhood friends! And where y’all get to go on an awesome date while your personal paparazzi (that’s me 😉) takes pictures of you to document the whole day! ⁣⁣
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One of the questions I ask each of my couples before every engagement session is “What do you want to remember during THIS season of life twenty years from now?” ⁣⁣
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These are the photos I want you to be able to look back on and remember that question in twenty years and feel all the emotions as if it were yesterday! ⁣
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10/14/2021

Saw a meme this morning that read: ⁣⁣
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“Welcome to California: ⁣⁣
Winter starts at 6am ⁣⁣
Spring starts at 10am ⁣⁣
Summer starts at 2pm and Fall is 4:30ish.” ⁣⁣
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And I’ve never read something so true in all my life. ⁣⁣
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Anyway. If you’re waiting on a gallery from me, thank you so much for being patient! This season has been nuts and has involved lots of travel! Which has been such a blessing but it’s also made it tough to keep up with quick responses and early delivery times. But I promise I’m working my b***y off to get you your galleries as soon as I can! I’m spending all my free time in my editing cave (and avoiding the CA bipolar weather) and making sure to give each gallery my full attention without rushing through! ⁣⁣
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Oh and speaking of my editing cave, this weekend’s editing is about to be so much more entertaining because I fully plan on binging the new season of while I edit!! Who else is just as excited for season three’s premiere?? ⁣
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10/13/2021

Sunrise VS Sunset SWIPE 👉🏼 to see the difference! ⁣
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Now let’s talk lighting… I’m sure you’ve heard from any and every photographer you know at one point in time talk about good or bad lighting. How it can make or break the beauty of the image. And just how important it is for a good photo…⁣
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And yes, it is important, obviously, but it’s not 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. ⁣
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Not every wedding (or shoot) is going to have ideal lighting. And sadly most wedding venues don’t take into account how the light hits their ceremony spots. Which is why as your photographer we should be prepared and ready to shoot in ANY lighting scenario! ⁣
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Take these photos for example… we ran out of light faster than we anticipated due to the fact we were in the mountains and the sun typically drops behind them before “golden hour”. Which meant their sunset photos quickly turned into after dark photos. But instead of panicking, we quickly came up with an alternative! (Plus the couple trusted us so they were down for anything) ⁣
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We pulled my car around to the middle of the street, kicked some dust up and popped some bottles!! In turn, we created some of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken! ⁣
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And then the next morning we got up before the sun, and we’re able to capture some beautiful pictures of them during sunrise! Giving them the best of both lighting scenarios! ⁣
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Even if you aren’t in an ideal lighting situation, make the best of it!! Get creative, get comfortable with shooting in different not-so-ideal scenarios, and then maybe give yourselves opportunities to get better lighting by offering day after sessions (like our sunrise session). The more confident you are in shooting wherever and whenever, the more your clients will trust you and the happier they’ll be with their images! ⁣
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Now I wanna know: Do you prefer sunrise or sunset??

09/28/2021

Get to see these two weirdos next week at another retreat! ⁣⁣⁣
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**Not pictured, Dan and Amanda who will also be there and I’m equally excited to see!!**⁣⁣⁣
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We’re headed to Utah for the week and I CANNOT WAIT to meet all the girls who are coming and just pour into them and love them and see how God uses us all throughout our time together!! If you haven’t been to or heard of one of these retreats, I can’t stress it enough, what are you waiting for??! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Invest in yourself. Invest in your future. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Because guess what? ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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You’re worth it 😉 ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Plus you get to learn a lot, like how to use your flash to create cool images like this one (thanks for this awesome edit of us being dorks). I promise, it’s a good time! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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But before I get to go run around Utah, I have a senior session tomorrow then Thursday I’m headed to mammoth for the weekend for and Luke’s redo celebration wedding! Staying til Sunday, driving home to do laundry/repack/sleep then flying out early early Monday! 🤪 Gonna be a busy (but fun-filled) week!! So if my responses are a little slower, just know I don’t hate you 😉, just traveling and shooting and will get back to you asap!! 🤍⁣

Chelsea Elizabeth Photography

07/23/2024

02/26/2024

08/23/2022

04/22/2022

04/20/2022

04/18/2022

01/21/2022

01/14/2022

10/19/2021

10/14/2021

10/13/2021

09/28/2021

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