Meet Jean Celeste

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jean Celeste.

Jean, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my career as a professional ballerina, but injuries forced me to stop while I was still in my early twenties. I was then signed by The Ford Modeling Agency in New York. Within a year, I had moved to Paris, where I worked constantly with world-famous photographers for French and Italian Vogue, Bazaar, and others. However, I was not like the other models…I was fascinated with all the aspects of photography and learning as much as I could from these great masters of the art. I remember I was once booked for the Collections for French Vogue with the legendary filmmaker Jacques Tati, right before his death. Between shots, we engaged in hours of conversation…much to the consternation of the other models. They couldn’t figure out why I was wasting time talking to that old man! I had started acting in French films and thought it would be easier to do that in English, which ultimately brought me to Los Angeles. I must admit, coming from New York and Paris, I suffered from complete culture shock in LA. My Irish skin couldn’t take the sun, and I desperately missed New York and four seasons. I was a fish out of water.

I continued to act and model, but then married and had three children in four years. At that point, I actually wrote William Morris a letter of resignation to focus on raising my kids. After a few years, my daughters were taking ballet lessons. I was hired to teach at their studio, California Dance Theatre, and also work with school’s company, Pacific Festival Ballet. This was the perfect divergence of my love of dance and my love of photography…only now, I was on the other side of the camera! I was soon photographing my students in the classroom, every chance I could. Then, some of my teenage students convinced me to photograph them on location…everywhere from downtown LA to the beach. My son is a location scout who kept leading me to the most fantastic places. Then one day, something unexpected happened.

One day, as I stood on a towering cliff in Malibu, looking out over the Pacific Ocean, I realized I was falling in love with Los Angeles! The more I photographed location after unbelievable location, the more I realized the greatest backdrops in the world were right outside my door! Then, some of my students grabbed my iPhone and put me on Instagram, because they wanted me to post the photos I had taken of them. I hesitated at first, but this ultimately led to many professional dancers from all over the world seeing my work and wanting to shoot with me. I have now photographed company dancers from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and of course, our beloved Los Angeles Ballet. My work has appeared in Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine, Dance Spirit magazine, as well as local magazines, magazine covers, websites, and advertisements.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think the biggest struggle was starting a brand new career after raising a family. Were new beginnings really possible…at any stage of life? I had mastered ballet and modeling in my youth, but now I had to figure out the right camera, lenses, and apertures…while handling often unexpected forces of nature. These have included raging high tides, hurricane-force winds, unexpected fog, blazing sun, and rattlesnakes! Now, I expect the unexpected, and that is the joy and creative challenge of every session. I only use natural light on location shoots, because I really don’t like the artificial look of portable studio lighting outdoors. My wonderful husband has been very supportive of my new career. He patiently puts up with those days when, after hours of teaching, I rush off do a photo shoot at the beach…and come home well after dark, soaking wet and covered with sand and prickers. I absolutely love this stage of life where I am no longer focused on myself, but on giving back, and helping create the gift of a beautiful work of art that captures a memorable moment in time. My philosophy, as both a ballet teacher and photographer, is to encourage everyone to overcome obstacles and self-doubt, as well as to value and appreciate the beauty of this world, and their unique place in it. The goal of my photography is, ultimately, to leave a legacy of empowerment and love.

Please tell us about Jean Celeste Photography.
I am most known for my dance photography. However, I also do family portraits and have photographed everything from the Luna Luna children’s catalogues to corporate headshots to maternity photos. I love creating unique, beautiful, artistic portraits. My understanding of  both dance and modeling also really helps the dancers I photograph. I just love hearing that a student dancer has requested one of my photo sessions as their birthday or holiday gift…and the best reward is when they see the result, beam, and say, “Wow! I didn’t know I could look like that!” I think what sets me apart from many other photographers is also the amount of time my subjects and I spend together on our outdoor sessions. In those hours of adventure and conversation, many friendships have formed. One professional ballerina recently posted that she was thankful to have me as a mentor in her life. I have three children, but I actually have hundreds of children…every dancer whom I have ever taught and/or photographed!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wouldn’t have done anything differently, because every experience of my life has led me to this point. Well, maybe I would have started exploring our beaches and the Santa Monica Mountains earlier. You see because then I would have fallen in love with Los Angeles earlier. Despite the stress and frantic pace of this enormous city, there are so many incomparable, breathtaking moments to be experienced.  Whether surrounded with the beauty of a glorious sunset, or oceanic splendor, or majestic cliffs or discovering the most beautiful and intricately-formed flower, after hiking up thousands of feet, in a place no one will ever see it… these moments are supremely spiritual. These are the moments that make you feel God’s presence…and peace.

Contact Info:

• Website: jeancelestephotography.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: jean_celeste_photography
• Facebook: Jean Celeste Photography

Image Credit:
Jean Celeste took all 8 dance photos. Kara Covaleski took my personal photo at the beach.

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