Meet Chelsea Dee Thom | Photographer, NGO Consultant, & Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsea Dee Thom and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea Dee, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I would say the most important thing I have done is be honest with my daughter, and raise her to be a good citizen by witnessing the world. I have shown her the world as I know it to be by traveling often with her since she was an infant. Our travels have been as far as Kenya, Jordan or Japan, and as close as our own backyard. I think being a good witness to the different ways humans live on this planet is the best way to understand humanity and humility. I am a solo parent and because of this my perspective is the only perspective that she lives with daily. So I have found that always telling her the truth about life even the big scary things in a conscientious way is the best approach for me in parenting my daughter. I have always been truthful in what I tell her about how we got here, why we are here, and how we leave this planet. I believe at least in part because of our adventures and my own honesty with her she is now an amazing compassionate, kind, and self-aware 6y.o. child.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a photographer I am also a storyteller. I have come to realize there is great responsibility in telling another person’s story. One of the hardest lessons I learned early on in my career was that some organizations have an agenda about the story they want you to tell and are quick to throw out the dignity of the population they serve to present a story of neediness. I have had to refuse jobs, and even take down photographs after regrettably even taking them. Because in hindsight I began to feel that the organization I was working with didn’t have the best interest at heart of their population-served. After a few not so pleasant experiences about a decade ago I took a step back from my lens to pursue a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management specializing in Media, I wanted to learn what I didn’t know about human rights in photography, and I learned so much. This was my approach to make sure I could better recognize organizations that aligned with my own values in storytelling, and more ethically take photographs when on assignment. This educational journey led me to my favorite part of photographing and storytelling, the story-learning moments before I start to photograph. The moments when I get to sit with the people, hear their story, and look for ways in which they want to be represented. After these moments I can do a more authentic job in sharing their narrative.

I think that sensitivity to story is central to my brand. I am most proud of the many diverse relationships I have built with people and organizations throughout the years. I consider it the greatest honor of my life to be welcomed into people’s homes, and to be trusted to represent their narratives. I think learning from other’s stories in effect gave me the courage and prepared me to face my greatest challenge and achievement of solo-parenting. We are always growing and learning, and that desire is why I have begun another master’s in special education this year. I am stoked to see what effect this new education of education, will have on the photographs I take and my understanding of the world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hmm… I think I would start with a camping trip up to Valley View Hot springs. We would camp in my sprinter van and hike up to the top at sunset to overlook the valley. Then the next day head into Salida, grab breakfast at the Little Hen Bakery, and get some fly-fishing gear at The Next Eddy and spend the day on the river with a guide, or if it is winter go over to Beaver Creek and snowboard Bachelors Gulch while my daughter who insists on skiing was in ski lessons. Then we would have a picnic at the Outer Range Brewery yurt and try some of their epic hazy IPA’s and stay at a friends nearby. The next day we would head over to Hot Sulphur Springs for a soak. If it was the weekend, we would head over to Bread bar in Silver Plume. Then making our way back to Denver we would go to MeowWolf (I have yet to go but am so excited for Denver to have it). The next day we would jump on bikes and follow the cherry creek bike path to the Platte, check out our amazing flagship REI, grab lunch at Safta the best Hummus in Denver and beyond (after living in Jerusalem I have became picky about good hummus) and I love Safta. After Safta, we would jump back on our bikes and check out some of the RINO breweries, I love Our Mutual Friend, and after a few breweries I would take my friend to Third Culture and try all their amazing Japanese Donuts. The next day we would check out Rocky Mountain National Park and come back in time to hit up Cerebral brewery. Then for dinner go to my daughter’s favorite sushi Matsuhisa and I would order a Gardner Cocktail with Gin and two pieces of Toro. Then maybe see a show at the Mission Ballroom. Somewhere in there I would also fit in a show or hike at Red Rocks and a visit to Laws distillery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The Ubuntu Life Foundation for giving me purpose. My daughter Noemi for showing me more about life than I ever could have understood before her.

Website: www.chelseadee.com

Instagram: me_and_no_me

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseadeephoto

Other: Favorite Cause: http://www.ubuntulife.foundation