Photography – Raleigh
Chrystal Kelly is a concept driven photographer. She specializes in creative portraiture and fine art photography. Her style is narrative, whimsical, evocative, and poetic. Her passion and creativity are her driving force. Chrystal’s work is heavily influenced by her childhood love of performance. She participated in tap, jazz, ballet, and rhythmic dance recitals from the age of 5. Her love of costuming and stage has continued into adulthood. When living in New Orleans she became a bartender treating her position behind the bar as her stage. While in New Orleans she also began dancing for a 50’s-60’s bump and grind band, The Sophisticats becoming a Sophistikitten. The opportunity to be a part of the music scene, while performing on pedestals in homemade reproduction vintage go-go costumes and kitten ears was one of many highlights of her time in New Orleans. Her interest in photography developed at the age of 14 and almost immediately she was creating images, staging scenes and having her friends become characters to portray a story or narrative that interested her. Her conceptual work and style have developed along with her technical skill becoming distinct and evocative. Chrystal received her BFA in photography Dec. 28, 2015, she and her 8-year-old son Logan currently reside in Durham, NC.