Kelly Elaine Garthwaite arrived in Los Angeles by way of Virginia in 2011 and began her photography career behind the camera, eventually picking up well-known clients such as Adidas, Athleta, Capitol Records, Chevrolet and Sweetgreen. She covered a lot of music content and was featured as a winner in PDN’s Ultimate Music Moment contest for her photo series of Leon Bridges.

While pursuing a life of freelance photography, she took on jobs in photo editing at the NFL Network and Getty Images. Due in large part to this new-found experience and these well-known brands now on her resumé, she got an offer to join Red Bull Media House's photo team at the start of 2017. In the time she’s been with RBMH, her mission has been to expand the photographer roster and create more opportunities for inclusivity within the brand. Now, she oversees a small team that manages the photography for all the shoots and events across Red Bull's verticals within Sports and Culture.

Kelly's vision for the photography industry lies in removing boundaries and opening up communication amongst creatives, believing in the idea that we are all connected. She champions the freelancers who make our industry great, and as a photographer advocate, her main goal is to help creatives who are passionate about having a successful career in the industry live out their dreams.

She volunteers regularly as a reviewer/mentor with Diversify Photo and is a contributing reviewer with PhotoPolitic.