Behind the Lens with Celeste Noche

Photographer and social activist Celeste Noche and I first met while working at our university's coffee shop together and bonded over our shared love of food.

Through the years, Celeste's travelogues and photography of food, people and places have been a constant source of inspiration to me. She has the unique ability to capture tenderness, excitement, love and passion in a single photograph. And somehow the light is always perfect for her! As soon as I had the chance, I hired her to document my engagement, then my wedding, then my first pregnancy. And I'm counting down the days until COVID is over so we can get together for a family portrait session.

In her seven years as a freelance photographer, I've seen her grow not only as a photographer but as an activist, advocating eloquently for human rights and fair pay of artists, especially People of Color. She founded the Portland in Color website and directory to highlight the many talented POC creatives residing in Portland. Her incredible work has been featured in Bon Appetit, BBC News, KQED and the New York Times, just to name a few.

​To know Celeste is to be in awe of her talent and passion, and I hope we can get to know her a little better today. It is my absolute privilege to share this All WOCs of Life interview with Celeste:

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