About Rachel

Welcome to ChelFoto.com — the portfolio site of Rachel Alvarado (Strevey), a Chicago-based photographer specializing in products, events, travel locations and portraiture.

Rachel has a background in communications and has been a professionally published photographer with iStockphoto of Getty images since 2008. She has taken pictures at many events, including international settings, as well as 60+ weddings in the Chicago area and beyond.

With an eye for recording beautiful and unique moments through urban and lifestyle print selections, her images are a photo-journalistic study of modern culture.

Contact Rachel to photograph your family or special event today.

Chelfoto Digital Media
Capturing unique moments with style.

Thanks so much for visiting the site!

-Rachel

Contact me directly with questions rachel(at)chelfoto.com

More Background: Chelfoto Digital Media

Chelfoto is an outlet to study and document culture wherever it may be. Being a Chicago-based wedding photographer has made it even more interesting with international families celebrating with style in front of a stunning city backdrop. Photography has taught me that capturing moments on a global scale only enhances my day to day perspective at home in Chicago and so became Chelfoto Digital Media.

Photos contain memories that hold significance to someone. From the point of getting to know clients, being invited to anniversary parties and events, turning the corner and seeing your work framed in someone’s home, raising more than $2,000 for a Gallery Fundraiser using prints taken after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, or getting published on an international photography website, are all the same reason why this will always be a significant part of life. This is something I take very seriously and I’m constantly searching to document the most important meaningful moments for my clients.

Photography comes from a very personal place for me. This act of capturing significant memories started early. My mother was also a photographer and one of our favorite hobbies when I was young was to take photo walks. “Line up the bumble bees in the middle,” she would say when teaching me to use her manual Canon camera. That’s right, manual. No autofocus at the time! Then when I got older, we started entering photos into competitions and won first-place blue ribbons in return! She bought me my first 35mm in 1995, an SLR Canon Rebel after that, and then I was hooked! Her nickname for me was “Chel.”

Photography is a way to study culture. In 1999, I photographed a volunteer trip to Monterrey, Mexico and every year since there has been an international trip with camera in-hand to do the same. Destinations include Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Haiti, Hungary and much of the Americas and Europe. Along the way I’ve learned Spanish and some German. It’s simpler because ‘foto’ is spelled the same in both languages.

To view gallery of Worldwide scenic pictures and travel photography featured by Getty images and other online publications, click here: http://chelfoto.smugmug.com/Travel, https://secure.istockphoto.com/portfolio/chelfoto#6ab15fd

Note: A portion of proceeds support World Vision, an international relief organization. http://www.worldvision.org/