Meet Shelley Vandegrift

Shelley Vandegrift is a digital artist, photographer, and educator who transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Passionate about creative imagery, she pushes the boundaries of photography—whether through digital infrared, expressive composites, or painterly interpretations of the world around us.

Shelley co-authored Infrared Photography: Digital Techniques for Artistic Images published by Amherst Publishing in 2020 with her artistic mentor and teaching partner Laurie Klein. Together they were the Invisible Story Team for a decade, teaching digital infrared photography and post-processing techniques.

Shelley’s love of photography began in childhood and evolved into a lifelong creative exploration of light, texture, mood, and technical artistry. She embraces experimentation, constantly pushing creative limits with new techniques in Photoshop, Lightroom, and mobile editing apps.

As a dedicated educator, Shelley shares her expertise with photographers of all levels, leading workshops and online classes for Santa Fe Workshops, Maine Media Workshops, the LA Center of Photography, Camversations UK, and Laurie Klein Workshops. She finds joy in helping others use digital tools to bring their unique visions to life.

Shelley’s most recent workshops focus on expressive digital processing, guiding participants to translate their emotions into compelling visual art. Whether working with infrared landscapes, imaginative composites, or abstracts, she believes photography is more than just capturing a scene—it’s about seeing beyond the visible and creating something deeply personal.

When she’s not behind the camera or in front of a class, you’ll find Shelley experimenting with new artistic approaches, always giving herself permission to explore, play, and refine her craft.