We had the good fortune of connecting with Céline Haeberly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Céline, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was adopted from China by an American-Italian mother and a Swiss father. I flew around the world at seven months and while I cannot remember those moments, they have forever shaped me. Our family of three became four and my sister and I grew up in Connecticut. However, our roots always seemed “elsewhere.” I identify strongly with my father’s side of the family who we’d spend one month out of the year visiting every summer in Switzerland. My grand-maman has always been a bottomless source of inspiration and this recently materialized into a road trip I will never forget. (You can read more about it on my Instagram @celinehaeberly). In sum, being raised in an unconventional and multicultural household has challenged me to continuously define and redefine what travel means to me. I’d like to thank my parents for this gift that keeps on giving and thank you, dad, for showing me how to use a camera. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m currently staff photographer for a global brand. For me, photography is a lifelong pursuit. I’m in it for the long haul and at my core I am an aspiring conservation photographer with a mission to travel the world, take photos and make a positive difference.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Every beach from Laguna to Malibu, hiking in the Pacific Palisades and Joshua Tree! I am a big fan of Salt & Straw.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many individuals that come to mind (friends, family, colleagues, strangers). However, I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to The Surfrider Foundation who let me photograph their beach cleanup efforts when I first moved to California in 2018 and The Voice of OC for giving me the opportunity to photograph several Black Lives Matter events this past spring.

Website: https://celinehaeberly.squarespace.com
Instagram: @celinehaeberly
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celinehaeberly

Image Credits
All photos by Céline Haeberly

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