Meet Chele Jones - Orange County Senior & Teen Portrait Photographer

Hi! I’m Michele Jones and I go by Chele (pronounced like seashell). I’m an Orange County senior photographer based in Aliso Viejo, California, celebrating over 30 years behind the lens! I create personalized portrait experiences for high school juniors and seniors who want something far beyond a traditional yearbook photo. You will also sometimes catch me photographing families, brands, headshots, and couples on rare occasions. 

Photography has been part of my life since I was sixteen—back when film, darkrooms, and trays of chemicals were the norm. I studied photojournalism with dreams of photographing the world, but I discovered something even more meaningful: telling the stories of incredible teenagers during some of life's biggest milestones.

Now with over 3 decades of experience, I specialize in creating magazine-inspired senior portraits that celebrate personality, passions, and individuality. Whether your senior is an athlete, dancer, artist, musician, outdoorsy, adventurous, or proudly impossible to fit into a box, every session is thoughtfully designed around who they are. Because no two teens are alike; no two sessions should be either.

From personalized styling and guidance, and optional professional hair and makeup, to carefully scouting locations throughout Orange County, every detail is planned to create a relaxed, confidence-building experience. My goal isn't simply beautiful photographs—it's helping every senior feel seen, celebrated, and genuinely comfortable being themselves.

My work has been featured in Senior Style Guide, Senior Luxe Magazine, Modern Teen Style, Shutter Magazine, and SDVoyager, and I've been honored as a Top 100 Senior Photographer for five years in the last decade by Senior Style Guide, earning ICON Status in 2022. Modern Teen Style also recognized me as one of the 25 Most Influential Teen Photographers in both 2020 and 2023.

While those recognitions are meaningful, what matters most is how my clients feel when they leave their session.

I intentionally accept only a limited number of seniors each month so every client receives a fully customized experience. Together we'll create portraits that feel authentic, artistic, and unmistakably you—the kind of images that belong on your walls, in heirloom albums, and eventually become treasured family keepsakes.

Senior year only happens once. Let's create photographs and an experience you'll love to remember years from now.

peace, love, & bacon                                       *photo credit Frank Carrino Photography

Chele