Kelly was raised in Washington State, where he spent his formative years snowboarding in the backcountry of the Cascade Mountain Range. It was in this craggy landscape that he began his cinematography pursuits, driven by the desire to capture such exhilaration and beauty on camera.
He went on to study filmmaking at Full Sail University in Orlando Florida, and, in 2006, moved to Los Angeles. Since arriving in LA, he has invested much of his time in commercial work, having collaborated with directing talent such as Sea Chant, Jimmy Marcle, Adi Goodrich, Sean Pecknold, and Kristyna Archer to create projects brimming with rich color, bold shapes, and eye-catching graphics. He has shot for several notable commercial clients, including Coca-Cola, Target, Starbucks, Oreos, Chobani, and Intuit (QuickBooks).
His recent work includes ventures into the world of narrative, including the “Quietly Affecting” feature Cortez, which he shot in New Mexico and had its premier at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah this past January.