Kelsey Kocher

Kelsey Kocher (September, 1943 - Present) is an artist, and an influential photographer from a small city in southern Switzerland. Her work is not incredibly well known, but carries much value in the art community. She is credited with the popularization of many modern photography styles. She is also one of the first documented photographers to use color filters on processed film. She was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1964 and made several radio appearances on England's local radio stations.

Biography

Early life

Not much is known about Kelsey Kocher's parents, except that she was born to David and Jane (unknown last names). David and Jane never married, but were apparently actors, though to what extent is unknown. After their careers took a turn for the worse in December of 1943, David abandoned Kelsey and Jane. Kelsey was left on the doorstep of Jane's parents, and Jane disappeared.

Early career

Kelsey showed interest in the arts from a young age, and taught herself at home the art of photography. At age 14, she was formally taught by local artisans, until her family raised enough money to send her to America. She attended the University of Michigan in 1950 for two brief years, and received her bachelor's in Photography.

Middle Years

She continued to pursue her passion for photography, and became popular in several European countries. Her experimentation with different lenses and color styles became evident in her work. She began selling many of her best photographs, and got several small jobs as a paparazzi for the Boston Press. During her career as a newspaper photographer, she met Brent Cowell, a newspaper journalist, and married him in 1959.

Late Years

She continued to pursue her passion, but moved with Brent back to her hometown in Switzerland to teach at a small Arts college. She retired in 1993, and dropped into obscurity.

Although Kelsey Kocher made several incredible leaps forward into modern photography, she is not credited for most of her work. Most people have seen something Kelsey has made, but didn't realize it.