Kelsey Dubinsky

1/16/19

Kelsey Dubinsky graduated from NL in 2011. She attended Temple University, majoring in Photojournalism. During her last year of college, Dubinsky commuted between Philadelphia and NYC four days each week to intern in the photo department of Cosmopolitan magazine. After earning her degree, she moved to Queens and worked as a Photo Assistant at Parents Magazine. Her job included photo research and assisting with model casting and photo shoots. Dubinsky’s next employer was a magazine called Time Out New York, where she worked as the assistant photo editor. After a year, she was promoted to be the company’s video editor, producing short, fun videos for social media that promoted things to see and do in NYC. Dubinsky then spent ten months freelancing, during which time she worked with a company called SkuPics based out of Palmyra. Her work involved traveling with their photo team to cities across the US to photograph groceries in Wholefoods grocery stores, which would be listed on Amazon Prime grocery delivery service. In July 2018, Dubinsky accepted a position as the photographer and video editor for Hartz, a pet supply company. Her typical day involves photographing their products along with the dogs and cats who serve as models.

Reflecting on her professional journey, Dubinsky remembers several weeks of living in a hostel in NYC, followed by a time of sleeping on the couch of a “friend of a friend’s ex-girlfriend.” She’s worked many side jobs, including handing out free bacon to customers who referred to her as “bacon girl” and dressing like a cowgirl to hand out flyers on Fifth Avenue. While none of these circumstances were glamorous, Dubinsky believes they all helped to shape her as a person and have helped her to push forward toward her goals. She’s proud of the work ethic she’s developed through her experiences, and of her motivation to do whatever it takes to pursue her dream.

Dubinsky currently resides in Astoria, Queens, NY. Apart from her love for photography, Dubinsky also enjoys traveling. She visits the Dominican Republic twice a year to see her family who reside there, and she and a friend recently backpacked around Paris, Amsterdam, London, and Germany. The thing that Dubinsky most appreciated about her time at NL was that “the teachers cared about more than just your grades. I had so many teachers who pushed me to pursue my dreams, and to always follow my goals, whether it be in sports, in academics, or in my travels." The following is Dubinsky’s advice for current NL students: Don’t be afraid to leave for college or to go far away from your family. You will always have the chance to come home, but the chance to see new things and have new experiences may not always be there.

To see some of Dubinsky’s animal photography, check out her Instagram @dubinskyphotos.