How I Became a Cannabis Photographer

Hi, my name is Bess — but people call me Cannabess! I’m a Seattle-based cannabis photographer and digital marketing professional.

So, how does one become a cannabis photographer? Well, let’s start at the beginning…

I graduated from Washington State University with my BA in Public Relations and a minor in Mandarin. I moved to Beijing and interned at a graphic design agency. To pass time, I strolled the streets and shot photos with a Nikon D60 gifted by my dad. I started a blog and absorbed life abroad.

I returned to the States and moved to Los Angeles. I worked in marketing research, specifically focus groups and ethnography. Clients included Nike, Apple, Louis Vuitton and Grey Goose.

I tapped into my passion for politics and started A Generation Empowered, a political advocacy group regarding fiscal and economic issues. After four years in Los Angeles, I found my career at a crossroads and set my sights on D.C.

All that changed in March 2015, when I received a job offer from Western Cultured, an i502 grow. Pot is political, right?

My first six months in Washington I learned to grow. I took clones, transplanted to racks, pruned, transplanted to veg, pruned again, assembled water lines, loaded bloom rooms, weaved SCROG, harvested buds, cured them, trimmed them, weighed them, and eventually I sold them. I slowly transitioned out of the garden and in to a sales, social media and marketing role.

By January 2016 I joined an amazing team at Grassworks Digital. I led photography for four of our clients including the number one producer/processor, Northwest Cannabis Solutions. As the company shifted focus to its menu technology, I found myself shifting back to freelance.

Independent employment has allowed me to pursue my passions — writing, photography, brand development and influencer outreach. In January 2018, I started my own agency, Blaise Creative. We provide content creation, social media management and other digital marketing services.

As my social profile grew, it became more important I align myself with companies who share my morals, values and passion for this plant. This industry isn’t just about turning a profit, it’s about advocating for legalization the right way. I call it “conscious capitalism.”

It’s crazy how the universe presents things when the time is right. People say I have a dream job, and it’s true. I never planned to be a cannabis photographer. It just sort of happened.

My end goal is still politics — I support de-scheduling cannabis, gun ownership for medical patients, the repeal of 280e and lowering the excise tax. I look forward to making a difference in some way, shape or form. This only the beginning and I’m just getting started.

Have a question? Need photos of your grow, lab, shop or products? Contact me, I’d love to hear from you!