Nels Israelson earned a BA in Communication Arts at Loyola Marymount University. While still an undergraduate, he began photographing local LA bands in his spare time, which led to shooting his first album cover for a major label while still in school. Album packages followed for artists such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, James Brown, RATT, and Def Leppard.
In the 90's Nels began to focus on creating images for posters for film and television, continually developing his work by combining extensive research with meticulous lighting and staging techniques. He takes inspiration for his use of light from diverse influences including mid-20th century Hollywood portrait photographers, Renaissance painters, and the work of graphic novel / comics artists.