About Me
I'm HEATHER IKEI, a photographer, graphic designer and photo editor based in Eugene, Oregon.
I hold a degree from the University of Virginia in English Literature and Media Studies with a minor in Studio Art.
While at the University of Virginia, I interned at National Geographic, NBC Nightly News and Miramax Films. Before graduation I received a job offer at Miramax as the assistant to the Vice President of Post Production, so I packed my bags and moved to Hollywood.
Miramax was quickly acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2005 and I was brought over to Disney to work on Walt Disney Studios Post Production and DVD team. I eventually became a DVD page designer and designed the DVD menus for titles for Disney, Pixar and Miramax properties.
Keen to continue more design, I started the job as a graphic designer in 2008 for Disney Corporate Communications. There I worked on the Disney Newsreel magazine and Disney twenty-three magazine. The role expanded into design and photography and I photographed people and places for the multiple magazines.
In 2010, I became the photo editor for Disney Corporate Communications, Disney D23, Disney Newsreel, and Disney Corporate Creative Resources. As photo editor, in addition to being lead photographer, I was in charge of coordinating photo shoots for events in multiple locations worldwide, hiring photographers, reviewing and selecting photos for promotion, publication, and dissemination, identifying relevant images, editing photos to make them more appealing, and working closely with the editorial and design team. While serving as photo editor I photographed movie premieres, Disney Park openings, the D23 Expo, public relations events by Mr. Iger, corporate headshots for all departments, helped rebrand and photograph the new Disney Jobs site, and went on research trips with the writers to photograph magazine feature stories.
In 2012, my first son was born and I resigned my full time job with Disney. While raising a family (I now have three children) I started my freelance photography and design business, working for clients such as The Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal, Hulu, ABC, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and Air France.
I photographed several of the Oscars for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the Golden Globes for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and the Emmys as well as a number of Hollywood movie premieres, corporate events, theme park openings and events at Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. I photographed a portrait series for Hulu and was a corporate portrait and headshot photographer for The Walt Disney Company. I photographed the LA Marathon and a marketing project for Air France. I worked as a graphic designer for the Echo Horizon School in Los Angeles to support their website, magazine and student outreach material.
My design, photography and editorial work can be seen in the magazines Disney twenty-three and Disney Newsreel as well as on various Disney websites and products. The pandemic put an end to the public events that were the mainstay of my business. I re-located to Eugene in 2021 and homeschooled my eldest child until 2023.
I love working with creative people to make beautiful art.
