Micaela Ruiz is from Lincoln Park, Michigan, an industrial town adjacent to Detroit. Her work is influenced by her parents' blue-collar culture and the glamorous perception of the auto industry in Detroit. She graduated from The College for Creative Studies with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography, earning recognition as the top student in her department. During her time at CCS, her work was featured in several respected publications and venues, including Creative Quarterly Magazine, Detroit Metro Times, Nike WHQ, the Family of Man Exhibition, Photographer’s Forum, and Detroit’s Scarab Club.
Her collaboration with Nike during her senior year motivated her to pursue a career in the commercial photography industry. After graduation, she began freelancing for Detroit-based magazines and teaching after-school programs to local youth. This experience led her to join Converse Inc. in 2010 as their in-house photographer in Boston. Over the next five years, she advanced to the position of Senior Photographer and finally to Studio Manager. While serving as the lead photographer she captured campaigns that were featured globally in print, in stores, and online. As Studio Manager she built and developed a state-of-the-art in-house studio.
From 2015 to 2017, Micaela served as an adjunct lecturer at The College for Creative Studies in Detroit, teaching Advertising and Photography majors while also freelancing as a retoucher for global campaigns. Since 2017, she has been working at Hasbro in their California and Rhode Island offices, focusing on iconic brands such as Disney, Nerf, and Ghostbusters. She currently holds the position of Studio Manager for Photo/Video across Rhode Island, USA and Shenzhen, China. Micaela is passionate about promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in every step of production.
Outside of her professional work, she enjoys painting for personal fulfillment and donates commissioned paintings to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society raising money for cancer research.