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Born in Nashville, Tennessee, and raised in South Los Angeles, California, Jenise Whitehead has always found comfort in the arts for self-expression. Learning oil painting and jazz in Leimert Park was pivotal to planting the seed that would later bloom into a passion for still photography and travel; and soon after, cinematography.

Jenise Whitehead earned her BA in Spanish from San Francisco State University after studying abroad at la Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain. Upon her graduation, she completed Outfest Los Angeles’ OutSet program. She then trained in Panavision Hollywood’s two-year program and joined IATSE International Cinematographers Guild Local 600. After spending the past few years furthering her craft while crewing on award-winning television series, she was invited to participate in the American Film Institute's inaugural Cinematography Intensive for Women where she later earned her MFA in Cinematography. Currently, she is participating in Women In Film’s Fellowship in the Cinematography cohort.

As a director and cinematographer, Jenise intends to lens stories that examine the intersection of identities often marginalized in society; to humanize experiences that have yet to be fully explored in cinema.