Charles Hartley is a native of southern California who has lived and practiced law in San Diego County since 2001. In his personal life he is an avid photographer who gravitates toward the challenge of capturing the spirit and energy of people enjoying all that California has to offer.

His photography and writing have been published in various forums and websites, including ALM's Legal Technology Newsletter and publicity images for the San Diego Men's Chorus 2007 season promotional materials. From January through November 2008 he wrote on politics and election issues for KPBS' Citizen Voices.

He wrote Personal Photography and Personal Websites, an article on California's right of publicity and the issues surrounding online publication of personal photography, in 2006 (updated 2015), and has reported on developments and moderated discussion at beachlaw.info, a website dedicated to discussing developments in California coastal access and beach use law, since 2002.