Today we’d like to introduce you to Rochelle Johannessen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was introduced to my craft organically, through friendship. A dear friend of mine would invite me to model for her, and somewhere in those moments, I felt something shift. What started as stepping in front of the camera slowly turned into a desire to be behind it.
That spark turned into something real when my husband gifted me my very first camera on our first Christmas as a married couple. From the moment took my little Canon Rebel T3i out of that box, I never looked back.
I fully believe that my friends and my mother in law built my business alongside me. I have always been lucky to be surrounded by incredibly kind and supportive people who saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself. Friends trusted me with their memories. They invited me into their lives asking me to photograph their families, their weddings, their businesses, their milestones. Each opportunity, no matter how small it may have seemed, became a stepping stone that helped me refine my craft and build my confidence. Their belief in me, means everything.
A few years into my business, I was given the opportunity to photograph the Miss Syracuse Pageant. That experience ignited something deep within me, a calling. And something in me came alive in a completely new way. It wasn’t just about just taking photos of what was happening in the moment anymore… it was about making women feel SEEN. Celebrating them. Reflecting back to them a version of themselves that felt powerful, radiant, and worthy.
A desire to create more than just photographs, but an experience where women feel truly seen, elevated, and confident in who they are. To remind them of their beauty, their strength, and their ability to take up space and pursue their dreams unapologetically. Today I do not just take photos, I offer color analysis, empowerment sessions to help women feel confident and beautiful, professional hair and makeup, wardrobe styling and professional retouching for all sessions. Each one of those little offerings feel special and are unique to the women I am working with. I want them to come in hopeful and leave as friends.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey to be a photographer and in life has never been a smooth road.
In the early years of learning my craft, I knew what I wanted to do, but I struggled knowing how get to where I wanted to be. There was a lot more gatekeeping in the industry when I started vs now so I didn’t have as much access to information as others. I devoured all I could find access to easily, checking out library books, watching HOURS of YouTube videos and trying to piece together an education until I could afford a better one. It took time, like all good things in life do.
I had some personally heavy trials as well, mental health was one the biggest things that held me back from growing in a way that felt fast enough. I would listen to any criticism and crash out. I struggled with feeling good enough as an individual and then being questioned by strangers AND people in my inner circle felt hard until I learned to trust my inner voice.
It’s why I like working with entrepreneurs and specifically women because now when they step in front of my camera feeling unsure of themselves. I understand that feeling. And I know how to guide them through it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At my core, I am a portrait photographer with a deep love for creating refined, feminine imagery that feels both elevated and authentic. While I photograph a range of subjects from corporate headshots to weddings and branding sessions my true passion lies in beauty and glamour portraiture.
I specialize in creating an experience that goes beyond just taking photos. From color analysis to professional makeup to intentional styling and guided posing, every detail is designed to help my clients feel confident, seen, and beautifully themselves. My goal is never to change the way someone looks, but to reflect them in the most polished way possible.
What I’m most proud of isn’t just the images themselves, but the way my clients feel when they see them. Watching a woman’s confidence shift, seeing her light up as she recognizes her own beauty that’s the part that never gets old for me. It’s incredibly meaningful to be trusted with that kind of transformation.
I think what truly sets me apart is the level of care I bring into every session. I don’t rush the process, and I don’t treat my clients like transactions. I take the time to understand who they are, what they want to feel, and how they want to be seen.
At the end of the day, my work is about more than photography it’s about creating a space where people, especially women, feel empowered to step fully into themselves.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up I was confident, playful, bubbly and endlessly curious. I was CONSTANTLY told I was TOO MUCH! I talked too much, laughed too much, danced too much and loved too much.
I loved to dance growing up and I loved MUSIC and how music could poetically express the exact right feelings I would feel. I would write letters and poems in my journals to friends and family members and songs to help me express all that I had inside.
I had an interest in people and always have, what makes them tick, what they like, and even how to make them feel more beautiful. I would style my friends in outfits, curl their hair, and just love on them. I truly believe that helping people feel seen is my gift.
Pricing:
- $350 Glamour Portrait Pricing
- $550 Family Portraiture
- Custom Pricing for events etc upon request.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rochelleashleyphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rochelleashleyphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RochelleAshleyPhotography
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelleashleyphotography/
