Meet Katrina Rochon | Photographic Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katrina Rochon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katrina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was a math educator for 17 years, teaching middle and high school math, then through my own private math tutoring company. What I learned is that anybody can teach themselves anything, as long as they have the confidence to do so. While on the outside, it looked as though all I was doing was teaching math concepts, what I was really doing was teaching people to see themselves and to believe in themselves. After a few years, though, I moved, causing me to lose my clients for tutoring. I took a break to figure out what I wanted to do as a profession, how I wanted to impact my community, and to figure out what, exactly, were my talents since I wanted to take a break from education.

That is when it dawned on me that I was good at helping others see their own light. And that I could continue to help others, though with a different tool – the camera.

Photography is an art and I believe our lives, us as humans and all our layers – physical, emotional, spiritual – it’s all art. So many people talk poorly about themselves, have thoughts regarding their own self that they’d never say about another, and get lost in the hustle of living. Of surviving. We rarely make an intentional and conscience choice to give ourselves gratitude for simply being. For surviving another day in this wild, stressful world.

I wanted to provide a safe space to give people the opportunity to view themselves as the exquisite art that they are. To take dedicated time to cherish themselves. To actively love, honor, celebrate, release, and/or acknowledge the individual layers that meld together to create their whole person.

And that is how my business began – with the desire to help humanity fall in love with themselves, one person, one layer, and one photograph at a time.

What should our readers know about your business?
So many photographers I know or see online are the most incredible artists and use their talent behind the camera to bring to life the art that they envision in their minds. They create the sets, the themes, and work with gorgeous models to create magazine worthy layouts. These kinds of photographers blow my mind with their talent. Rather than use a paintbrush, they use a camera to make their art come to life and it’s just exquisite.

A photoshoot with me is unlike anything that’s currently out there. We don’t have a hair and makeup artist coming to doll you all up and make you look like a fantasy version of yourself. That’s not what this photoshoot experience is about. It’s far more raw.

It’s a journey into oneself, peeling back the layers of one’s own humanity.

It’s a time to focus on the pieces of yourself you’d like to honor, the meaningful bits of yourself that have impacted your experience in this place, in this time.

It’s releasing the parts of you that you’ve realized are toxic, giving them gratitude for doing their best to protect you, as you say goodbye.

It’s laughing.

It’s crying.

It’s screaming.

It’s exhaling.

And it’s all documented.

Because every layer of ourselves is equally important.

Because each layer has given us the opportunity to learn something about ourselves, to heal a piece of ourselves, and to grow & evolve.

The Progressive Boudoir Experience is customized and personalized based on the client’s already created and beautiful art that is their life. I just use my camera to document what’s already there, in its purest form.

What I aim to do is to acknowledge the human element, one layer at a time.

Now, this concept is not easy. Nor do I have clients knocking down my door for a photoshoot – yet. Because it is quite the vulnerable experience. The final photos aren’t photoshopped to erase wrinkles or rolls. It isn’t a time to hide your true self beneath hair, makeup, and fancy outfits. What I photograph is gritty. Raw. Pure emotion. Intensity. Intimacy with one’s own self.

And, to be quite frank, that’s scary for a lot of people.

But I believe that this is absolutely necessary for everyone to experience. To become in touch with themselves and to stop burying themselves in everything else to avoid actually looking inside. To avoid being vulnerable.

Vulnerability is a strength but our society has worked so hard to teach us that vulnerability is a weakness. To overcome societal and cultural views while trying to grow a meaningful business is challenging. But it’s so worth it.

And I am finding that one by one, little by little, people are ready to take the leap and embrace their own authenticity. Not only are they ready, they WANT to be real, authentic, & vulnerable, and to share their humanity authentically with the world. I think people are starting to get sick of the facade – of the perfect world that social media has conditioned us to believe is reality – and they’re ready to proudly show that they are beautifully flawed.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, wow! Denver is so lovely, where do I begin?

I guess I’d begin close to home and take my bestie to Stanley Marketplace for lunch. We’d grab some empanadas from Maria Empanada and take them to my favorite neighborhood bar, Create, to enjoy while drinking something delicious that was whipped up for us. After lunch, we’d walk around and window shop, because the Stanley has some great shopping!

Another day we’d make the drive to Red Rocks and maybe do a bit of a hike and take some photos while immersed in the beauty that exists over there. And, if we’re lucky enough, catch a concert in one of the most beautiful concert venues in, well, the US for sure.

For dinner some night, we’d go to Lucina, which is a personal favorite of mine. Or Uchi if we’re feeling in the mood for sushi. Or, for a splurge to celebrate, we’d go to Beckon, which is probably the most perfect dining experience I’ve ever had, thanks to not only the food, but mostly because of the people who work there.

On a lazy day when we’re recovering from all the eating we’d likely do, I’d take my bestie to my favorite hatter, Cutter Paul, so he could make her the most gorgeous custom hat she could possibly invest in.

Denver can have the feel of a small community once you meet other creatives – whether they’re creating food, drinks, or products, it just all really feels like meeting up with family. And with the hiking, trails, mountain views, and the weather, I am grateful to live in such a place.

Pinch me. 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To begin with, I’d like to acknowledge my husband for helping me pursue this dream of creating a photography business. It is with his help that I was able to have the proper equipment and space, along with the ability to attend conferences and seek out educational opportunities.

Through the conferences and workshops I attended, I was so fortunate to meet the most incredible and inspiring photographers who I am now fortunate enough to call my friends. They have guided me, advised me, and encouraged me, stretching me to grow and believe in myself as they believe in me.

And I’d finally like to thank my daughter, Abriella, who has been my biggest fan and cheerleader her whole life. Her unconditional love for me, along with her pure belief in me, no matter what, keeps my feet moving forward, one step at a time. She is, to put it in a word, my everything.

Website: https://www.progressiveboudoir.com

Instagram: progressive.boudoir.experience

Image Credits
Katrina Rochon

Joe Krueger (photo of myself holding the camera to my eye)