Today we’d like to introduce you to Janelle Darnell.
Hi Janelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After graduating from college I began a career in the business world, serving as an executive director for a large retail chain. 6 years later, with a 2 year old at home and another on the way, I made the decision to leave the corporate life to focus on my family. Unexpectedly, this change opened the door to my now passion and current business. One day I picked up my phone and downloaded an app a friend had told me about … instagram. That was the moment I fell in love with photography and the visual storytelling of people’s lives. That Christmas, my husband surprised me with my first professional camera and I never looked back. During the kids nap time I dedicated myself to learning all there was about photography. I read books, watched countless online how to tutortials and taught myself all aspects of shooting and editing. A year later, I launched my own photography business. Today, over a decade later, I am still proud to manage this business of capturing moments in time for my clients and am I thankful to be able to do something daily that I love.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My professional journey has been incredibly rewarding. Balancing the demands of a growing business from home while raising a family has naturally taught me the value of strong organization and focused energy. Now that my kids are teenagers, I have found a rhythm that allows me to bring even greater focus and dedication, without all the “kid” interruptions to my work and my clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My approach/style to photography is centered entirely on storytelling. I love to capture the whole scene so it feels as if you are there with us on a trip or playing alongside the family I am capturing. When working with families, my approach is simple we will spend the first 2 minutes getting the portraits for grandma, but the remaining 58 mins we are just going to play. I want your family to run down hills, spin until you are dizzy, and splash in the water. My goal is for you to walk away from our session realizing that family photos can actually be an incredibly fun experience. I choose to look past the stiff, forced poses to capture the authentic joy and real, unscripted moments of your lives. Hearing families say “that was actually fun” as they head to their vehicles is the biggest compliment I ever get.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In the photography world we have already seen big changes with AI. The shift toward AI-driven editing—especially with tools like Lightroom’s Generative Remove and advanced masking—is changing photography faster than anyone anticipated. But my primary goal is to continue to capture real, unmanipulated moments. AI is not going anywhere, but the craving for authenticity is only going to grow because of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.janelledarnellphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janelledarnell?stkn=dXRpdXg0eTVjbDU0
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janelledarnellphotography
