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Meet Rochelle Cheever of A Romantic Journey in Carlsbad

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Rochelle Cheever.

Rochelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in the States, but I never set foot there, because, by the time I was old enough to stand up on my own, my family had moved to Rome, Italy. I’ve always been an artist. I started as a portrait painter, studying first at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C. and then at the Florence Academy in Italy. I got into photography through my portraits. Clients who saw the photos I took in preparation for the paintings, asked if they could buy them. Eventually, a diplomat in Rome asked me to photograph his wedding, and I discovered my true vocation. I loved the immediacy and raw emotion a photograph can capture.

Over the years, I have shot family and individual portraits, elopements, engagements and anniversaries, at some of the most extraordinary destinations in the world. Rome is not called the Eternal City for nothing. I’ve shot all over Italy from the Amalfi Coast to Puglia, Tuscany, Venice, Lake Como. You could say that I’ve covered the Italian peninsula from the tip of the “boot” to the top. And, I’ve photographed spectacular locations in Switzerland, Greece, Mexico, and Hawaii. I’ve always been in love with California, and it’s legendary light, from Big Sur to Joshua Tree, San Francisco, Malibu, Los Angeles, and unspoiled beaches of San Diego County.

Along the way, I developed my own philosophy for truly connecting with the subjects I photograph. If I’m shooting a location, I study it. I watch the way the light changes, look for distinctive shapes and colors. When I’m doing portraits, be they individuals, couples or family groups, I want to know each person’s story. I try to get close to my subjects in a non-invasive way so that I can capture an authentic essence. Unlike most photographers, I work with analog film. Nothing compares with the fine art quality I’m able to find using film, which allows me to create the painterly effect, so essential to my style. I spent my life in Italy, studying the masters, learning from Michelangelo and Caravaggio. That timeless classicism has stayed with me. I have never followed the trends in photography but always remained true to my own style, perfecting and deepening it through the years.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As the only artist in a family of entrepreneurs, I had to find my own way, learning to market my art. Some of that genetic business acumen allowed me to always work for myself. And through luck and hard work, I have been successful and consistently managed to create art for a living. My photographs have been featured in more than a hundred publications. I’ve won awards and been exhibited in galleries and museums both in Italy and the USA.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the A Romantic Journey story. Tell us more about the business.
Although I lived in Italy for most of my life, I frequently spent time with family in Southern California. I always felt that I had an Italian heart but an American head, and I’m just as much an American as I am an Italian. Two-and-a-half years ago, the pull of California became too strong to resist. It has always been my mecca, but I had to wait for my youngest son to go off to college before I could make the big move. Now I have sons in Rome, Hawaii, and San Diego.

When I moved from Italy to Carlsbad, it was like starting over, and it was difficult because I had built a flourishing business in Rome. Looking back, I can see that the move gave me the time I needed to redefine my creative goals. I published two books, launched an online gallery for my fine art wanderlust prints, and conceived a destination-oriented mentoring program, called “A Photographer’s Journey.” These were all projects I wanted to do way back when, but I never had the time to do them until I got to my new California home.

I love the raw nature of this part of the world. I love, running on the beach with my dogs. The perfect weather all year long seems to make everybody smile. But, I sometimes miss the International art community I had in Italy where art seems to spring from every corner. To get my art fix, I head to L.A. and luckily, I still travel to Europe part of the year work, which takes me to some of the most thrilling and art-filled destinations on earth.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I had dynamic parents who traveled extensively. There is nothing more educating than traveling and learning from other cultures. I also feel blessed to have been raised in Rome, Italy where I was surrounded by all the Masters, which still today has a huge impact on my art.

I feel super lucky that for the last two and half years, I get to call San Diego my home, while still hopping around exploring the world with my camera. It’s nice coming back to San Diego after a long trip. I love the whole vibe of San Diego to connect slow down, think, and recharge my batteries.

Right now, I’m particularly inspired not only by So-Cal but all of California, the beaches, the wild, wild west and the national forests. I just bought a yearly pass for all the National Parks and I’m planning on exploring and photographing all those areas. Maybe my next book will be in California!

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Image Credit:
Rochelle Cheever Photography

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