Rachel Canale is an impressive young woman who has been photographing since she was a teenager, and can now add Times Square Billboard, editing app, two photography businesses and over 1 million TikTok followers to her ever-growing resume. Rachel’s photography is intuitive and she has a real rapport with her subjects, able to shoot everything from fashion week street style and bikini beach models, to romantic engagement shoots and professional portfolios.

Having first discovered Rachel in 2019, when she began her foray into fashion photography shooting the Melbourne Fashion Festival for Pen To Paper Media, it was an absolute pleasure to chat to her about her journey into photography super stardom.

When did you first start your photography journey and what inspired you to pick up a camera?

I was first introduced to photography when my cousin Bianca started using me as a model in her school project photo shoots. But it wasn’t so much the experience of being a model, but seeing the final photos at the end was the highlight for me. I grew up on a farm in the Yarra Valley and I started by taking photos of my pets and landscapes, and then I would convince my friends to be models for me on photo shoots around the farm. And that’s how my business slowly started to begin.

You studied a Diploma of Photo Imaging at Swinburne University, which assisted mostly with the business side of being a photographer, but what tools did you have at your disposal to become a self-taught photographer?

I was able to teach myself mainly through YouTube videos and online courses. I would make sure to watch videos before and after school so I could get as much knowledge as I could, and then I would convince my friends to be models for me while I practiced what I had learnt. Practice makes perfect. If there’s any advice I can give someone starting is that just get out there and start taking photos and you will learn along the way.

You were 16 years old when you started your first photography business. You have since gone on to found and run 3 businesses – Pocket Studio, Rachel Canale Photography and Forever Begins Now. Can you describe what each business specialises in?

I’m very into business, as you can tell! I grew up with two entrepreneurial parents so I started at a young age. My first business is Rachel Canale Photography which is started at 16yrs old. I shoot almost anything, my passion is in photos not a certain area so I never limited myself. I shoot fashion, products, model/dance portfolios, and the list goes on.

I recently found a love shooting weddings and I decided it would be best to make a separate business to showcase this niche work. That’s when I decided to create Forever Begins Now. I can really see myself pivoting towards shooting mainly weddings in the future. I just love being a part of a couples’ special day and knowing that they will cherish their photos forever. I decided to go with a business name that didn’t include my personal name so that way I can build a team in the future.

Pocket Studio is my filter/editing app which I created during the Covid lockdowns. I’m the kind of person that doesn’t know how to sit still and do nothing, so literally in my first week of lockdown I started brainstorming and researching how to create my own app. I have always wanted to create a business that wasn’t service based so that way I wasn’t limited to the amount of hours that I do. If feels like a safety net, if I was to injure myself, and thinking forward into the future when I want to start a family and won’t have as much time as I do now.

How did the creation of your Pocket Studio app come about and was it a difficult project to bring to life?

Pocket Studio was definitely a difficult project. It took a full two years to create and launch. I feel like my app was the most difficult out of my three businesses because I didn’t have full control; I had to outsource the work and I struggle to give power to other people. I’m lucky that I have a great developer (Attala Digital) who not only works for me, but with me.

The process started with me contacting my developer and sharing the ideas I had. From there, we had a few phone calls and emails back-and-forth about how we would create the app. And then the rest was really a waiting game because it was all in their hands. I started to build my social media following in the meantime, so that I would have somewhere to promote the app once it was launched.

What do you love most about capturing couples in love via Forever Begins Now?

Oh, where do I start! I love how excited they get when I send them the photo gallery. If feels like an honour to be the one who gets to capture such special moments that I know they will cherish forever. I also love the fact that I get to witness the whole day, from the groomsmen getting ready, to the first dance at the end of the night. I get to be a part of it all.

You recently opened your own photography studio in Melbourne. How special was this milestone moment for you and what do you offer clients in this beautiful new space?

Opening my own photography studio was such a special moment for me. I had two months of renovating and styling the place before I opened it to the public. The night before the official opening I had an intimate launch with my closest friends and family. It was then when I was giving my speech that I started to tear up and really realise how far I’ve come since I started when I was 16. It felt like all of my hard work had lead to that moment. For the last nine years, I have been working from home which was great and I really appreciate that my Mum let me do that. But I had reached a point where I was working 5 to 6 days a week, and it was time to get my own space.

My studio is surprisingly large. When clients arrive, they always say it feels like a maze. It has 6 rooms, including the front waiting room/lounge room, my office, the studio room, kitchen and bathroom, make-up and styling room, the store/prop room and even a garden out back when I need some fresh air.

Your work for client Lash Therapy Australia appeared on a NYC billboard in Times Square at the start of this year. How utterly amazing was this career highlight for you?

Honestly, I get goosebumps every time I think about it. Seeing my photo on a billboard in Times Square is the biggest milestone, not only in my career but my life so far. This was my first billboard ever, and to have it in New York, and be flown over to see it, was just insane. I definitely teared up seeing it. I feel like this moment meant so much to me because it was something that I never expected to happen in my life, let alone this early in my career. I even had some of my favourite photographers commenting on my post, saying how impressed they were, which was just crazy to me. Lash Therapy Australia have been clients of mine for about three years now, and those girls have grown to be some of my closest friends. I love that we got to share that moment in New York together.

You have had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places for work, including Bali, Mexico, Maldives and Hawaii. What has been your favourite travel destination and why?

Very hard question! I have definitely been privileged enough to travel to some amazing tropical locations because of my swimwear photography. If I had to pick one place, I think I have to say the Maldives because it’s such a luxurious and picture-perfect location. I cannot explain how blue the water is, it’s something you need to see for yourself. I hardly needed to edit any photos there.

You have hit over 1 million TikTok followers, with over 26 million Likes at last count! How has social media helped you achieve such a huge fanbase and what do you think your followers love seeing most from your photography?

It is insane! People love seeing the behind-the-scenes of how a photo was created and I make sure that my content shows that. I feel like it gets my followers involved in my work and I also try to show some photo ideas that are easy to do at home so they can give it a try too.

You have covered fashion week in Melbourne for a few years now with Pen To Paper Media. What have been some of your highlights from the festivals?

Fashion week is my favourite week of the year! Honestly, my favourite part of it is meeting people. There is also such a social aspect when you’re shooting street style. I have even met some of my closest friends through shooting this part of fashion week – one being my good friend, Maria Thattil.

What is your favourite type of photography to shoot and where (ie. couples, individuals, portraits, campaigns, studio, location, runway, etc.)?

Such a hard question. At the moment I’m really loving shooting engagement photoshoots through Forever Begins Now. I love finding hidden gems in the Melbourne CBD that give European vibes. We have such beautiful architecture around our city and I love to capture it in my photos.

What’s next on the horizon for Rachel Canale?

My main focus at the moment is growing Forever Begins Now. Over the next few years I really want to grow this business and grow a team within it.

QUICK RANDOM ONES:
• Fashion trend you wish would make a comeback? Chunky sneakers. I wear the most chunky sneakers to work everyday. I get a few comments here and there but hey, I’m a short girl!

• First celebrity crush? Zac Efron. I LOVED High School Musical. Kind of ironic that I met my partner at a New Years party like in the movie.

• Celebrity you would most love to shoot? Beyonce. I am a BIG Queen B fan and honestly if I ever got the opportunity I’d probably faint before I could even take a photo.

• Photographer you admire? Pixpop & Jesse Allen (husband and wife duo), and recently I’ve fallen in love with the work by Peranza.

• Influencer of the moment? Grace Beverly, love a girl boss.

• Favourite tune to listen to whilst you work? When I’m working I usually have peaceful mediation on. Helps me focus and not feel overwhelmed.