In 2005, Rachelle Steele was stationed in Mississippi for her job in the Navy when Hurricane Katrina hit. With two daughters, just six-months-old and eighteen-months-old, Rachelle fought for their survival—and then began to document what was happening around her. Those events left her with photography PTSD, and she didn’t pick up a camera for another 5 years. It took time, but she eventually became an award-winning photographer and has been one of a select group of artists named “International Portrait Photographer of the Year” for three years in a row. On this episode of She Pivots, Rachelle recounts her childhood and the loss of her father to addiction at a young age; her time in a biker gang; her decision to return to photography; and how the work she did during her Master of Fine Arts in Photography helped her heal.

She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Rachelle, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.