Inspiring Conversations with Diavione Johnson of Abstract Royalty Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Diavione Johnson.

Hi Diavione , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Long before I ever considered it a career, I was the person documenting every family gathering. While everyone else was busy enjoying the moment, I was preserving it. Capturing candid smiles, laughter, and the small details that often go unnoticed. Years later, I realize just how priceless those photographs have become. They hold memories of moments we can never relive and faces we can no longer see. Those images taught me the true value of photography before I saw its full significance.

My journey began with a simple film camera. Over the years, I graduated to a digital point-and-shoot camera, then my Nintendo DSI, My phone, and eventually the professional Canon cameras I use today. As a child, I would transform my bedroom into a makeshift studio and convince my younger cousin to pose for photos I took with my DSI. At the time, I had no idea that something I viewed as simple fun would become my profession, and the foundation of my business.

When I entered college at North Carolina central University, I wasn’t entirely sure what path I wanted to pursue. I knew technology was rapidly changing the world, and I wanted a career that would evolve alongside it. I ended up earning my Bachelor’s degree in Art with a concentration in Visual Communications, initially believing graphic design would become my focus. However, as I immersed myself in Adobe software, visual storytelling, and creative projects, I found myself increasingly drawn back to photography. What began as curiosity quickly became passion.

A pivotal moment came when I was accepted into a work-study position with The Campus Echo at North Carolina Central University. Surrounded by talented photojournalists, I discovered something I had been searching for. I felt completely at home. I was inspired, challenged, and endlessly curious. Photography no longer felt like a hobby; it felt like where I belonged.

Not long after, a photojournalism course unexpectedly appeared on my class schedule. My advisor couldn’t explain how it had happened, but I saw it as an opportunity rather than a mistake and asked to keep it. That decision changed everything. For the first time, I learned how to properly operate a professional camera and refine my editing skills with intention. From there, doors began to open.

I photographed events across campus, gained valuable internship experience, and had the opportunity to document major moments such as Homecoming celebrations. Along the way, I built relationships and connections that continue to impact my life and career today. Each opportunity reinforced what I already knew deep down: photography was where I was meant to be.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with people from all walks of life and traveling to places I never imagined visiting as the little girl who carried a camera to family gatherings. Those experiences have shaped not only my career but also my vision as an artist.

Today, my mission is simple: I want my photography to be meaningful. I want people to smile when they see their images. I want them to feel seen, celebrated, and comfortable in their own skin. Most importantly, I want to capture moments without changing a person’s essence.

I believe a photographer’s job is to enhance beauty, not redefine it. In an era where social media often promotes unrealistic standards, natural beauty is frequently treated as something that needs to be corrected. Society constantly sends conflicting messages about who we should be, how we should look, and what is considered acceptable. I reject that mindset.

Through my work, I strive to create images that honor authenticity. I want people to recognize themselves in their photographs, not a heavily altered version of themselves, but the person they already are. The laugh lines, unique features, and individual characteristics that make someone who they are deserve to be celebrated, not erased.

Inclusion and compassion are values that guide both my personal life and my business. As a Christian woman, my faith teaches me to love people, not judge them. Jesus consistently welcomed those whom society overlooked, criticized, or rejected. He associated with prostitutes, tax Collectors, adulterers, etc, yet in 2026 some of us don’t even want to associate with someone with a different opinion then ours. His example reminds me that every person deserves kindness, dignity, and respect and I plan on letting that reflect in my business!

That belief influences every interaction I have with my clients. No matter who you are or where you come from, you deserve to feel valued and respected. My goal is not simply to take photographs, it’s to create an experience where people feel comfortable being themselves and leave with images that reflect their genuine beauty.

What began as a young girl documenting family memories has evolved into a career built on storytelling, authenticity, and connection. Looking back, I realize photography was never just about taking pictures. It was always about preserving the moments, people, and emotions that matter most. This is only part of my story.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I faced discrimination struggles, money struggles, and even mental health struggles along the way. As a black woman it can be more difficult at times climbing the ladder. That’s why I’m so grateful for the connections I made at my college and the friends I made along the way.

Being in your early 20s and starting a business isn’t easy. I had to figure out how to make money to invest into myself. I was working part time jobs seasonally and also getting support from my parents and grandparents . So grateful for my family. While I was investing in myself, they were investing in me for my own future!

Mental health wise, I hid it from a lot of people but during college I was having serious difficulties during and after Covid times, because of my ADHD/Autism aka audHD. Hybrid classes were throwing off my normal routine, I became more hypersensitive for awhile and it was hard working with other people or even getting the motivation to do what I loved. It felt like looking at myself through a looking glass unable to reach out.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Abstract Royalty Photography ?
Outside of what I put in the first question from the survey. I want the readers to know that I named my business abstract royalty when I was a teenager and it started out as a name for a graphic design business.
When I got older I kept the name but what began as a name I made off the top of my head gained more meaning.

Abstract: Abstract Art doesn’t show an exact picture of something, but “uses colors, shapes, and textures to communicate an emotion.”(Google). Photography can be the same. There’s different emotions, lighting, colors, backgrounds. Each photo can tell multiple stories. Only a few know the truth behind a photo.

Royalty: I want everyone who comes to be for a Photoshoot to feel like royalty. That moment is theirs and they deserve it. They deserve to smile and know that they are beautiful while also feeling it. Smiles are meant to be shared.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Being real. I don’t want my business to be associated with lies. This means I am fine with showing what I stand for and what I’m against. If I lose customers from that then that only means that they were not the right ones for me. Photographer/client relationships are important. You don’t treat them like a one and done, but as someone you may potentially see again. They will come back and recommend you to others if you understand the meaning of that statement. Creating a photo with AI is easy, but getting the experience of a photoshoot can not be recreated by anyone other than your photographer.

Pricing:

• Prices range starting at $100

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Abstractroyaltyphotography.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/abstractroyalty_photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18fUZXtSuW/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: https://share.google/jtrQwIDqP36GXsjZB