Hi I’m Kylie Johnson…

… an award winning Gold Coast Photographer who specialises in newborn photography, baby photography & family photography in and around the Gold Coast.

I thought I would tell you a little bit about me and my style of photography. I have been a professional photographer for over 10 years now, but even as a child I always said that I wanted to be a photographer when I grew up and I took my little film camera everywhere with me so I could take pictures of my family and loved ones.

My passion with photography first stemmed from my grandmother who was an avid amateur photographer and from my mum. What I really love about photography is the fact that with a photograph you are able to ‘make memories’,  to freeze in time, even the smallest detail, which would have otherwise been lost or forgotten and I absolutely love that.  I really can’t miss a memory.

Being a photographer it makes sense that my personal photographs are also priceless to me. If there was a fire in my home, I would instinctively grab my hard drive with all of my personal photographs on it.  The thought of ever losing these precious memories fills my heart with panic

I recently moved to the Gold Coast with my husband Andrew. We both have a shared obsession with traveling and have traveled extensively throughout Europe. We are really living the dream right now, the Gold Coast is such a beautiful awe-inspiring backdrop for any Photograph.

The Gold Coast beaches simply take your breath away, every time I see that beautiful water it really gives me a wow moment. I also love the outdoor lifestyle, the fabulous cafes and bars on the Goldie and the weather is always so perfect here with the brightest skies I have ever seen. The Gold Coast is a great place to live and work as a photographer.

Taking exceptional photographs of people is really what I love to do, what excites me about my work as a photographer and what gets me out of bed in the morning.

My portrait photography is all about conveying the emotions, messages and thoughts of my subjects. I always try to capture the natural expressions and the relationships between a couple or a mother and child, the unconditional love and joy they feel in every photograph, if I see that then I know that I have nailed it, so the viewer can actually feel a physical or emotional reaction to my work.

I strive to photograph people ideally as they see themselves, as naturally and candidly as possible, getting them to reveal the ‘true’ them in front of the camera, if you like.

I do this by getting to know my clients and by making each of my photography sessions as fun, relaxing and enjoyable as possible for the people I am taking the portraits of. By keeping my photographs as simple and natural as possible they tend to have a timeless quality about them which means that they can be appreciated for years to come.

Ah Newborns are just so divine! I absolutely love photographing this stage of your baby’s life. And lets face it, it is such a short time but well worth being documented. They are so sleepy and pliable. There is nothing more peaceful than watching a sleeping newborn.

Babies, babies, babies! Who doesn’t love a cuddly bubba?! A baby’s first year is so amazing to watch. So much growing and so much learning! I believe it so important not to miss these precious moments of your baby’s life. Nothing is better than getting a gorgeous little grin from a cute little baby. Seeing their little personalties coming out and capturing them for you is one of my most favourite things to do.

Is there anything more important than family?! During your children’s life they change so much and therefore so does your family and its dynamics. I love to capture a family throughout the passing of time. I get a real kick out of seeing a family grow and change.

As a wedding photographer I am always privileged to share one of the most important events of my client’s lives by documenting their special day. I would describe my wedding photography style as photo-journalistic or reportage, my photos essentially tell the story about the people and the event I am filming.

By making sure that every detail of their big day is captured on film – the joys, the nerves, the raw emotions, the poignant moments and the gestures of love, so that they can be treasured by the family and enjoyed again and again.

Combining those natural, spontaneous images with the more formal ‘smiling face-front type shots of the bride and groom ensures that my Wedding Photographs are both beautiful and filled with the emotions of the day.

You may be interested in a few lesser known random facts about me:

I have two favourite quotes ,“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself” by George Bernard Shaw and “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” by Susan Sontag.  If you continue reading you will understand why.

If I were to have a soundtrack to my life then two songs would always be included, the first one would be “The Voice’ by John Farnham  because it reminds me of when Andrew and I lived in the UK, and an Aussie bar where they played it and it always made me feel very patriotic and think of home.

The second would be Bon Jovi ‘Its My Life’, this song is so relevant to me because I do think that Andrew and I are living the dream, it’s become the anthem to our life.  Both songs are so daggy but I love them and they always make me want to sing along to them as loudly as I can.

Being a photographer, sometimes my work is as a spectator of some the most intimate moments in people’s lives.  One of the most touching of these was when I had a sad phone call from a client telling me her mum had only been given days to live.

She desperately wanted to have some family photographs before she passed away, so I dropped what I was doing and photographed the family at the hospice her mother was staying in. I was able to capture some beautiful moments between the family together for the last time.

She passed away 3 or 4 days later and the images were used at her funeral. I was so overwhelmed with sadness for this family and found it so hard to fathom that this lovely women that I just photographed was no longer on this earth.

But I was also left with such a feeling of honour at being asked to capture these memories for this family. After doing this, my value for myself and my skill truly soared. This is why I do what I do.