What It Looks Like When Photography, Philanthropy, and Pets Equals Passion

In this episode of Keeping Up With The Community, I sat down with local leading photographer, Amy Johnson. We chatted about how she's self-taught, how she uses photography for a cause, her exciting new business, and a very special offer she's got for the community.

Click "continue reading" for the full interview and video! 

What's your background story? What made you get into photography?

 I've been into photography for most of my life. In ninth grade, I got a paper route and bought my first camera with it. But it really wasn't until my kids were very small when I was surfing the Internet one night, and I came across a website that had a natural light studio in the home, and that just really intrigued med. I thought, "Wow, that is so cool!" and I had to go do it myself. So I started reading about it more and more, and I started thinking about studio lighting and I bought my first studio lights. Then I started bringing kids into the studio and it eventually got to the point where I wanted it to be my career. So I got set up and had my first client.

What kind of photography do you specialize in?​

Portrait photography. I don't shoot events like weddings or bar mitvahs. I just do portraits. I shoot families, newborns, children, high school seniors, and business headshots. Pretty much the gamut. 

What do you love most about living and working in the Evergreen-Conifer area?

 The natural beauty is the best! The people are the best, too. I've always loved being here. I've had my studio here for 14 years. I've raised my kids here. The are is perfect for having family and for having a photography business.

Do you have any favorite locations to shoot at in the local area?

Yes, I love Flying J Ranch and I love Three Sisters Park. Both of those have great morning and evening light, which is tough to come by. A lot of times I photograph on-location if someone has a big yard or rock outcropping that they want to include. They like the sentimentality of having the shoot on their property. 

Do you have any goals that the community can help support?

 I would like to continue with the charitable photography that I've been doing quite a bit of. I do photography for the Colorado Heart Gallery, which is for kids who need to be adopted and find their forever homes. I do a lot of photography for the Mountain Resource Center here in Colorado, and I run their "Boo in the Hills" portrait fundraiser every year. Look out for that in October -- you bring your kids in Halloween costumes and we have a portrait studio set up and it's so much fun. All proceeds go to Mountain Resource Center. I also do a lot of silent auctions with the public schools.

Any other exciting news you'd like to share?​

I'm really excited to share that I have a new photography business, called Muddy Paws Photography, and it's pet photography! The reason I'm doing this under a completely different name is because it's completely different type of business. It's in-studio, and I work with any pets, but mostly dogs. Then I highly post-process the images so that they have a dreamy, painting-like look to them. These are the kinds of images that you want to hang up big and framed on your wall to help you enjoy and remember your pet because their lives are so fleeting. And I wanted to be able to offer this sort of thing to people so they can remember their furry friends forever. I've been doing a lot of photography through Muddy Paws for the EAPL, Evergreen Animal Protection League, and I'd like to get more fundraisers going with pet photography! 

Here's that shiny offer!

 Mention that you saw this video when you call Amy to see up your Muddy Paws shoot, and the session fee (worth $200!) will be waived.

Amy Johnson Photography / Muddy Paws Photography
9229 William Cody Drive
Evergreen, 80439
www.muddypawsphotos.com
www.amyphoto.com
(303) 674-6149

 About Trang

As a local Realtor®, I come from a place of service. One of my goals for 2018 is to go around and find really positive people and influencers in the mountain community and highlight their story.

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