Hi, I’m Katie.

Like you, my mama heart craves the zen the ocean brings.

I have always lived near the water (and before my babies were born, I surfed every single day!) The calmness the ocean brings, the saltwater on my skin and sand between my toes is really my happy place. And for my water babies too, they are intrinsically connected to the sea. We now call the Central Coast of New South Wales home, our special sacred place.

In an earlier life, I picked up an old manual film camera from a thrift shop in preparation for a trip to Borneo. I studied Anthropology and couldn’t wait to make the trek to work on an orangutang conservation project. Four months living in the remote rainforests of Kalimantan, capturing the magic of the natural world, solidified my love of photography. Anthropology is the study of what makes us human, so it makes my heart sing that I can document the essence of you through photography.

Since then, I feel like I’ve lived a hundred different lives. I’ve travelled and worked all of the world (I’ve been a pastry chef, worked on private super yachts, in the surf industry, in legal), all searching for my why, but my life really came full circle when I had my children, reigniting my creative heart.

Photography for me is more than just the images, it’s the memories and emotions they evoke, the ability to transport you back in time to relive those experiences and connect you with loved ones. When I was little, I remember spending hours pouring over photo albums my mum had made, piecing together our family history and immersing myself in the full sensory memories of the moments captured. Designing experiences to capture new memories for my clients lights me up, creating heirlooms for your home and future generations.

When I’m not photographing beautiful mamas to be, or excitable families, or fresh newborn rolls, you’ll find me with my own children (one of them the namesake for Dear Juniper), exploring the Australian coast with a tent and surf boards in our 4WD, ready to dive into the nearest rock pool, cove or cave.

Now you know my story, I’d love to get to know yours. Let’s watch the sun rise over the ocean, chill out at yours with a cuppa, toast marshmallows over a bonfire, jump into the ocean or grab a beer at your favourite coastal lookout. Whatever fills your heart with joy – count me in.

 

Love, Katie xx

The Dear Juniper Ethos

Dear Juniper Photography is not only about creating epic experiences for clients and capturing beautiful images; it’s a driving force for change, education and best practice in business, the community and the environment. My ‘office’ is the Australian coastline, so sustainability has always been at the forefront of my mind when creating this business model. I’m passionate about promoting positive habits and respectful behaviours in the natural environment and creating a platform for education.

 

OUR CORE VALUES

 

·       Embrace authenticity and celebrate imperfection amongst individuals.

·       Advocate for uniqueness and self-acceptance.

·       Treat all clients and suppliers with dignity, respect, empathy and compassion.

·       Create unique and creative photographic experiences for my clients.

·       Commit to business practices which contribute to environmental protection.

·       Review and improve business practices which may be wasteful or contribute to pollution.

·       Provide a platform to educate clients and followers on sustainable practices we can implement to protect the environment.

·       Collaborate with other local small businesses.

·       Produce a high-quality value service and product to clients.

 

Dear Juniper Photography will donate 10% of every session fee to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Australia’s only independent national charity dedicated solely to protecting our coasts and oceans. The Central Coast community has a thriving respect for our beautiful beaches and coastline, and I can’t wait to see what magic we can do together.

 

Come along on this journey with me, it will literally change our world.