Finding Purpose Behind the Photo with Katie Johnson

If you follow us on social media, you're very familiar with the array of beautiful, professional coffee photos that we have the pleasure of using to build our brand. We thought it was time for you to get to know the person behind the lens. Katie Johnson, from Katie Johnson Photography, is one of the masterminds behind the scenes of our Bizarre Coffee photoshoots. With her help, we've been able to develop and evolve our distinct and recognizable brand visuals as our small coffee company has grown. Sometimes, people naturally fall into their careers, and that's exactly what happened to Katie. We're incredibly grateful it did. Read more about her journey into the world of photography, coffee photography, and some of the quirks that make her unique.

Q: How did you get started in photography?

Katie: I started out of necessity honestly! In 2017 I had a clothing boutique and needed photos for my website and social media but lacked the funds to hire a professional. I bought a camera and took a bunch of online courses to figure out how to use it. A few years later I discovered that brand photography was actually a thing and started shooting photos for my other business owner friends and it just grew from there!

Q: What fuels your passions?

Katie: Being able to capture what makes every brand and business owner unique and tell their story through imagery is not only a lot of fun but also very rewarding to help bring their vision to life!

Q: What type of camera do you use?

Katie: Canon R6

Q: If you didn't do photography, what would you be doing?

Katie: I’d be a broadway star (she's serious about this one too)

Q: How did you start working with Bizarre Coffee?

Katie: I met Sabrina when I had my boutique and she was doing social media marketing. Long story short, she slid into my DMs about working together, I turned her down, but we still became besties. I was so excited when she started Bizarre Coffee and some of my favorite photos are from the first few shoots we did together!

Q: What is your creative process for a large shoot?

Katie: Always start with the overall vibe and then head to Pinterest for inspo to put a mood board together. Then source props, backdrops, etc to create the scene. Next would be finding models if applicable and then create your shot list. On the day of the shoot I like to tether to my laptop so the client can view the photos in real time to make sure we are all on the same page and can make adjustments as needed.

Q: What makes you weird?

Katie: I have 2 different colored eyes.

Q: What's your favorite drink at the shop?

Katie: So hard to choose a fave! My go to non seasonal latte is the Honey Nut latte.