AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY + DIGITAL JULY 2015 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 49
K
elly Brown is living proof that having a niche
and concentrating all your energy, skill and time
in just one specific photographic field is a great
step to take in becoming a highly successful and
recognised leader in your genre. Her entry in the world of
photography isn’t dissimilar from a lot of others – a new mum
who decided to try her hand at it, and satisfy her creative
needs at the same time. But what set her apart was her drive,
determination, and, of course, some amazing photographic
talents. Based in Brisbane, Brown started her business, Little
Pieces Photography, in 2005. It specialises in newborn and
baby portraiture. Today, she’s a Master of Photography with the
Australian Institute of Professional Photography and WPPI, and
has received almost every major accolade available to someone
shooting in her field. In 2012, she was named AIPP Australian
Creative Photographer of the Year, while in 2013 and 2014 she
was AIPP Queensland Professional Photographer of the Year.
Last year she was also named as the AIPP Australian Family
Photographer of the Year.
Birth of a career
Before picking up a camera Brown worked as a personal assistant/
office manager for a construction company. Following three
months maternity leave after her first child, in 2003 she came to
the realisation that she simply couldn’t go back to work and leave
her baby. Her husband supported the decision and suggested that
she study photography. Armed with 1920s book on the craft from
her grandfather, who was a huge inf luence, she commenced a
six-week introductory course at night. Having picked up a camera
just over 10 years ago, and with a professional practice of eight
years, there was a very small chance that we might never have
heard of Kelly Brown. Like many other photographers, she wasn’t
immediately connected to her true photographic passion and
instead dabbled in a number of different areas. From the outset
she photographed f lowers to produce her own range of cards,
which she sold at market stalls in the Blue Mountains, just outside
of Sydney, and to boutique gift stores.
The annual garden festival at the small town of Leura, in the
Blue Mountains, provided the ideal opportunity for Brown toABOVE
This image
represents the
hardship this
couple faced when
planning their
family. Canon 5D
Mk III, 24-70mm
f/2.8 Mk II lens,
30mm, 1/160s
@ f/2.8, ISO 1000.