AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY + DIGITAL JULY 2015 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 55
Brown says. “Every year, we set goals, make plans and then go
about making it happen. We do whatever it takes to achieve
them, and I don’t allow fear to hold me back.”
While Brown is an accomplished and extremely talented
photographer, her ongoing success is predicated on the
fact that she’s also an extremely savvy business person.
Not that she’s ever got to be contented with slow seasons, like
wedding photographers, or rained-out sessions, like location
photographers, but if she did need a backup plan, she has
another whole thriving business to fall back on which doesn’t
depend on her shooting a single frame. Not only has she been
invited to speak at events as well as run workshops on posing
newborns, in Australia and internationally, Brown also sells
Photoshop actions, provides one-on-one mentoring, and does
video tutorials, having appeared a number of times on
CreativeLive, the popular US online platform.
Kelly Brown has made a name for herself by becoming one of
the very best in her chosen field – not just in portraiture, but in
newborn photography. And in this day and age, when literally
everyone is now a photographer, the decision to focus purely
on a narrow field was not only a brilliant creative decision, but
also an excellent business one. Complementing her newborn
photography is her maternity photography. This makes perfect
sense, as by the time she comes to shoot a newborn, she has
already gained the trust and established a rapport with the
mother. The only question that now remains is, when will she
dive into 'birth' photography?Getting into newborn photography
The boom in portrait photography over the last few years has
been nothing short of incredible, and this has also seen many
try their hand at newborn photography. Advice from the experts
regarding diving into this niche is to ensure their move is not
made too prematurely. From her observations, Brown says many
“newbies” seem to have their focus all wrong. “I’ve noticed a lot
of newcomers focusing more on the posing instead of the basics
of photography, like lighting, composition, focus and learning
about which lens is best for what situation.” Something else
that many of them fail to realise is that running a photography
business isn’t just taking pretty pictures. “It’s knowing howOPPOSITE TOP
Three-year old
identical twin sisters
welcome their brand
new sister. Canon
5D Mk III, 24-70mm
f/2.8 Mk II lens,
30mm, 1/100s
@ f/4.5, ISO 1250.OPPOSITE
BOTTOM
Brown says, “This
was posed on my
posing bag with the
mum sitting on the
floor and the baby
safely supported.”
Canon 5D Mk III,
24-70mm f/2.8 Mk II
lens, 55mm, 1/250s
@ f/2.8, ISO 500LEFT
Baby ‘Ruby’. A giant
flower prop was
made from a sheet
of foam. Canon 5D
Mk III, 24-70mm
f/2.8 Mk II lens,
30mm, 1/500s
@ f/5, ISO 400EXPERT ADVICE Shooting newborns