Meet Charlotte Johnson | Photographic artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlotte Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlotte, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Creating art that’s rich in emotion makes me happy. I’m currently obsessed with seascapes and the ocean, capturing beautiful lacey seawater and elements of the beach and coastline. Sometimes I like to include models in my images: feminine forms and fabrics, flowing curves. The whole process is a kind-of meditation for me and it feels rejuvenating for my soul. Driving out to the coast, watching the urban environment transition through rural bush and out the other side to the shore, feels like leaving all my stresses and worries behind me. When I step out of my car and breath in the fresh sea air, the dark sand under foot, camera in hand, I feel like I’m where I’m meant to be.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a photographic artist, I enjoy creating work that carries a message, an emotion/feeling, and can connect with others. I find beauty in sadness and my inspiration comes from my own feelings of melancholy or exploration of nostalgia. This can be found in a wide variety of subjects, but my most recent art features women and seascapes, with the ocean and water being of particular importance. My art has a painterly and ethereal aesthetic, clashing with qualities which are most often rewarded in photographic imagery such as sharpness and detail. I’ve learned to embrace creating art that makes me feel fulfilled, that I believe is beautiful, and to accept that my work doesn’t need to tick the boxes of rigid standards.

There have been several occasions where my art has been painfully criticized by assessors who skim the surface, looking for the same old ‘ideals’, and I am grateful to the creative communities I’m part of for supporting me through these times. It’s easy to give in to imposter syndrome and believe that your art is not good enough, but we must never let anything that gives us joy be taken away from us, especially for the wrong reasons. When we create art that makes ourselves happy, whether we enjoy the process, the end result, or both, then we’ve already succeeded, no matter the opinions of others.

I’m proud of where I am today. My work is exhibited alongside a wonderful group of talented artists in a local gallery, Railway Street Studios (Newmarket, Auckland). I’ve won multiple national and international awards, including being shortlisted for the Sony Alpha awards two years in a row. I’ve received honours recognition from both the Photographic Society of New Zealand and the Royal Photographic Society. I’ve hosted workshops for national societies, professional and amateur, written a series of articles published in a photography magazine, given tutoring and mentoring, all the time fighting against anxiety and imposter syndrome. I believe that we should never stop saying yes, never stop trying new things, because it keeps us inspired. To me, being inspired is the perfect state of being.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favourite place in Auckland, without a doubt, is Piha. One of many gorgeous west coast beaches, I feel strangely connected to Piha despite having never lived there. It’s the site of many of my recent works and a place I can go to relax, feeling the sea breeze freshen my spirit. Over the course of a week, we could tour the west coast beaches, visiting the wild sands and dunes of Whatipu, then up to Karekare where scenes from ‘The Piano’ (1993) were filmed, take in the lacey ocean at Piha and stop for a pizza from the local cafe, up to Muriwai to view the gannet colony, explore the Waitakere ranges regional park and see kauri trees that once filled the landscape. On the north shore, take a stroll around the pleasant shops and wander through the North Head tunnels with their fascinating historic significance. Take a ferry to Tiritiri Matangi island predator-free reserve to listen to the bird song, hoping for a chance at spotting kokako. Finish off with a tour of Waiheke island vineyards, restaurants and distilleries.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shoutout to Auckland Photographic Society (APS), with which I have been a member for about 4 years. Through APS, I have had huge support and encouragement, met so many lovely people and good friends, and received feedback that helped me grow as a person as well as a photographer. I’d encourage any photographer or artist to join their local club, society or community, and share inspiration with others.

Website: https://www.cejphoto.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cej.photo/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cejphoto/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cej_photo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cej.photo

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeRN9iduBd0NzJ9uy5Eap3Q

Other: https://www.railwaystreetstudios.co.nz/collections/charlotte-johnson

Image Credits
Models: Anita van der Mespel (A Million Pearls, The Drowning), Natalie Thomas (Unsustainable) MUA and Creative assistance: Laura Macdonald (A Million Pearls, The Drowning, Unsustainable) Creative assistance: Viviane Castro (Unsustainable)