Comprised of a husband and wife team, Paul Johnson Photography's beautiful photography has been capturing the quaint seaside towns of the Emerald Coast of Florida for years in some of the most breathtaking images we've seen. Describing their style as casual and unobtrusive, their photography embodies beautiful imagery with a classic film aesthetic. Their ability to capture the intimate, often unseen moments of a wedding have led to a portfolio of captivating images documenting the real life emotions and special moments that unfold during the wedding day. Read on to learn more about Paul and Mecheal Johnson and what inspires the couple behind the lenses of Paul Johnson Photography.
Paul Johnson Photography is based in Rosemary Beach, FL but are available for assignments worldwide. To contact Paul Johnson Photography, visit their website or call 850.832.4309.
Weddings Unveiled: Tell us a little bit about Paul Johnson Photography.
Paul and Mecheal: Paul Johnson Photography is located in Rosemary Beach, a quaint seaside community along the gulf coast of Florida. We, Paul and Mecheal are the owners and Photographer's for the business that we've nurtured for over 10 years. We've been married 17 years and photograph every wedding together as a team. While we do travel frequently, a good majority of the weddings take place in the well known coastal communities along Hwy 30A such as Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach and Watercolor.
WU: How did you become wedding photographers?
P&M: Paul has enjoyed photography since a young boy. He always had the professional camera when on vacation and at special occasions. He was asked at the age of 11 to photograph a wedding for a young couple in his church in Louisiana. In the 90s he documented his first daughter's two month stay in the NICU, she was premature. Soon after friends and family began asking him to photograph their weddings. He didn't charge enough and didn't really appreciate it as a full time profession. He eventually burned out and stopped taking weddings. A few years later he decided to start taking weddings, but with a new approach and with the goal of building a self sustaining full time photography business. I (Mecheal) began assisting Paul at weddings and eventually he passed a camera to me and I quickly caught on.
WU: Digital or film or both? Why?
P&M: Both. We photograph using nikon D3 cameras but also photograph using film cameras. Paul has a film background and has developed a film aesthetic in processing out digital images.
WU: Describe your wedding photography style.
P&M: I would describe our style to be "real". We photograph what we see. Very little of what we photograph is controlled.
WU: Show us your favorite wedding image and tell us why it represents who you are as wedding photographers.
P&M: We love this image because it tells a story. I imagine the groom has just given a sign a relief, the bride comforts him with a gentle touch and behind them the best man is placing the rings on the minister's bible.
WU: What inspires your photography?
P&M: Life, our relationships with family, here and the ones who have gone on, friends, stories of people who are important to our clients who passed after the wedding. Our clients and who they are and how they are together.
WU: How do you keep your wedding photography fresh?
P&M: We try not to take on too many weddings. This makes each wedding exciting for us. When we photograph at the same venues over and over again, we try to see what's around us and not just photograph the same thing we see every time we are there. We also watch for the stories that happen in every wedding that are unique to that group of people.
WU: Do you do non-wedding photography work? If so, how does it influence your wedding photography?
P&M: Occasionally we will photograph families or engagement sessions. These session do not influence our weddings. It might be the other way around though. Because we photograph the natural unfolding of the wedding day, we want our sessions to have the same feel. A natural and interactive feel. We put our portrait clients into motion, giving them something to do and this creates the look we are going for.
WU: What makes you different from other wedding photographers?
P&M: I'd say who we are is what makes us different. Nowhere else in the world is there another Paul and Mecheal and we think our imagery reflects our personalities. Every person is unique!
WU: What would be your ideal wedding assignment?
P&M: Ideally, we would have a good connection with our couples, meaning what they want in their wedding photography is exactly what we provide. As long as we have this, we could be anywhere! But, if we could be anywhere, Europe would be nice! We feel so fortunate that almost every wedding client we have had the opportunity to work for we have had this connection with.
WU: Tell us three things you can't live without.
P&M: Easy! Each other, our girls and our freshly roasted espresso beans that are shipped in from Seattle every 10 days.
WU: What is the best advice you can give to an engaged couple?
P&M: Have a great time at your wedding! Let all of the hard work you've done unfold. It's important to trust your vendors. Talk with them, express your dreams and if you feel connected to them, trust that they'll provide exactly what you hope for. Communication is key! And after 17 years of marriage, I can say that communication IS the key!
Paul Johnson Photography is based in Rosemary Beach, FL but are available for assignments worldwide. To contact Paul Johnson Photography, visit their website or call 850.832.4309.
Weddings Unveiled: Tell us a little bit about Paul Johnson Photography.
Paul and Mecheal: Paul Johnson Photography is located in Rosemary Beach, a quaint seaside community along the gulf coast of Florida. We, Paul and Mecheal are the owners and Photographer's for the business that we've nurtured for over 10 years. We've been married 17 years and photograph every wedding together as a team. While we do travel frequently, a good majority of the weddings take place in the well known coastal communities along Hwy 30A such as Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach and Watercolor.
WU: How did you become wedding photographers?
P&M: Paul has enjoyed photography since a young boy. He always had the professional camera when on vacation and at special occasions. He was asked at the age of 11 to photograph a wedding for a young couple in his church in Louisiana. In the 90s he documented his first daughter's two month stay in the NICU, she was premature. Soon after friends and family began asking him to photograph their weddings. He didn't charge enough and didn't really appreciate it as a full time profession. He eventually burned out and stopped taking weddings. A few years later he decided to start taking weddings, but with a new approach and with the goal of building a self sustaining full time photography business. I (Mecheal) began assisting Paul at weddings and eventually he passed a camera to me and I quickly caught on.
WU: Digital or film or both? Why?
P&M: Both. We photograph using nikon D3 cameras but also photograph using film cameras. Paul has a film background and has developed a film aesthetic in processing out digital images.
WU: Describe your wedding photography style.
P&M: I would describe our style to be "real". We photograph what we see. Very little of what we photograph is controlled.
WU: Show us your favorite wedding image and tell us why it represents who you are as wedding photographers.
P&M: We love this image because it tells a story. I imagine the groom has just given a sign a relief, the bride comforts him with a gentle touch and behind them the best man is placing the rings on the minister's bible.
WU: What inspires your photography?
P&M: Life, our relationships with family, here and the ones who have gone on, friends, stories of people who are important to our clients who passed after the wedding. Our clients and who they are and how they are together.
WU: How do you keep your wedding photography fresh?
P&M: We try not to take on too many weddings. This makes each wedding exciting for us. When we photograph at the same venues over and over again, we try to see what's around us and not just photograph the same thing we see every time we are there. We also watch for the stories that happen in every wedding that are unique to that group of people.
WU: Do you do non-wedding photography work? If so, how does it influence your wedding photography?
P&M: Occasionally we will photograph families or engagement sessions. These session do not influence our weddings. It might be the other way around though. Because we photograph the natural unfolding of the wedding day, we want our sessions to have the same feel. A natural and interactive feel. We put our portrait clients into motion, giving them something to do and this creates the look we are going for.
WU: What makes you different from other wedding photographers?
P&M: I'd say who we are is what makes us different. Nowhere else in the world is there another Paul and Mecheal and we think our imagery reflects our personalities. Every person is unique!
WU: What would be your ideal wedding assignment?
P&M: Ideally, we would have a good connection with our couples, meaning what they want in their wedding photography is exactly what we provide. As long as we have this, we could be anywhere! But, if we could be anywhere, Europe would be nice! We feel so fortunate that almost every wedding client we have had the opportunity to work for we have had this connection with.
WU: Tell us three things you can't live without.
P&M: Easy! Each other, our girls and our freshly roasted espresso beans that are shipped in from Seattle every 10 days.
WU: What is the best advice you can give to an engaged couple?
P&M: Have a great time at your wedding! Let all of the hard work you've done unfold. It's important to trust your vendors. Talk with them, express your dreams and if you feel connected to them, trust that they'll provide exactly what you hope for. Communication is key! And after 17 years of marriage, I can say that communication IS the key!
