Patience, Props & Purpose: The Evolution of a Newborn Photographer with Johna Musarra
Newborn photography is part art and part patience, and no one embodies that balance like Johna Musarra of Three J’s Photography.
In this episode, Johna joins me to share her journey from 20 years at Starbucks to 13 years behind the camera as a full-time newborn photographer. We talk about how her style evolved through trial and error, the importance of patience (both with babies and yourself), and how she helps students bridge the gap between “good” and “great.”
She also reveals her approach to color harmony and client styling, how she handles unusual requests (grab your antlers and baby poop stories), and what she’ll be teaching at the 2025 Online Newborn Retreat. Johna also shares the moment she stopped chasing trends and started creating from her heart and it’s a lesson every artist needs to hear.
What’s in this episode:
- [03:00] The story behind the name Three J’s Photography
- [05:00] How her style evolved through trial and error
- [06:00] Why patience matters more than perfection
- [10:00] Teaching workshops and helping photographers grow
- [11:00] Creating cohesive color harmony in every gallery
- [13:00] Staying confident when clients request something different
- [17:00] Following your creative instincts
- [19:00] Avoiding trends and finding what makes your work unique
- [20:00] Beating creative boredom without buying more props
- [27:00] Owning your growth and celebrating how far you’ve come
- [31:00] Johna’s 2025 Retreat class on wrapping and maximizing setups
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/
