Editorial and portrait photographer Claudia Johnstone has a background in architecture, was born and raised in Germany, lived in the UK for 3 years, and has been calling Arizona her home since 2008.  Claudia considers herself incredibly fortunate to have been exposed to different cultures and forms of art, while making wonderful friends from all over the world.

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Although she has had a deep appreciation and interest in photography most of her life, it wasn’t until 2009 that she started following her passion for photography more seriously. In fact, her beloved dog Dutch – a beautiful black Labrador from The Netherlands (hence his name!) – was initially her muse.  A photo she took of him sparked something so profound in her, that she decided to pursue her love for photography, and in particular pet photography, slowly but surely transforming from a hobbyist to a professional photographer. Although her muse Dutch has since passed away, he lives on in every photo she takes.

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Whenever possible, she likes to use her photographic skills in a variety of  volunteer work, including Kids in Focus, a local non-profit helping at risk youth, as well as Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue, a local dog rescue. Becoming an associate member of TEOE has been a dream of hers ever since she heard about it for the first time a few years ago. Needless to say, she is thrilled to have been chosen to be a part of such a wonderful organization in the hopes of bringing people together while honoring and embracing their cultural differences.