Today we’d like to introduce you to Demarcus Johnson.
Hi Demarcus, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My grandfather had a huge photograph of my mother in his den and seeing that image felt like a calling. I was born on the south side of Chicago and that’s where my mother first introduced me to a camera around 9 years old. It was a silver point and shoot camera that didn’t have any film, so I would have to walk around looking through the viewfinder and mentally capturing a new perspective, which genuinely excited me. After my mother passed a few years later, I lost the love for photography and focused on schooling. I moved from Illinois to Georgia in high school and upon graduation, I decided I would attend The Atlanta Art Institute, however, the funds to attend weren’t in my budget so I focused on working. In 2016 I felt the need to pick up photography again and started street shooting in Atlanta. I decided to take a trip to New York to explore there and realized that I had a passion I wanted to pursue. By 2018, same year I met my wife, I had researched and saved enough money to buy a DSLR camera, Nikon D3400. The love for the craft expanded and resulted in photographing church events, street photography, and pretty much every and anything in my path. 2 years later I moved down to Florida, where my wife lived, and realized that I wanted to share my passion and started building my business once I discovered which style of photography I loved most. I met many creatives (great friends to date) that allowed me to pick their brains of the craft, then and now, to help mold me to who I wanted to be as a photographer. A year later everything started flowing, marriage, business, clientele, schooling, skills, etc. and has excelled every year since.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! To this day, I mostly struggle internally on methods of how I can improve on my craft. Externally, the battle was discovering my style, building my portfolio, and creating clientele.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I mainly focus on fashion, editorial, and portrait photography, which is what I’m currently known for. I would love to explore fine art photography and have brand shoots to add to my work though. Out of my creative projects so far, I’m most proud of the Calvin Klein shoot I did to gain experience in brand shooting, which produced incredible images . I believe what makes me unique is the vision I have when an idea or style comes to mind and I will ask myself, “who would dominate this perfectly?”
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My favorite books give insight on artist and their work:
1. Choice of Weapons – Gordon Parks,
2. Black is Beautiful- Kwame Brathwaite
3. Steal like An Artist – Austin Kleon
4. The Creative Act – Rick Rubin
My favorite podcast fuel my creativity and give a great laugh while relaxing or editing:
1. Walkie Talkie – Paulie B
2. Bald Brothers – KevOnStage
3. Vanessa Aldrich podcast
Pricing:
- 30min shoot is $450
- 1hr shoot is $650
Contact Info:
- Website: https://devizualsphotography.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/de.vizuals?igsh=MWd3enM1dDE5emxn
- Other: de.vizualsproductions@gmail.com
