Meet Derek Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Johnson.

Derek, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up my dream was always to make it into the MLB. I was a die-hard baseball fan from day one and nearly played year round in New Jersey, where I grew up. I found photography in high school, where I took three years of classes and was hooked. I loved the chance to capture objects, people or sceneries from my perspective, also while holding onto memories for a lifetime. I decided that my baseball career wasn’t going to pan out due to an arm injury and was encouraged by teachers and friends to pursue my passion at college… which is exactly what I did. I traveled 3,000 miles across the country to Santa Barbara where I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Professional Photography from the renown Brooks Institute.

Upon graduating, I moved to LA where I worked for a diverse range of photographers ranging from automotive, food, product, beauty among others. I couldn’t get enough of it and after working for a year I decided to launch my own business, Derek Johnson Visuals. I didn’t completely vibe with LA, so I moved to Denver and found myself working for a company in town as one of their team photographers. After two and a half years of gaining more professional experience and learning the ins and outs of business practices, I leaped and went fully on my own. I’ve worked on a large variety of projects that have ranged from portrait, product, cars, architecture, food and more. I most enjoy working on projects involving products, though portraits are a lot of fun as well. I pride my meticulous eye for lighting, design and unique perspective that I bring to each assignment.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s never a smooth road but it’s rewarding because you determine how much or little you want to work. Running your own business requires a lot of work and superior time management, which I enjoy finding more efficient ways of working or doing business. The freelance life is certainly a roller coaster and you can be slammed with work for a few months and then go through a dry spell. One of the most difficult obstacles is convincing potential clients that your work is valuable and to stand by your rates. Denver is a unique market as it is still growing and transitioning into a larger metropolis area. Often I have to explain some of the details that go along with projects. For example, sometimes people expect to gain the complete rights to the images for them to use wherever and however they want. When in reality, some things drive up the cost due to the value that the image brings. If an image is solely going to live online or on social media then it would drastically change its value compared to an image being printed on a billboard. This tends to be exhausting because as an artist and business owner you’re looking out for yourself, but a lot of people will often find someone else who will do it cheaper… because there’s always someone willing to do it cheaper.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I pride the quality of work that I produce and the customer service that I provide. If a client has a tight deadline then I always strive to exceed their expectations both in image quality and with quick turn around time. My style is distinct and if I had to associate my work with a few words it would be bold, thoughtful and timeless.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was overweight, suffered from a stutter and lacked confidence. I was an only child and my friends were my second family. Admittedly I was spoiled and naive but I’m proud to say that I’ve made a full 180 degree change since high school which was about ten years ago.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.derekjohnsonvisuals.com
• Phone: 856-313-3722
• Email: derek@derekjohnsonvisuals.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/derekjohnsonvisuals
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/derekjohnsonvisuals

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.