Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Johnson.
Hi Jake, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always loved art…drawing, painting, pictures. As a freshman in college, I was on track to be an architect, I thought. But I took a black &white film photography 101 class, and all my science and math classes started to suffer. Photography absorbed my attention and time, and it became a major infatuation for me. I shifted from my path, and after 3 semesters at Tech Texas University I transferred to Brigham Young University’s visual art program, I completed a BFA focused on photography and headed to Los Angeles to work full-time as a studio manager for a professional commercial photographer. I launched from L.A. to the Phoenix area in 2005, pursuing photography assistant work while creating my own portfolio and finding my own clients. Fortunately, we were always blessed with exciting assignments and various clients, and my business grew steadily over our 12 years in the Phoenix Valley. This journey includes adapting from film to digital imagery for clients, and also the adaptation of video production. We expanded our footprint to Utah when we moved to Provo in 2017, and have been building strong client relationships with Utah brands ever since. Studebaker Studios in Downtown Provo quickly became our new headquarters, and the space has become a place for developing new imagery as we look to the future.
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?
I’m approaching 20 years on this journey, and I have always freelanced. That path comes with freedom, but it’s not a simple process. It’s a world of feast and fathom, especially in the beginning. Sometimes my clients seemingly all want to shoot in the same month, or even week, and I get completely overloaded. And then a month will go by without shooting a single assignment. You have to be able to stay calm and keep working. Keeping up with technology is a struggle for any business, and dealing with the expense and evolution of photography cameras and software is a definite battle at times. I also think that creating a space to work has been important for me. I’ve had home offices, studio spaces, and various offices in commercial buildings…and worked on a card table in my basement at times. You do what you have to do, but my process is more successful when I’m working in a space that is conducive to creativity. Creating that space isn’t easy, but necessary for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a professional advertising photographer and video producer. Having my business in Phoenix for 12 years really forced me to work in various industries in order to stay busy. Most recently, I have primarily sports, fashion, healthcare and education clients, but over the years, I’ve shot food, lifestyle, travel, and adventure photography, amongst many other industries. I work on video commercials and films as a still photographer, and frequently create key art for the brands or films. I had to work extremely hard to get my clients, and some of them came in very creative ways. I’m proud that I’ve had some of my clients for over a decade now, and that they still rely on me despite a saturated photography field that’s in play around me. I think mostly my brand is about trust. Clients turn to me because they trust that I will make their money work for them…that my imagery will succeed. They trust that my years of experience and creative vision will produce the pictures they need. That in itself is very rewarding to me.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Soccer. I watch English Premier League games at night, and I coach my daughter Scarlett’s U14 club soccer team. I’ve been coaching her and some of her teammates for several years now, and it’s been a true joy. I love the grass, the game. There’s nothing quite like striking a soccer ball and kicking it around the field, I traveled to England with my 17-year-old daughter Bella this past Spring to do a 2-week football tour, and I’m heading with her to Spain in 2023 to do another one. Touring ancient cities, football stadiums and trainings…it’s a new world that gets photographed and documented along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: jakejohnsonpictures.com
- Instagram: @jakejohnsonpictures / @studebakerstudios
Image Credits
Jake Johnson
