Respect the Shooter interview with Derek Johnson
How did you get into photography/videography?
That’s a bit of a story, I’ve always loved making videos. I remember back when the Xbox one came out and they had a feature that let you put clips of your game together. Add a little music from in the background and i had little game clip videos haha i got creative, but i really got passionate about a few years ago when i started attending church again. I started taking pictures for the church. Was nothing more than a hobby, wasn’t until this year that i decided to take It serious and pursue It as a career path.
What did you first use to take photos?
I had first started using my churches Camera ( Canon Rebel T3 ). Had no idea what i was doing. Use to just point and shoot, but people kept telling me “you have an eye for this”
Where did you go to school? Do you have any formal training/self taught?
Never went to school, most of It was studying people/Influencers. How they took pictures, what they took pictures of etc. A lot of self learning by just doing It. Trial and era for the most part. Always asking questions, always looking to learn. Still a student...
Do you have any nicknames? How did you get that name?
No nicknames, just a ton of people that i “look like” hahaha smh. Jason Derulo, 50 cent, Tim Hardaway jr. And the list goes on
If you could take photos of any 3 people who would it be?
Any three? It would have to be Mack Wilds, Nigel Sylvester and Zoē Kravitz. There’s just Something about them and they’re all dope influencers in their own way
If you could take photos of any 3 people that are no longer living who would they be?
Frank Sinatra
Robin Williams
Brittany Murphy
If you could take photos in any 3 cities what would they be?
Los Angeles ( without a doubt )
Toronto
Detroit ( Motown )
What is your goal when you capture photos of someone?
Feeling, i like to capture feeling when It comes to taking photos of people. I want you to be able to look at my pictures and feel the vibes coming from that.
What music do you listen to when you edit photos?
Smooth music, not too loud not too soft. Childish Gambino ( feels like summer ) comes to mind when i think about it. I can have that one track on repeat and get lost for hours
What's your favorite app on your phone?
Hard to say but I’d have to go with Instagram. That’s where most of my influence comes from. So many different types ofphotographers, all types of creators and almost nothing is the same.
What is your dream as a photographer?
To be an entertainment photographer, example i follow Dj Pauly D on Instagram and he has a videographer that edits his videos of a lot of his gigs. I want to be THAT, i want to be a personal photographer/videographer. Traveling all over the place, dope pictures of performances, meeting different people, collaborating with other photographers.
What is some advice you would give to someone with a dream to be a photographer/videographer?
Be CONSISTENT ! But with that also comes patience. As i mentioned earlier, this year is when i decided to take this serious and follow through. People say you become a perfesstwonal once you get paid for your work but idk i don’t feel that way. I’m going to keep being consistent and patient, I’ll eventually get to where i want to be.
Where can people find you? (social media, website, etc)
Instagram - @Captain.Charisma
Facebook - Derek Johnson
Snapchat - Captain Charisma