BIG Folio presents an interview with celebrated photographer Jane Johnson. Jane has been kind enough to answer a few of our questions while on the road and even included a few of her favorite images from this year. Having made a name for herself as Central Oregon’s premier portrait photographer, Jane can be found dazzling her clients (from babies to brides, and everything in between) at Ethni Photography in Bend, Oregon. And if she didn’t seem busy enough already, she also has her own Etsy Paper Shoppe.
BF: You are based in central Oregon, do you do any international work? How often do you travel? And where are some of your favorite places to go?
I knew I was called to photography after shooting during a mission trip in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That was the last time I traveled internationally, but I am slated to go to Burundi, Africa with our church (www.antiochchurch.org) to provide photography and design resources for a new bible college the church is partnering with there. I do also regularly travel domestically to shoot, particularly to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. We also just recently traveled to Alabama to shoot a wedding, and have a few more out of state weddings slated for the future.
BF: Did you have any other occupation before becoming a professional photographer?
I have quite the variety of jobs on my resume. Mostly office work, but I have been known to work at Baskin Robbins (when I was 16), Hallmark, Starbucks (a few different times), and at a makeup counter. The most recent occupation I held before this was as a graphic designer. I am a self-taught designer, and it’s become a large part of my creative workflow, and I now do almost as much freelance design as I do shooting!
BF: So when did you realize that you could make a living shooting pictures?
I was standing on a street corner waiting for a bus in Brazil. Camera around my neck. 20 rolls of shot film in my bag. Wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life. It was a very natural decision.
BF: Was there a photographer (or anyone else) that inspired or influenced you?
A friend who was with me told me a verse that solidified everything for me: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good your whole body will be full of light.” (Matthew 6:22) As soon as he said those works, I was hooked. In terms of other photographers who have influenced me, there are many who’s blogs I frequent: Jinky Art, Jose Villa, Carrie Sandoval, Heather Morrow…. I love the rich, moody black and whites of Leah Zawadzki (www.lilyblue.com) and the vibrant contrast of Breanna Graham. Most recently, Ryan Phillips has taken me under his wing to mentor me in my business, and that advice has been huge!
BF: How would you best describe your style?
Vibrant, punchy color. Warm black and whites. It’s so hard for me to define my style, and I’m actually curious to see how others would define it for me.
BF: What is your favorite story from a photo shoot?
My very favorite part of photography is telling the story with the photos on my blog! Having said that, coming up with a favorite story isn’t an easy task. I suppose my favorite story is the background on a photo that wasn’t even an actual shoot. My husband and I were in Redmond, Seattle for a Focus on the Family Weekend to Remember marriage conference. We were walking around the outdoor mall one of those evenings, and I spotted the cutest little asian girl who had the wobbly, about to fall over, I just learned how to walk, unbalance about her. Of course, I had my camera with me, and I stopped the couple to ask if I could take a few photos of their daughter. I got my shots, and was chatting with the parents for a few minutes, when Josh took my camera and got his own shots. Of course, his photo had to be better than mine, and to this day it’s one of my favorite shots featured on the main page of my website and the slideshow on my blog.
BF: Do you ever do any photography just for fun? If so, what are your favorite things to shoot?
I’ve recently been having fun documenting daily life–little snippets of my world, that are of absolutely no value to anyone else, but mean something to me. It’s fun to put that on my blog, and add some personality to it, breaking up all the business talk.
BF: Any predictions on the next big trend in the photography industry?
I’ve been thinking about this question for a few days. I feel so much pressure to have the right answer! 
Obviously, the big buzz right now is video, which I think is a very cool feature that can be worked in to slideshows and websites in really unique ways. I think the next big trend will be jogging photography. (Have you seen Yes Man??)
BF: What type of local publications or resources do you advertise in? What about national publications?
The only local publication I am currently advertising in is True North Parenting, Central Oregon’s parenting magazine. I’ve just heard so many well established photographers say that their main source of business if word of mouth referrals, and it really is so true. I do see a value in advertising, but it’s just not very high on my priority list right now.
BF: What are you working on next?
I currently have a handful of big projects right in front of me: The first is a re-branding of my business. I am changing my business name from Ethni Photography to Jane Johnson Photography, and that involves an overhaul of my logo, website, marketing materials, etc. The second is creating a website for my custom blog designs. I currently just have them showing on my blog, and with a handful of custom designs ahead of me, it’s time to break that into its own website, and start marketing the designs to other photographers. To see an example of the sites, go to my blog (www.ethniphotography.com/blog), click on “archives” in the top menu bar, and then “custom blog design” in the bottom left corner of the archives list. Finally, I’m doing a women’s retreat for phtographers in August here in Central Oregon. It’s not a workshop by any means, but a few days for us to get away as believers in Christ to fellowship together, and seek God’s heart for our businesses. I’m really excited about that one. For more information on it, visit www.bemyvision.org. Every attendee gets $100 off a premium Big Folio site….
