Terry Johnston Photography

Title: Eric Daigh.

I guess you could say that Eric Daigh’s TEDxGrandRapids speech was a touch controversial… but hello, what do you expect when you ask a creative to talk to an audience.

Having said that - I for one ENJOYED what he had to say, and pretty much agreed with everything that came out of his mouth to the visual “FUCK YOU” that graced overhead screen.

At the end of the day… I enjoyed it.

Title: Bearded.

Street Art. Corktown - Detroit, Michigan.

Shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and EF 35mm f/1.4L lens.

Title: Home is where the hate is.

Corktown. Detroit, Michigan.

Title: Mr. Hipster URBEX.

While waiting for our table at Slow’s BBQ we wandered around Corktown… Tommy Valdez was so up for an impromptu portrait shoot from inside Imagination Station.

Shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a EF 35mm f/1.4L lens.

Title: eye-catching.

So what is texture in relation to photography? Simple put… texture is the fine details of your photograph that make it appear 3-dimensional.

TEXTURE 101: 5 Things to Think About When Shooting Textures

1. Proper Lighting. Hard Light tends to make the textures appear sharp and razorlike where Soft Light tends to give your textures a more soft and weathered look.

2. Shoot in RAW. I know as photographers we always harp on shooting in RAW, but for textures you need the extra fine controls that a RAW can give. Stop shooting JPEG!

3. Overexposure. I tend to shoot my textures with a +1/3 EV and this helps you in bringing out the textures, while giving you extra control in your RAW file. It also helps you nail the contrast and tones.

4. Imperfections are Key. Look and focus on dents, paint peels and corrosion. Remember you are trying to make your photograph have dimension. A flat image with perfect surfaces does not make a great subject for photographing textures.

5. Color OVER Black and White. Yes, you can achieve some amazing textures in Black and White, but when comparing them to the exact same shot in Color more times than none the color image POPS! The bits of color help your eyes adjust to the layers of complications in your photo, as well as help with separation of your textures.

Title: Robocopy.

Robocop sighting in Corktown - Detroit, Michigan. For those of you not familiar with the sci-fi backstory… Robocop was the man/robot hybrid who was responsible for saving the future of Detroit, oh and he drove a Ford Taurus.

Title: Creative Caramelization.

Quite possibly the most creative coffee shot I have taken to date… right?

Outtake from a recent shoot at The Heartside Gallery & Studio. Image taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens.

Title: Sarah Scott.

Sarah Scott is more than just the Arts Coordinator at the Heartside Gallery… she is an art icon. From curation to creation, she is the real deal.

Here is a little know fact about Miss Sarah. She was the first person in Grand Rapids to give me an art show. I guess in many mays one can say that she discovered the ‘mo in pink glasses… way before I even wore the pink glasses!

Just under 6 years ago she took a chance on me. It seems like forever ago and back then I worked as graphic designer and snapping pics was my way of “de-stressing” after a long days in corporate America. I became friends with Sarah through the now closed coffee house Four Friends and to this day I really miss that coffeehouse. Long story short, she knew of me and my camera from almost daily visits and said to me on afternoon “you should have a show here!”

What happened after that was amazing and unexpected… immediately after the show I received email after email from people asking me for photos. Not only did emails keep flooding my inbox, but every piece that was hung on their walls sold within 2 weeks. That led into getting clients, and eventually me leaving the world of graphic design to becoming my own boss as a freelance/commercial photographer.

So today’s blog post is for Sarah Scott… thank you for all you did and continue to do for artists. Love you girl!

Outtake from a recent shoot at The Heartside Gallery & Studio. Photographed with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens.

Title: Watching Paint Dry.

Outtake from a shoot at The Heartside Gallery & Studio located on The Avenue in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was on assignment for the Grand Rapids Downtown Alliance and there was no way my camera was going to miss this colorful shot.

Honestly… I could have photographed the Heartside Gallery for hours and hours - so much eye candy!