It's Official

I have been working on website for a few weeks now, and it is officially live.  I made it my goal to have it active before school started, and it is finished.  Check it out joannajohnsonstudios.com.  I used Show It, which is a wonderful company. I love how I had the ability to design it myself, and have it look exactly like I wanted it to.  As far as my business is concerned, I am planning on taking family, children, and senior portraits for the next six months, maybe, and I emphasize the maybe, I will try to get in to weddings & engagement photography.  All together sharpening my skills.  From what I hear weddings can be a huge stress, and I want to be fully comfortable in my skills before I make that plunge.  I hope everyone enjoys the website, and any feedback is helpful. XOXOXO

What to wear-Senior portraits-for the fellas

Guys I know most of you guys have no idea what to wear when it comes to getting dressed for school in the morning and senior pictures are a whole different playing field.  It all kind of depends on what season you are taking the pictures in and what your personal style is.  I love when guys are daring in what they wear to take their senior pictures but not all guys are daring. I already know that some of you guys would be most comfortable with jeans and a tshirt. Actually that is fine to wear, as long as they are clean jeans and not an old ratty tshirt. Here are a few suggestions of attire for different season and styles.

Spring & Summer Styles for the "Preppy/Urban Gentleman" 

Both of these looks would look good paired with some Sperry's, Nice Leather Sandals, or even some white Chucks!

 Spring& Summer Styles for the "Artsy or Skater" Guy

Pair these with Toms, Chucks, or even CLEAN Vans. Also you can accessorize with some cool shades or glasses.

Fall & Winter for "Preppy/Urban Gentleman"

Fall & Winter for the "Artsy or Skater" Guys

                       

                                              

What To Wear-Senior portraits-for the ladies

Yesterday we tackled what the kiddies should wear, but today we are going to tackle senior portrait attire.  My senior pictures weren't that great, but at the time I thought they were amazing.  Now looking back I realize that every person that took their pictures at this studio, has the same exact poses, and usually the same exact outfits.  When I say every one, I mean everyone, my brothers poses look the exactly the same as mine and they graduated in '95 & '96 and I graduated in '03.  Every person is different, and like I mentioned in my last post my job is to capture your true personality. Senior pictures are something that most parents will have up in their houses for years, so why not put up a picture that really captures your personal style.  I will always work with you on scouting locations, but something to consider is you always want your attire to match your location as well.  I will gladly shop with you so that you will have beautiful outfits to wear on the day of your session.  I also give every senior a packet that includes do's and don'ts for attire for your session.

Summer & Spring for The Ladies

Fall & Winter for the Ladies

  

What To Wear-Kids Addition

A lot of people don't know what to wear when it comes to getting their pictures taken, and they definitely don't know what to dress their kiddos in.  Seriously how many times have you stressed about getting your kids all in a specific matching striped shirt and you drive around to 3 different malls looking for the right size, and they end up not having the correct size so you have to settle with a different color shirt.  Here's the thing everyone has their own personal style.  Even if you are a 6 year old boy, you have certain clothes you like to wear.  I like to capture real life photos so when it comes to dressing your kids for their session, just let them be themselves.  My job is to capture your families personality not some made up image of what a "family portrait" should look like. The more comfortable kids are the easier they are going to be to work with.   I can remember my mom putting me in uncomfortable dresses and shoes that I hated, just to go to take my pictures at the lovely Olan Mills.  Now those of you who are fashionably illiterate and have no ideas what even looks good on your kid, below are some examples.  Now if you are still confused, give me a call, and I will gladly help you out.
Just a small disclosure, I know your boys probably love rocking the shoes with little action figures and cartoon characters but definitely not a good idea for pictures.

For The Mini Divas

For The Lads

  

Rosa

Here are some pictures I took of one of my favorite seniors that are a part of my club at Southeast High School.  This girl was one of the first students I met when I started having Pulse Club at Southeast.  She has always been super sweet, I absolutely adore her.  She is preggo as well and carries it with so much grace.  Pregnancy in high school girls is something that is on the rise, it seems like every week there is a new girl pregnant at my school that I work with and in the past year I have had three little cousins who have been pregnant all under the age of 20. Getting pregnant in high school is never a happy experience, and a lot of the girls you see the unhappiness all over their faces.  But Rosa has never been that girl, she always is smiling and happy.  And I would pay a million bucks to look this good preggo.  I know she is going to be a great mom to baby Jayden, and I am so proud of her for finishing high school.

 Can I just say I am praying for their poor dad, all 5 of these girls are gorgeous.  He is going to have to start beating the guys off with a bat. 

Rest & Relaxation

Shot with my kit lens at 39mm, ISO-200, Aperture-8, & Shutter Speed-1/100

Breathe In......Breathe Out.........

Alright so it is pretty well known that I don't rest, neither do I relax. But today for change, I had nothing on my plate, no school, no work, no appointments, no problems.  I babysat one of the sweetest baby girls this morning, I might be a little bit partial because she is my cousin.  Anyways we had a pretty relaxed day. We went to breakfast, then to the park, after she went home I went to lunch with my mom, and then stopped by the Downtown Edmond Arts Festival.  I ended my afternoon with a 3 hr nap.  I had planned on getting a massage today, so that I could relax, but it seems that God had different plans.  This goes to prove that sometimes spending money on things to help you relax is not the way to go, sometimes you just need to allow yourself to experience a little bit of life.  Now this evening I working on my business plan, fun, fun right?  I mean, that's how most single 25 year olds spend their friday night.  I know that's super awkward to spend a Friday night alone but in order to get to the places that I want to be, I have to sacrifice.

Until next time!

JSquared

I set a date

I have decided to do it, what you ask?  I have decided to set a date.............Not to get married silly, to launch JoAnna Johnson Portraits.  I told myself that I have 6months to learn and if I don't succeed or if I just lose interest, like I often do, I was going to quit.  For the last few months I have been practicing, reading, and learning everything from websites, to photoshop, to business plans, to understanding light.  I have spent countless hours in forums, and on my favorite photographers websites.  My family is 100% behind me with this endeavor.  I am not going to say the date because I know with life things can happen to delay the process.  So here we go, should be an exciting journey.  I am going to start blogging more consistently, and I am going to try to at least post one photo each day. So here is a shot from today, this is a high chair that is over 50 years old, that I got from a family friend. Boy do I have some great ideas for this bad boy.

Shot with my kit lens at 55mm, ISO-200, Aperture-5.6, & Shutter Speed-1/50

Alright till next, Peace  Love & Napyness.

-JSquared

My nephew just turned 6!!

 

                      

Frustrations

Photography frustrates me.  Sometimes I want to cry because my picture doesn't look anything like my photog  heroes picture.  I have actually cried in downtown Guthrie because I couldn't get a shot to come out correctly.  I constantly am reading books about photography, and sometimes I ask stupid questions on OSP.  I can read the concept of the exposure triangle over and over again, and still not remember what it means.  I spend countless hours in blogs and forums.  I make my family take pictures all the time.  Some times they are amazing and sometimes not so amazing.  But the thing of it is, photography has become part of my hear beat, every thing that I have desired for my life it is.  I know I'm not a world renown photographer, but I do hope to be one eventually.  I see myself being able to do ministry the way that I want to, by doing photography and operating my business with integrity.  I see myself being able to set my schedule instead of, "the man" setting it.  I can continue to mentor and work with teenagers. I will be able to experience life and travel.  I know it's going to be a long, hard, journey. I believe this is part of God's plan for my life so no matter how much things frustrate me in the beginning, I am up for the challenge.

The Girls

We had quite an adventure this weekend, with these two little bundles of joy.  Needless to say I have huge circles under my eyes from lack of sleep, and been kinda short with people.  Here are a couple of the shots I got of my cousins lil monsters. 

Walking/Shooting in his Calling

I heart photography, a whole lot, I probably would write it on my hand just like we all wrote boys names on our hands in middle school but you probably would make fun of me.  I spend all of my free time researching to try and figure out exposure, and posing.  Needless to say it is sometimes a frustrating process, I actually have cried.  I sat in downtown Guthrie crying(I was by myself so there is no witnesses) because I wasn't able to get a shot like I wanted to, but I didn't quit and eventually got the shot.  

I am an impulsive person, and in the past this has put me in situations where I would put myself in a financial bind because I wanted something immediate. God has taught me that this is not of him, and anything worth having is worth working for.  I think that if you want something bad you have to work yourself to the point of getting what you want and God will provide in the meantime.  I want to be a photographer obviously, and of course with my natural impulsiveness I want to have the same equipment, that all the ballin photogs have, like this   --------------->

     <--------------- and that, and ooh definitely this one ------------------------------------>

But realistically I can't afford this yet, and I need to learn so much before I can even get to the point of even using the Canon EOS 5D Mark ii. So I have been borrowing my cousins camera, while I have been saving to buy something pretty inexpensive and used until I can afford the big girl equipment. On, more then one occasion I almost bought all of these things, but then my sense kicked in and I refrained from impulsive desire. Then a couple of weeks ago an act of God happened for this broke college student.  My cousin asked me if I wanted to buy her camera for really cheap, pause for sigh, aww, isn't God so good.  God knew that I needed to master the camera I have currently before I go on to something bigger and better.  It's amazing how he provides when you are walking in his calling. Until I get the big girl camera, I am mastering this little cutie, and by golly I doing my thang with her.