We Said “Saint you got an interview!”.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Derrick Johnson.  

Hi Derrick, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I first started taking pictures back in 2016 while I was a sophomore in high school, and all I was doing was taking pictures of my friends whenever we’d hang out. I started becoming more interested in photography as I got older. In my senior year, I learned about an Atlanta photographer named Cam Kirk who would take pictures of music artists, and that’s when I decided to pursue a degree and career in photography. I spent two years at Vincennes University in my home state of Indiana, where I learned the basics of photography and learned how to develop my own black and white film. Since my degree was a concentration, I was also able to learn other forms of art which I believe helped my creativity. My second year of college I visited Nossi College of Art, where I currently attend, a few weeks before the pandemic hit and found out I had been accepted to attended the school in the coming months. Once the pandemic we were all sent home and that’s when my photographic style truly started to form, I was experimenting with my personal editing style and finding new ways to photograph my hometown of Evansville, Indiana. I’m currently still in school and my appreciation for photography and its many forms has grown greater. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the most significant obstacles I’ve faced on my journey is myself; I like to keep to myself and quietly observe those around me, and sometimes I forget to speak up and talk about what I do or what I’d like to do. I’m still learning to stand in the headlights of those around me, speak up in crowds and reach out to others when I want to collaborate or pass along comments. Another challenge I face is creative block/burnout; the past few months have been difficult for me to create anything standout or to my current standards. Everything at the time, in my eyes, was dull and uninspiring after sitting with the images for a few weeks. The struggle of artist burnout is an ongoing battle that, at this time, I am beating by watching videos on photographers and reading books on various artists and music. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a photographer who does portraits, street photography, and sometimes concert photography. I am proud of my hunger to learn more about photography and different photographers, the way I photograph subjects, and my editing style. I try my best to be someone with many hats and varying degrees of understanding when shooting. What sets me apart from others is a tricky question; honestly, there are no answers; in my eyes, that doesn’t end with someone saying “but this person does what you do.”. The thing that sets me apart from others is myself, Saint, Cloud, Derrick, whatever name someone knows me by. 

What’s next?
My plans for the future are known; I wake up thanking God for another day to create, learn, explore and understand. Though I may not know what my future holds, I continue to forge my path and follow the beat of my drum until I land where I believe I’m meant to be. I’m looking forward to creating more this year, working on concepts, and honing my craft. I mean this most humbly, but be on the lookout because it will be a tough act to follow once I heat up.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: cloudphoto.me
• Instagram: Instagram.com/VibeClouds

Image Credits
Randi Lee
Obootney Lee
Eboni Croney
Destiny Patterson
Perish
Mariah Parris
Randi Lee
Alleah Johnson
Sydney Ann