Full-Time Sales Associate, Part-Time Travel Photographer

Brian Johnson, a Used Car Sales Associate, started at Westside four years ago. In the last year, Johnson has traveled to Iceland, Norway, and Indonesia, his most recent trip in September. 

“Indonesia became less of a photo trip and more of an eye-opening, enlightening experience,” said Johnson. “I didn’t take as many photos as I was hoping to get out there, but I learned a lot about myself.” 

His trips are about two weeks, and he mainly shoots sunrises and sunsets, often hiking for miles in the dark to get the perfect photo. 

“I will look at GPS coordinates to figure out how to get there and figure out the sun’s position on that exact date,” said Johnson. “I try to visualize a composition in my head before even leaving the country.” 

Johnson carries about 35 pounds of gear each hike, including one camera body, three lenses, and a variety of accessories. He also needs to carry everything needed to make the hike in the first place. 

Johnson became interested in photography during his time as a fire performer at festivals, mainly working with Dragon and Poi Staff. Eventually, he started getting sponsorships to attend festivals because it promoted their product. Johnson wanted to get higher-quality photos of his work, which is how he fell in love with photography, teaching himself everything about taking and editing photos. He was also using Instagram at the time to highlight his fire-performing skills, so it naturally transformed into a photography account. 

“I like posting my photos on Instagram because it’s a way to share my art,” said Johnson. He also occasionally posts on TikTok, which gained 13,000

 followers in a year. Johnson does admit that posting videos is his least favorite part but understands they have a bigger reach. 

Johnson has a bucket list of places he wants to go in the future, including Zimbabwe, Switzerland, and Argentina in April for their fall colors. 

“The best part of doing it all is the feeling of capturing a shot that I’ve wanted to take forever,” said Johnson. “Sitting there looking at my camera and knowing that I hiked for however many miles and put myself through all that work, then seeing that photo and knowing that I accomplished it exactly how I wanted to. That’s probably the greatest feeling.”

You can follow Brian’s photography adventures @brian.t.imagery on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.