Johnny Martinez
Johnny Martinez is a professional photographer who really knows his stuff. His work is really jaw dropping, especially the images he takes with his iPhone. I'm really glad I got to meet him and go out shooting with him.
I asked Johnny, "What interested you in photography?'
Johnny- I remember when I was 4, wondering how photography worked. When I was 10, I used to sell greeting cards from some mail order company that would advertise in the back of magazines I would read as a kid, rather than pay us in money, the would pay us with prizes. A 110 film camera was the first thing I ever bought and I pretty much had a camera in my hand since then. I've tried to walk away from it a couple of times, but I never could stop thinking about it or seeing pictures in my head, and something would always call me back.
Flipintex - As you got more into photography, what did you want to capture?
Johnny- In high school, I shot for the yearbook and newspaper. For me it was never a question of, if I'm going to college, it was where I'm going to college, I decided to pursue photography and major in that at Sam Houston State University, my dream was to shoot for Sports Illustrated. After a while in school, I fell in love with commercial product photography, but I moved back to the Valley after graduation and the market here doesn't call for anything but portrait and wedding photography, so that's what I did. Burned out, I went into the family business. I had an itch to shoot sports from time to time and I would shoot an occasional football game or basketball game when I could get a pass. This season I have a connection with the district who got me a season sideline pass and I have been going crazy shooting games, I have really been having a blast. The athletic director likes what I have been doing, so he opened up the basketball court to me. It's fun to get back into shooting sports.
Flipintex-I've seen some of your portraits, which are amazing, what really blows me away are your iPhone pictures. You get pretty creative with it. How do you get your iPhone images to look so good?
Johnny-Thanks! I don't take my iPhone images as seriously as I do my regular portraits, so I give myself permission to play. I tend to push an image past it's breaking point and then dial it back. I have noticed that when I am really nervous about putting an iPhone image out there, cause I really pushed it, is when I get the best feedback on it.
I asked Johnny, "What interested you in photography?'
Johnny- I remember when I was 4, wondering how photography worked. When I was 10, I used to sell greeting cards from some mail order company that would advertise in the back of magazines I would read as a kid, rather than pay us in money, the would pay us with prizes. A 110 film camera was the first thing I ever bought and I pretty much had a camera in my hand since then. I've tried to walk away from it a couple of times, but I never could stop thinking about it or seeing pictures in my head, and something would always call me back.
Flipintex - As you got more into photography, what did you want to capture?
Johnny- In high school, I shot for the yearbook and newspaper. For me it was never a question of, if I'm going to college, it was where I'm going to college, I decided to pursue photography and major in that at Sam Houston State University, my dream was to shoot for Sports Illustrated. After a while in school, I fell in love with commercial product photography, but I moved back to the Valley after graduation and the market here doesn't call for anything but portrait and wedding photography, so that's what I did. Burned out, I went into the family business. I had an itch to shoot sports from time to time and I would shoot an occasional football game or basketball game when I could get a pass. This season I have a connection with the district who got me a season sideline pass and I have been going crazy shooting games, I have really been having a blast. The athletic director likes what I have been doing, so he opened up the basketball court to me. It's fun to get back into shooting sports.
Flipintex-I've seen some of your portraits, which are amazing, what really blows me away are your iPhone pictures. You get pretty creative with it. How do you get your iPhone images to look so good?
Johnny-Thanks! I don't take my iPhone images as seriously as I do my regular portraits, so I give myself permission to play. I tend to push an image past it's breaking point and then dial it back. I have noticed that when I am really nervous about putting an iPhone image out there, cause I really pushed it, is when I get the best feedback on it.
Flipintex-Your sports photography is also amazing. What do you look for before you press the shutter button and how do you get the shots you want to get?
Johnny-Wow, that's a good question. Really when I am shooting a game, I try to guess whether the play is going to be a run or pass and where the ball is going. I look at the formation, down and distance and then try and figure out what's going to happen. It's a lot of give and take, and TONS of luck. For example, you see the quarterback rolling out and heading towards you, he wants to throw the ball and he has a defender chasing him down. Do you stick with him or do you follow the ball hoping to catch the receiver as he makes the catch? Sometimes I stay with the quarterback and nothing happens to him, but the receiver makes a great catch, or he got hit as he caught the ball and I missed it. Sometimes the quarterback gets smashed, and I missed it cause I followed the ball. You have to make split second decision and you can't look back, you just learn. I also have to constantly remind myself to keep the ball carrier in the frame and not to cut his head off. Focus is another issue. These guys are moving so fast and other players and refs are constantly flashing in front of the play and the camera wants to pick them up. There's all these variables that come into play.
Another thing I am always having to decide, is where I'm going to position myself and then decide if I'm going to focus on the play or an individual. I was the center when I played ball and so I like to make sure I sometimes focus on the interior lineman. Give the big boys some love.
Sports is probably the only genre of photography where the equipment matters. The fact that I shoot with a 70-200 f/4 and I am still able to get the type of shots I do get, amazes me. My next lens purchase will probably be a 300 f/2.8. I am curious to see how that will help improve my images.
Johnny-Wow, that's a good question. Really when I am shooting a game, I try to guess whether the play is going to be a run or pass and where the ball is going. I look at the formation, down and distance and then try and figure out what's going to happen. It's a lot of give and take, and TONS of luck. For example, you see the quarterback rolling out and heading towards you, he wants to throw the ball and he has a defender chasing him down. Do you stick with him or do you follow the ball hoping to catch the receiver as he makes the catch? Sometimes I stay with the quarterback and nothing happens to him, but the receiver makes a great catch, or he got hit as he caught the ball and I missed it. Sometimes the quarterback gets smashed, and I missed it cause I followed the ball. You have to make split second decision and you can't look back, you just learn. I also have to constantly remind myself to keep the ball carrier in the frame and not to cut his head off. Focus is another issue. These guys are moving so fast and other players and refs are constantly flashing in front of the play and the camera wants to pick them up. There's all these variables that come into play.
Another thing I am always having to decide, is where I'm going to position myself and then decide if I'm going to focus on the play or an individual. I was the center when I played ball and so I like to make sure I sometimes focus on the interior lineman. Give the big boys some love.
Sports is probably the only genre of photography where the equipment matters. The fact that I shoot with a 70-200 f/4 and I am still able to get the type of shots I do get, amazes me. My next lens purchase will probably be a 300 f/2.8. I am curious to see how that will help improve my images.
Johnny always takes portraits of his daughter either using his iPhone or his camera, the results he gets are always great.
I remember when Johnny finally released this picture. I could just imagine the time he spent editing it.
Johnny tells me he can spend hours on just one image and he won't rush it until he thinks it's good enough to release.
Checkout Johnny's Facebook fanpage at facebook.com/jmartinezjrphotography. Give his page a like, I'm sure he will be posting lots of sports pictures soon as well as portraits. You can also check out his webpage, jmartinezjr.com for his portrait work or jrmartinezjrsports.com for sports pictures.
Thanks Johnny for taking the time to let me ask you a few questions. Also thanks for all the great advice you give.
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