Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Berry.
Jon, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
An aviation and commercial photographer working mostly inside the United States, specializing in air to air, air to ground and ground to air aviation photo opportunities. My expertise is in artfully capturing airplanes in flight and achieving a sharp image with a full propeller disc, while using professional cameras and lenses at low shutter speeds, (The hardest of all photographic skills to master) This has been my passion for over 10 years as the primary focus of my work, however I have also spent a great deal of time pursuing portrait, sport and landscape photography as time permits.
Beginning in photography as a child with access to a lot of films and a darkroom, my first SLR came at about age 11. Having been through a number of changes in gear, from Nikon to Canon, I have settled on Canon as my platform of choice.
Starting with shooting events and fashion shows, as people got to know my work, it evolved to weddings and sports and eventually Atlanta Falcon games from the sidelines, before finding a home in aviation.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
The thing that sets my photography apart from many people who like to take pictures of airplanes, is the discipline and practice it takes to wield a large super-telephoto lens above my head by hand, while maintaining a steady panning technique on a rapidly moving airplane and then shooting single shots at extremely low shutter speeds to blur the propeller, while keeping the rest of the plane in tack sharp focus. Not everyone can do this, and it takes a lot of work to be able to approach this level of shooting.
I try to capture these planes (mostly WWII warbirds like the P-51 Mustang, or F4U Corsair among others), in as many artfully lit, natural light settings as possible, so the images are a thing of beauty, even considering the subject matter was never intended to be so.
The takeaway is this, not only are the subjects (airplanes) but also the veterans and people who work to keep these machines flying worthy of being remembered, they are worthy of our best efforts to keep them on our minds. If I can capture a moment in time that shows the exhilaration of flight in one of these historical aircraft, in as artfully a way as is possible, then I have achieved my goal.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
This is a complex question with a simple answer – as an artist, I know the level of mastery I have set for myself and what the expected standard for those in this craft. The bar is set, and every time I take a camera into my hands, the question is a challenge of whether I can meet that challenge, today. Much like any sports contest, reaching the highest level shouldn’t be easy – if it were, anyone could do it. So success is artfully reaching over the bar and coming away with an image I know is the best of my ability.
That is success.
The rewards of success is that someone will notice, appreciate the effort and be willing to purchase a print or two, so that I may continue to pursue my art for even better, higher standards.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Some of my work can easily be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jonberryphotography/.
More of my general work along with a very large aviation gallery can be found at my website www.jonberryphoto.com.
Of course, you can easily find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jonberryphoto/.
I am available for entertaining photographic presentations of my work at clubs, organizations, and meetings, where I can go into more detail on how I achieve my photos and tell a few stories of my adventures. Contact me through my email jonberryphoto@earthlink.net for booking.
Photo prints of all kinds including keepsakes and downloads are available through my website.
You may also request a showing of my work through your favorite local art gallery that appreciates photographic work.
Please see my website for booking a portrait session, or set up a photo shoot of your own. I do all – on-site / on-location photo shoots for all of my clients’ convenience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jonberryphoto.com
- Phone: 678-231-9220
- Email: jonberryphoto@earthlink.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonberryphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonberryphoto/
Image Credit:
All images are the exclusive property and © of Jon M. Berry and are used by permission only.
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