Stories By Dalton

08/08/2025

I went to a film screening in New York to meet an photo idol of mine. It was a reality slap...

After the screening, I waited around to ask him about mentorship and his response deflated me. It kinda went like this:

“What are your thoughts on mentorship?”

“It died with my generation, we are not willing to help the younger creatives right now. My suggestion, create a peer group and build each other up.”

His response hurt, but he wasn’t wrong.

Build a community and help each other out.

That is what you need to do in today's creative landscape to find success, but how do you do that?

Find people to compliment your work. Meaning:
1) if you are a photo who wants to photograph pro skiing, find an up and coming skiier to photograph with for a season
2) if you want to create photo essays for magazines, pair up with a writer or designer who wants to design magazine spreads
3) if you want to create documentaries about scientist, reach out to scientist whose work you admire and ask to join in the process of documenting their work

We need each other to grow and unless you are one of the lucky ones who end up with a mentor, you'll have to build your career alongside others.

This comes from my ebook "The Adventure Photographer's Playbook" and it costs $10. Why so cheap? The goal is to help as many new to mid level photographers go from nothing to getting booked in 18 months as possible:
https://dalton-johnson.com/prints/the-adventure-photographers-playbook

PS this image comes from a partnership with an up-and-coming hotel (at the time) who was in need of marketing assets and I was in need of hospitality images for my portfolio. Together, we invested 5 days into each other and now they have leveraged these images and videos for three years of marketing meanwhile I have used the collaboration to land several jobs in the tourism/hospitality space. A win-win for the both of us!

07/08/2025

This last week I was ghosted by four potential clients and a bit pi**ed off about it, so what did I do?

The unthinkable.

I picked up the phone and called them all. Deadlines are getting tight and emails were not working, so I called to ask for a status update. Guess what happened:

2 said yes, please send contract
1 said no, we aren't going throw with it
1 didn't pick up

Now, this was the case for potential clients who have asked me for a contract. It's not always this simple.

Getting ghosted is normal in the photo industry, and yes it hurts everytime. Even for me!

But, how do I handle ghosting when I don't have a warm intro? I always return to this story:

My first magazine spot came on the 28th submission.

After editing the images from an epic surf well I shot off the images to the editor who hadn't responded in the previous 27 submissions and went to bed.

In the morning, the editor finally responded, “Thank you for all the submissions, I’ve enjoyed looking at them. This one fits, let chat more.”

Most likely, that editor opened up 27 other emails and just didn’t respond because he didn't want them.

Be persistent, but not annoying.

That is a fine line, but the difference is:

annoying = asking for something outside of their job description
persistence = showing up and doing what is needed to help the person fulfill their job

examples:
submitting images to a photo edit that accepts image submissions (that's their job, persistence)
submitting images for review to a brand manager to be considered for a campaign (that's annoying, they manage money not creative)

This comes from my ebook "The Adventure Photographer's Playbook" and it costs $10. Why so cheap? The goal is to help as many new to mid level photographers go from nothing to getting booked in 18 months as possible:
https://dalton-johnson.com/prints/the-adventure-photographers-playbook

PS this image comes from a success submission to Big Agnes years ago while I was living on the road photographing spec work for outdoor brands, building a portfolio. This image and a handful more started the relationship I have had with BA, who is now one of my most consistent clients to date.

06/08/2025

A Photographer Without Friends Wont Last...

In the beginning you will most likely photograph alone, maybe with some talent. However, as you progress you will realize this creative career is much better done with others.

Eventually, you will learn you NEED others to be successful. But, where do you begin?

Build a community of people who all can work together is a great place to start. Meaning, find a few people that complement your work and can help you on set like:
stylist
digital technician
producer
photo assistant
models
directors
athletes
influencers
photo agents

Why are other photographers not on this list?

You can, and should, make friends with other photographers, but they wont help you on set when the time comes to hire out a team. That is why they aren't on the list, but making fellow photographer friends is key for long term success in this career.

This comes from my ebook "The Adventure Photographer's Playbook" and it costs $10. Why so cheap? The goal is to help as many new to mid level photographers go from nothing to getting booked in 18 months as possible:
https://dalton-johnson.com/prints/the-adventure-photographers-playbook

PS this image comes from a BF Goodrich shoot that I was brought onto because an influencer, Andrew Muse, told the brand he couldn't do it alone. So, he called me up and we made some serious magic together! This shoot was epic.

05/08/2025

Do You Want To Be An Influencer or Photographer? Yes, they are different...

You will need to make a decision early on, but can change down the road. Do you want to be an influencer or a photographer?

The difference comes in how you are hired, aka your business model.

Photographers are hired for their work with a camera. Meanwhile influencers are hired for their community they have built.

Aka photographer's are hired to create photographers while influencers are hired to reach an audience. That's a HUGE difference in business models as well as the content you are creating.

Business models? Yes, your business model:

If you go down the influencer path, the key will be building an audience you can leverage to brands for advertisements. So, your business model is audience growth and DTC marketing.

If you are a photographer, they key is developing the craft of photography and marketing to brands who will hire you to create images about their products. You don't need an audience of consumers, you need an audience of brand decision makers.

Is the line blurred between photographer and influencer, yes, but not at the beginning!

My suggestion if you love creating photographs... become a photographer and grow your following later.

Think Chris Burkard in that manner. He started as a photographer and now is an influencer. His body of work shared widely across social lands him more jobs commercially and his audience loves him for his stunning photography/honest approach to life.

This comes from my ebook "The Adventure Photographer's Playbook" and it costs $10. Why so cheap? The goal is to help as many new to mid level photographers go from nothing to getting booked in 18 months as possible:
https://dalton-johnson.com/prints/the-adventure-photographers-playbook

PS this image comes from some work I did a few years back with Patagonia that was about rock climbing with nuts only. This rack of nuts is what Will (this long hair man photographed) used to climb a series of climbs in Joshua Tree. If you are a brand and want to connect with me about creating real stories, DM me or send me an email.

04/08/2025

After landing over 160 projects, I feel I can speak to this better than most: Why a Client Will Hire You

This is going to sound mean, but clients are not the most creative.

They want to see that you can photograph what they want and are not really going to read between the lines.

For example, if a client is a fitness brand that wants to showcase travel, they will look at a lifestyle travel photographer who showcases people living a healthy life. They are not going to be looking for a fitness photographer who works in a studio or portrait photographer who focuses on athletes.

So, when you are curating your body of work (aka your social feeds and portfolio) showcase the work that you want to get hired for and MARKET THE HECK OUT OF THAT so you are hired to do the work that lights you up.

This lesson comes from my ebook "The Adventure Photographer's Playbook" and it costs $10. Why so cheap? The goal is to help as many new to mid level photographers go from nothing to getting booked in 18 months as possible:

P.S. this photo comes from a project with MiiR about sustainable surfing. We focused on a real shaper who is at the forefront of creating beautiful surfboards that surf well and can be hung on a wall as an art piece. Oh yeah, and they are made from 100% recycled wood. If you are a brand who wants to tell real stories, I'm your guy, check out my profile and I know you'll want to DM me.

03/08/2025

Are you a leader? If not, your photography career will fail, here's why:

The photographer is the leader on set.

As the photographer you will be directing the talent, navigating client requests, taking responsibility for failures, managing the set, etc.

While starting out, you might be doing all of this yourself, that is okay. I know I "did it all when I started", however, as you grow, you will have more and more people to direct. Talent, your assistant, lighting, stylist, digi tech, agents, producer, gaffers, agency reps, hair and make up, catering, whomever shows up that day.

So, the most important skill to learn as a photographer is delegation of responsibility.

When you can delegate responsibilities you are able to focus on your job, making great photographs for the client.

This comes from my ebook "The Adventure Photographer's Playbook" and it costs $10. Why so cheap? The goal is to help as many new to mid level photographers go from nothing to getting booked in 18 months as possible:
https://dalton-johnson.com/prints/the-adventure-photographers-playbook

21/07/2025

"At the end of the day, nobody cares about you"

False.

It's the opposite. If you don't let people know you exist they don't care about you because they don't know you.

When you are hidden away in the dark, nobody can even care about you because they don't know you. That means two things:

First, you can do whatever you want because your actions don't really have consequences. So, go create whatever you want!

Second, you can't land jobs if nobody knows who you are or what you do. So, go create something to make a name for yourself, make some money using your camera, and turn that "dream job" into your "real job".

Yes, this is a bit preachy, but that's because these images come from July 7th, 2020 when I almost exclusively photographed on spec for outdoor brands and played in the mountains every day. At the time, that is what I needed and wanted. However, over the years my goals changed from summiting mountains to using my camera as a key to unlock new places in this world, like Antarctica.

BTW this is the summit of Mount Mallory in the High Sierra of CA. A mostly unknown peak directly across from Mount Whitney. The night time images are from Alabama Hills. If my memory serves me right, some rental car company picked up the glowing van shot with the milky way overhead.

Lastly, if you are like "how they heck do I start this type of career?" I wrote an ebook and it's on my website for 10 bucks. Which is incredibly affordable because I want every who wants to be in this industry to learn what they need to learn to succeed!

Link to book:
https://dalton-johnson.com/prints/the-adventure-photographers-playbook

06/07/2025

You don't have to be the best photographer to become a professional photographer...

When I first started out in 2016, I thought being good with a camera was all that mattered. Maybe, you might think the most successful photographers are the ones who are the best at composition, have a big following on social media, master lighting, etc.

I hate to say it, but we are both wrong.

Today, the most financially success photographers are the ones who are kind, work well in a team, well organized, are easy to contact, great at marketing, strong communication skills, and are enjoyable to work with through the full process of a photo shoot.

Why is that?

There are so many good creatives out there today that companies and agencies could pick almost anyone to photograph the job. But, not everyone can run a team, let alone manage a schedule. So, when getting hired, you need personal skills to relate to the person hiring you.

This comes from my ebook The Adventure Photographer's Playbook. It costs $10 and is helping new to mid level photographers go from nothing to getting booked in an 18 month process:
https://dalton-johnson.com/prints/the-adventure-photographers-playbook

04/07/2025

As a kid, my dream was to see the world. My oldest core memories come from road trips with my family growing, which is why I think I love them so much still to this day.

Every year, I try to take at least 3 or 4 "big" road trips to new places. However, whenever I can return to a location that blew my mind, I get very happy. And, I must say Monument Valley is one of those locations.

On my second trip to Monument Valley, the flowers were blooming, wild horses were grazing, and I was with the love of my life. Sharing a place as magical as this was a treat I hope I can share with my kids one day. But, what made it special?

From the 10,000 foot level Monument Valley is just a desert with some towers. But, that isn't how this place feels.

When my feet landed in the sand and my face was warmed by the sun, I couldn't help but feel something special about this place. A sense of calm. A sense of belonging. A sense of struggle. A sense of perseverance.

The towers made me feel small and the dryness of the desert made me feel the ephemerality of life.

A few of these images are available as prints, check them out in my store:
https://dalton-johnson.com/prints/monument-valley

If you are planning a road trip to Monument Valley, I've got you covered, read all about the area:
https://dalton-johnson.com/adventure/tag/Monument+Valley

19/03/2025

Well it is official, my first book is live!!!

If you want to support my work, there are two ways:
1) Grab yourself a copy of the book at the link below and leave me a review
2) Share this with your friends (this one is the most helpful)

Thank you everyone!

You can grab your copy at the link below:

is Dalton Johnson's first book of poetry. These 51 poems are his critique of American hustle culture told from the perspective of a young man returning to the world after years of living off the grid on less than $500 a month. These poems capture the internal battle of consumerism, American gr...

17/02/2025

It's official!

The final episode in the series "Visiting Sedona in Winter" has just gone live. This one is all about the best photo spots to visit in Sedona.

Check it out:

Wandering through the red dirt landscape of Sedona, AZ hunting for the best photo spots.In this video we check out:0:00 - 2:43 Seven Sacred Pools2:58 - 4:05 ...