Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnnie Izquierdo.
Hi Johnnie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Johnnie Izquierdo, I am a first-generation Cuban who grew up in Northern NJ. My parents were both born in Cuba and came to this country when they were in their early teens. I grew up and lived in Little Ferry, NJ for the better part of my life – I played sports and attended Paramus Catholic HS and later attending Montclair State University. I have a passion for sports, photography, and storytelling.
I got into photography ‘late’ in my life at 27 years old. I did not have a traditional photography journey as some other artists may have had. Around 27 years old I was working a sales job, a job that I wasn’t really happy with – I decided to quit one day – August 5th, 2016, to be exact, I’ll never forget the date. After me quitting my job, I took some time to myself before getting into my best friend’s restaurant Biggie’s as a bartender while I figure out my next steps. About 2 years into bartending, I picked up photography as a hobby – literally by accident. I used to go down to the Hoboken, NJ waterfront and take photos of the skyline and I quickly became very curious about photography and wanted to learn more. One day at the bar my friend Trevor had came in, he runs a basketball program called Northeast Basketball and he asked me if I would be interested in coming down for a few games and photographing. The rest is history.
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?
This is a great question – I don’t know if I ever felt the struggle and that is solely because I had full faith and trust in the process that things will work out as they should. Coming out of college I thought the corporate world would be in my future, I always wanted to be in sports and entertainment and when that did not happen after college It did frustrate me, but I never let It deter me from dreaming big. I remember being at those jobs and always thinking, believing, and knowing that there was more for me, that I was meant to do more, that I was going to be somewhere else. I think if I had to pinpoint a ‘struggle’ I’d say it was dealing with the societal pressures of having to have everything in my life figured out by a certain point in time in my life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am commercial photographer & photojournalist. I specialize in advertising work, photojournalism, and live-action. I have been able to travel the world to photograph and work with the world’s most prestigious athletes and brands. I am known for capturing and creating raw, authentic, and timeless imagery.
I am most proud of following my passion despite the uncertainty of It. I stumbled upon photography, and it quickly became an obsession, it became something I was so passionate and curious about, it became something I fell in love with. I didn’t know that you could create a career and lifestyle from this art form so as my career began to unfold It was something that I never thought It would become and something I would never forget.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up in small town, New Jersey, we made sure our weekends and summers were filled with riding bikes, playing sports, and making memories. My best friends and I grew up on the same street, so we had an active and fun childhood. I’d like to think that I am the same person that I was going growing up, more mature but the same core values – although, I am sure my best friends would jokingly argue I’m ‘Hollywood’ now.
I was raised by my parents and grandma and from a young age, they always installed the qualities of working hard, earning what you want in life, and putting the valued weight on what really matters in life – quality time, experiences, family, and friends.
I always loved sports, entertainment – my dream job was to be a publicist in sports or entertainment…funny how life works out.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.johnnieizquierdo.com
- Instagram: Johnnie.izquierdo
Image Credits
Johnnie Izquierdo
Anthony Edwards
Wayne Gretzky
Nate Pierre-Louis
Sydney McLaughlin
Coco Gauff
NJ High School Football Championship
Nike Peach Jam Championship
