BLOG #1
The Switch
Careers are unpaved paths, unwritten journeys and it’s our job to pave these paths. The path 144 Visuals has been on has been steady and consistent. This may be great for some but for others who want the most out of their work it’s just another milestone. Ever since the birth of the company in 2015 we have focused on sports, more specifically motorsports. This was from the love and passion I had growing up. As the years have passed since the start I have found my love for rodeo growing far beyond my love for motorsports. I was able to get an opportunity to explore in this new genre of photography for myself and I couldn’t resist.
The Start
Growing up I always had a love for racing. I would watch my favorite nascar drivers on tv and play with my little matchbox cars until the wheels fell off of them. Then came along supercross (dirt bike) racing, then monster trucks, and finally snocross (snowmobile) racing. Motorsports was the one thing I couldn’t stop obsessing over and still to this day I find myself very involved with it. I have worked with snocross teams, local motocross track owners, media teams, and even businesses that sell and create products for Motorsports. The Motorsport family is unique in its own way. It’s hard to not meet someone who will talk your ear off about their favorite brand (Yamaha guys especially) but it is what brings everyone together and makes it a great sport to be around.. I have been lucky enough to create many friendships within the community and they have helped grown this company to what it is today and I couldn’t appreciate that more! So why on earth would I want to shift focus from motorsports?
The Transition
To answer this question, I have to start back in 2013 when I took a job at a barn just down the road from my house. I was in the need of a job and I ended up hearing from friends that the barn they were boarding at was hiring. So I ended up going, taking the job which required me to work with horses. Not knowing anything more that which side was the head and the rear of a horse I was ready to learn and expand my knowledge to more than just motors. To paint a picture of how big this barn was it only could hold 15-20 horses. So a smaller one to say the least, but my jobs included, muck stalls, turn horses out, fix the equipment and fences, stack hay, and feed. I must say, I quickly began to enjoy this job! I began to enjoy being around horses and would join the families that boarded at our barn on race weekends. Now this was only barrel racing I still was envious of everyone and their nice trucks, trailers, and horses. It reminded me a lot of Motorsport races, with their fancy trucks, expensive trailers, and their horses. I watched people warm up their horses just like a snocross mechanic would warm up a riders snowmobile. I also watch family and friends cheer on their rider just like they would at a Motorsport event. It was an easy transition, and as I began to meet more and more people in the industry and spend more time around horses I was hooked! Then a few years went by and I got to experience a rodeo, and it finally added all the dangers of motorsports and I knew rodeos were where I wanted to be! Now, 6 years later and a some offers and discussions with event coordinators, my schedule is filled up with rodeos! This is the change I wanted not only for myself but for my company. I will still continue to shoot motocross on off weekends and when clients ask for work but the focus is shifting to rodeo and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I hope to see many familiar faces and meet a lot of new! I appreciate the support of everyone who has been along on this journey so far and those who will join in the future!
Looking forward to a great year,
Nick Johnson
Owner/Photographer