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Some know me as an equine photographer, while others know me as the guy who rides a mule (Future Hope) in dressage competitions.  Many also know me as a teacher and author.

While equine and nature photography is one of my passions, my real "day job" is at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids Michigan, where I teach graduate social work with a doctorate in sociology. So, what does this have to do with equine and nature photography? Plenty. It’s what got me started.

When my wife bought her first horse, I became fascinated by the herd hierarchy. Like a good sociologist, I sat for hours observing horses interacting in their pasture and around the barn.  Before I knew it, and with the help of a mule named Future Hope, I was hooked. Within months, my wife and I left the city and bought a farm. For a life-long city boy who didn't own a hammer, this was a major culture shift. 

Immediately after relocating, I began soaking in the beauty and peace that surrounds us every day, things I took for granted for most of my life. Beyond building fences, horse chores, and riding my mule and zorse, I searched for ways to capture those moments in nature that left me awestruck. That’s when I began taking my photography more seriously.

I love the creativity and expression in photography. I have been a photographer for many years, but found my photographic eye when I began working exclusively with equine, animals, and nature.  With mother nature's creations as my subjects, I find an eye for movement, color, natural lighting and just the right angle.

My photography is real – nothing is staged. I don’t use special lighting or Photoshop "tricks" to create an image.  My work flourishes in natural settings – flowers in a garden bed or a field, horses playing in the pasture and cats and dogs being, well, cats and dogs.  Animals and nature drives my artistic energy and enriches my soul. 

This is the intimacy that I strive to capture, especially through unique close-up photos and in the eyes of horses.  I hope you find, through my lens, the same serenity, peace, and glory that I find in nature.

To learn more about my “real-job”, visit www.jerryljohnson.com

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