Meet Trezz Johnson of Astonished Innovations in North Texas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trezz Johnson.

Trezz, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Being artistically expressive has been embedded in my soul since I could remember. I never thought for a second, that the artistic talent flowing through my veins would ever land me in a position to create something astonishing yet innovative. My photography started when my daughter signed up for gymnastics, almost 8 years ago. Daddy’s little girl was about to have a shrine to herself and I knew that paying someone to take pictures, at her events, was not option. I did about 40 minutes of internet research, gathering up the little money I had saved, then purchasing my first Nikon, all in a 2-day window. After making the purchase, I remember scratching my head in the parking lot and telling myself, “it’s all or nothing at this point”. I spent all the money I had and was left with almost $70 in my bank account for the next couple of weeks. Keep in mind, I had no idea how to use a camera, so I basically watched YouTube videos and learned each component of the camera in a matter of weeks. Once I got the hang of it all, I spent about 7 years perfecting my craft with a strong desire to tell stories through my portraits.

Eventually, I made the decision to create an LLC but didn’t know anything about business and what name I should use for my company. I printed off roughly 50 pieces of my work and spread each of them on my couch, then spent months trying to find something similar through them all. I recall going through the thought process of, “what kind of acronym would be catchy?”, “what type of name or phrase would reassure customers this is a smart choice?”, and “how can the name of my business give everyone confidence in my work?” Thus, Astonished Innovations was born. My company acronym is similar to A.I. (artificial intelligence or an accurate calculated choice), also my acronym could be viewed as A1, in certain fonts, which represents the best product of its kind. Through all my time with a camera, I wanted to make sure that my work contained pieces of who I am but always was creative, in its own manner, so it would be respected by other professionals…

Great, 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 path was far from smooth but to achieve success, one must endure harsh struggles never imaginable. I have always felt that my talents were never good enough and that I was expected to do things based on those around me, this stemmed from my childhood. I was overly proud of purchasing my first camera, so I could do something positive to occupy my time but the opinion of “I shouldn’t have done that” was overly expressed by “friends” and some family. As much as I love my hometown, there was an overbearing lack of support for local talent, unless it was free. This, I’m sure, is a universal struggle that everyone goes through, but the mental hardship can easily get you discouraged from your goals set in place. Being a single father to my daughter, Ms. Te’Leeia, came with its own struggles as well.

Trying to support my daughter, as a male, with very little support brought an array of thoughts that could have driven anyone insane. Hopelessness, sadness, depression, and the fear of never rising above this situation, almost stopped me from growing as a man, a father, and an artist. At the age of 25 I had no idea what was in store for Te’Leeia and I. My wife left us for her new boyfriend, “friends” turning their back on me right after my wife left, and certain family members draining every mental ounce of positivity, almost broke me down completely. I clearly remember watching “The Pursuit of Happyness”, with my daughter and as I explained the similarity of their struggles with ours, a strong feeling came over me which gave me an entirely differently look on life itself, more of encouragement. I realized that there is no excuse and no room for error in life itself. Hearing Will Smith say, “Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you…you can’t do something. Not even me. Alright? You got a dream…you gotta protect it. People can’t do something’ themselves, they want to tell you, you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.” That was exactly what I needed to hear on that day. I continued to give my daughter all the support she needed to be confident in herself, and from that I became more confident in my abilities. Te’Leeia has been one of the main supporters of my photography and was my very first model, as her modeling talents grew, so did my photography skills. It’s easy to say we are joined at the hip and the discouraging moments were easily brushed off because Ms. Te’Leeia kept me focused on what’s more important. None of what I have now would have ever been possible without the support from my aunt, my daughter’s mom (not real mother, her mother figure) and everyone of my fans…still shocked I have fans of my work ☺

Astonished Innovations – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a professional photographer that doesn’t just “take pictures” but more of providing customers with an experience. I am extremely passionate about my craft and I love engaging with my customers. Little do they know, I have learned more about photography from each of them, than I ever could have dreamed of.

Often, I am asked, “what is your specialty or what’s my niche?” I simply reply, “I am The Niche”. My versatility has no limits because I do not specialize in one style, per se. I could go deeper in how I have been able to conquer multiple styles accurately but that would need another article by itself.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think the proudest moment of my career so far came when I finally realized how many people enjoy my creativity; so I guess the best way to rephrase this is: my proudest MOMENTS are when I receive feedback from everyone.

No award, article, or dollar amount could ever be more valuable to me than the grateful feeling that others express to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AstonishedInnovations.com
• Email: AstonishedInnovations@gmail.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/itrezz83
• Facebook: Facebook.com/AstonishedInnovations
• Other: Instagram.com/AstonishedInnovations

Image Credit:
Models: Stacy Kincy, Ashley Hopkins, Scott Stice, Tierra Rogers, T.Marie, Imani Ervins, Ms. Teleeia, Carly Erin O’Neil
Photographer: Trezz Johnson w/ Astonished Innovations

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