We recently connected with André Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, André thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Back in 2018 during the release of the blockbuster Marvel film Black Panther, I would cosplay as the character M’Baku for premiers and conventions around the country. I loved the character so much that I wrote, produced, and starred in my very own Black Panther Fan Film titled, M’Baku From The Mountains. The film tells the story of why M’Baku came to Challenge Day in the first Black Panther film. I had never made a film before so I was nervous that so much could go wrong, but I was so excited about the project I had to at least try. Over the course of 6 months I hired a director, a DP (director of photography), a Gaffer to do lighting on set, a clothing designer who hand sewed each costume, make up artists, dancers, drummers, and an actress to be my co-star. Everyone involved was a friend, stranger soon to be friend, and ranged from novice to professional in their craft but we all came together for the love of the Black Panther franchise and to create something special. After the film was complete there was a sense of accomplishment that filled us all that still lingers till this day.

André, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is André L. Johnson and I’m a professional photographer and actor from Savannah, Ga. I have fourteen years of photography experience shooting fashion, editorial, event, wedding, portrait, and commercial work. I originally was a traditional artists with a focus in portrait drawing and I transitioned into photography in college. My passion for photography led me to create my own photography company, Andre Johnson Photography. I’ve worked with university marketing departments, fashion stylist, law firms, entrepreneurs, and celebrities to coordinate and capture imagery for promotional purposes with many of my photos being published in Essence Magazine, Reebok, and fashion magazine, WWD. As a photographer my main goal is to make sure I bring my clients vision to life, tell a compelling story, and have imagery that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who sees it. My proudest moment in my life was moving to California last year to photograph Emmy nominated comedian/actress Janelle James the Emmys, Critics Choice, and Golden Globes.

After many years of success in photography I dove head first into new passions, acting and modeling. Over the years I have worked on various short films, feature films, television productions and commercial projects. I have had the pleasure of working with talented actors/actresses such as Adam Sandler, Chris Evans, and Teyonah Paris to name a few.

On of my proudest moments was getting in the best shape of my during the Pandemic. I always struggled with my weight and due to some hard times in life I used food as a drug to sooth some of the daily struggles I had to face. This caused excessive weight gain and a deeper dive into depression. I tried for years to lose weight and time after time I would give up after a week or two. Then in Fall 2018 I made the decision to create and star in my very own Black Panther fan film. That project lit a fire in me and I dedicated to a workout plan and diet for three month so I looked my best for the role as M’Baku. I stayed dedicated to my goal and in the end I lost 17 pounds. I was so excited and couldn’t believe I had done it. Sadly, this achievement would be short lived when a year or so later the Covid Pandemic would strike and I found myself scared, confused, and stressed like so many people around the world. This caused me to snack and stress eat for months putting back on most of the weight I had previously lost. Seeing that my eating habits could cause me further health risk during an already scary time I decided in 2021 to hit a hard reset on my life. After making a detailed plan to start running, lifting weights, read books, and meditate daily I built new habits over a few months and things just clicked. My mind felt more clear, my sleep was deeper and more restful, my daily mood had increased, and I was starting to build a level of self confidence I had never felt before. Within 8 months I had a six pack for the first time in my life and was in the best shape ever. I still stick to my healthy habits and it’s kept me healthy and fit till this day.

While acting I have also booked numerous jobs as a model for clothing brand, fashion shoots, and marketing rebranding projects. I now seek to take my skills to the next level as a working actor and creative in the film industry. My goal is to act in and create works of art that tell compelling stories that moves my audience emotionally.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I want to create captivating and compelling stories/visuals. Growing up as a kid watching films and cartoons I always resonated with stories that had me on the edge of my seat with great plot twist at the end. If I can move even a hand full of people with my work I believe I would have done my job as an artist.

Have you ever had to pivot?

During the pandemic it became really hard to service a multitude of clients safely and effectively as a photographer. I was afraid if I took on less clients due to worries of getting sick I would not make the money necessary to stay in business. After watching a few YouTube videos from creators/artists who were in a similar predicament they decided to cut their clientele down by half or more to niche down and focus on giving personalized service to their regular/top clients. By doing so not only were they able to stay in business but they actually doubled/tripled their income. So I took a leap of faith and niched down to shooting only the photography I wanted to shoot (fashion, editorial, and portraits) and cut my clientele down by drastically. This let me focus on gaining new clients who were willing to pay my normal rates without having to feel pressured to discount my services. This allowed me to have more time to focus on improving my editing skills and give my clients better service overall.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andrejohnsonphotography.pic-time.com/portfolio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrejohnsonphotography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andréljohnson
• Twitter: https://x.com/imandreljohnson
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@heyandre912
• Other: Acting/Modeling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theandreljohnson

  My Black Panther Short Film: https://youtu.be/OPeAec8Hqvk?si=HPfB1U4xS7XIas-2

Image Credits

Modeling and client work were taken by my photography business and I, Andre Johnson Photography.

M’Baku Fan Film Poster Photo taken by photographer, Randy Hunter
Instagram: @iron_hook_photo

M’Baku Cosplay Photo taken by photographer, Christopher Wong
Instagram: @chriswithcamera

Personal photo taken by photographer, Val Tannuzzi.
Instagram: @valtphotography
Website: www.valtphotography.com