Johnson Barros

If wars consisted of photographic battles, the Brazilian Air Force would have the best army in the world and the responsible would be no other than Johnson Barros.

The photographs of Johnson Barros for FAB are not only testimonials, they are masterpieces; the product of a very personalized style with three distinctive features: the ability to capture the observer’s attention, the excellent composition and the spectacular sharpness.

His photographs are moving away from the traditional aerial photography. Each image creates a powerful centre of interest which doesn’t always relate to the plane. The plane rather becomes just another piece of the scene where everything is in almost perfect harmony.

I have to admit that the photos shot from the cockpit are simply spectacular and they are definitely my favourite because they display an incredible and unique point of view which puts you directly in the pilot’s shoes. An accurate perception of everything that happens inside and outside the aircraft is given by the very detailed and meticulous composition, which is not easy to achieve, especially when you’re sitting in an rocket and you have only one chance to shoot.

Johnson Barros is self-taught photographer who arrived in its current language by experimenting with ideas and continuous absorption of information, from the readings during childhood, through the aviation magazines to the history books of Renaissance art, especially paintings by Caravaggio, and personal influences, especially from the mother who teaches visual arts and photographer Karina Santiago.

Works in the Brazilian Air Force, which you can put into practice many of his ideas and as a freelancer. Currently and in parallel is with historical reinterpretations projects and social awareness through photo essays in progress. Its main highlight is as aviation photographer.
In addition to achieving the highest award in the Skies Magazine Photo Contest 2014, the first place in the competition of 10 Years of “Força Aèrea” magazine and be a matter of the “Fotografe Melhor” magazine and be among the TOP 25 of 2014 Flickr, received recognition through of honorable dimensions by Aviation Week (8) , Vertical Magazine (1) Magazine and “Força Aérea” magazine (3) published in magazines and books in Brazil and abroad. Among them the books “Asas que Protegem o País, H-24, “Livro Branco da Defesa”, Latin American Fighters (USA), “COMARA 50 Anos”, “Xavante-O guerreiro da FAB”, “Esquadrão Gordo” and magazines “Época”, “Fotografe Melhor”, Air Actualité (France), Avion Revue (Mexico), “Avião Revue”, “Força Aérea”, “Aerovisão”, JP4 (Italy), “Asas”, “Flap Internacional”, AeroMagazine, Technology & Defense, Vertical Magazine (Canada), Flying, Latinaero, Air Forces Monthly (England), Skies Magazine (Canada), Flying, Rescue, Smoke it, Take off (Peru), Air Forces (UK), Flight International (USA), Aviation Week (USA), Photo DNG (Spain), “Isto é”, “PD-Arte Fotográfica” (Portugal) and exhibitions as Festimage (Portugal), “70 anos em 70 imagens”, “Dia da Infantaria”, “Janela do meu escritório”, “Dia da Intendência”, FX-2, “30 anos da mulher militar na Força Aérea Brasileira”, institutional campaigns Air Force and the Defense Ministry.

Now it is time to see my selection of his photographs:

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Assistindo de camarote. Shot using Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F8 1/200″ ISO50

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Me, myself and he. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F9 1/125″ ISO50

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Primeiro A-29B com pintura do EDA. Canon EOS 7D 32mm F7.1 1/200″ ISO100

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Mirage 2000. Canon EOS 7D 560mm F8 1/1600″ ISO500

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Mirage 2000. Canon EOS 30D 254mm F5.6 1/250″ ISO100

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Mirage 2000. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F5.6 1/1250″ ISO250

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Tucano comemorativo. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 32mm F8 1/160″ ISO400

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Voltar seguro. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F9 1/250″ ISO50

↑ Johnson Barros (c) 30 años do T-27 na FAB. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 50mm F8 1/160″ ISO100

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Entrando em formação. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F10 1/250″ ISO100

↑ Johnson Barros (c) F-16AM, Mirage 2000 e AMX. Canon EOS 7D 95mm F7.1 1/400″ ISO250

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Encontro das Aguas. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F6.3 1/125″ ISO100

↑ Johnson Barros (c) F16. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 123mm F7.1 1/500″ ISO50

↑ Johnson Barros (c) At night. Canon EOS 3D II 200mm F5 4″ ISO200

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Treinamento de voo. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 40mm F6.3 1/200″ ISO400

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Salto livre. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F8 1/320″ ISO400

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Rollout KC-390. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 105mm F7.1 1/640″ ISO400

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Kama Sutra. Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F9 1/125″ ISO50

↑ Johnson Barros (c) Fim de tarde (TOP25 flickr in 2014). Canon EOS 7D 142mm F5.6 1/1000″ ISO100

Puedes seguir a Johnson Barros en Facebook y Flickr o su propia web http://johnsonbarros.com/ donde encontraras mucho mas material de esta altisima calidad.

Thank you Johnson for allowing me to post your photographs on my website and carry on increasing this selection of great spotters. I hope you like it. Thank to Maria José & Agnes Brull too for the awesome translation.

Keep Calm and Shoot!!