The Tidewater Camera Club is pleased to present Photographer Johnny Bivera on Monday, April 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Talbot County Community Center’s Wye Oak Room. Johnny’s talk is entitled “Love the Project, Enjoy the Work.” He will speak to photographers regarding hitting a creative wall, the point at which they feel that their work is monotonous and stagnant. Johnny says that this has happened to him many times and he will share his photography career experiences spanning 30 years.

From digging desert foxholes with U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, to walking with penguins in Antarctica, to being a fly on the wall of the President’s oval office, he will answer the question of how one attains success and consistency when it comes to imagery. Johnny believes that personal projects are key and states that if you love the project you’ll enjoy the work. He also says that some of the best work produced originated from someone’s personal initiative, from ideas of deep interest, fascination and vision. Johnny will discuss how his projects have led to jobs, greater initiatives and to learning more about who he is and the world around him. The public is invited to attend.

Johnny is the principal of Visual Media One and executive director and founder of Shoot Off Visual Media Workshops. He is a freelance photojournalist with over 30 years’ experience in visual storytelling by capturing images worldwide from everyday life to the hostilities of war.

He was an official videographer to President of the United States Bill Clinton and executive photographer to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. He has covered combat and humanitarian missions to maritime operations such as the Bosnia/ Herzegovina conflict, the Israeli-Jordan Peace Treaty, Turkey’s tragic earthquake and the war in Afghanistan. Johnny retired from the U.S. Navy in 2006 and has traveled to all continents visiting places such as Antarctica, Galapagos and Papua, New Guinea. He currently documents news and media events for a variety of clients and his work has appeared in major newspapers, magazines and video documentaries.

He was personally profiled on PBS’s “Jim Lehrer News Hour,” C-SPAN’s “American Journal” and NFL Films “American Postcards.” Johnny has worked on numerous book projects with publishers such as Harper Collins and the National Geographic Society. He is an education outreach member of the White House News Photographers Association, the National Press Photographers Association’s Department of Defense Liaison, a member of the American Society of Media Photographers and a past president of the National Association of Naval Photography. Johnny is also a founding faculty member of the Red Badge Project, a storytelling workshop for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.

Founded in 1963, the Tidewater Camera Club strives to promote interest and participation in photography for all skill levels and ages. For more information, visit www.tidewatercameraclub.org.