JD Photography

John Randall has spent the last 22 years in the military, first, in the Navy as a weatherman (in both active-duty and reserves), and second, as a soldier in the National Guard as a Public Affairs Specialist. He has been around the world (favorite place is Phi Phi Island, Thailand) and enjoys learning about customs and cultures.
Formal education was never a focus of John’s life. While at a crossroads in his life, staying in active military or moving-on with his life, he chose the latter and enrolled in Southern Connecticut State University, where he majored in Communication specializing in Video Production, graduating in 2008.    John’s non-military professional journey began as an intern with a local production company making low-budget horror/ sci-fi films. This led him to living the freelance life, one or more gigs at a time, and trying to hone his skills. At one

point John was working in radio, doing productions for minor league baseball, and doing military funeral honors.
John met his wife and he believed he needed to get a “real job” with a set schedule and benefits that could help provide for a family. He worked as a communications technician in data centers, and he was miserable. This was not something he enjoyed at all and missed being involved in something creative and interactive.  Wanting to change jobs in the Navy, he submitted a package to become a Public Affairs Officer They passed, so John went to the National Guard to regain access to his creative side. He went to the Defense Information School (DINFOS) in Fort Meade, MD. The guard was a good fit for John – here he made video packages but also gained experience in photography and journalism.
In 2020, the world

changed because of the pandemic. John was called up to active duty in Arizona to cover the state’s emergency response, and how the National Guard was helping in local communities. He wrote stories, shot videos, and captured photographs that were picked up by national news agencies worldwide.
This engagement opened new possibilities for what he could and should be doing professionally. As the pandemic response eased, he returned home to Connecticut and knew he needed to get back into the field using the knowledge he gained over the years. He has been a photographer/ videographer for the last few years. This has been his dream job, but he wants to dive deeper into interactive media. He believes this is a natural progression professionally and wants to keep learning so he can pass along the knowledge he gains to his soldiers before retiring from military life.