Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 1999 — Picture perfect [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Picture perfect

By Paula Durbln fOLLOWING A passion isn't always profitable, but Arna Johnson's is paying off. Her eloquent, hand-colored portraits and lavish landscapes grace the Lani Booth II Wing of the Kapi'olani Medical Center, the lobby

of the HonFed . buildin2 at

Ala Moana, k Duc's

Bistro and the offices nf fhp

Bishop Estate.

Hundreds of couples from all over the world have memorialized their weddings with Arna, as her business is listed in the telephone and Hawai'i bridal directories, and every month Ka Wai Ola runs her portraits of the OHA trustees. In November, Johnson moved her successful enterprise out of her Kāne'ohe home into the commercial space at 3145 Castle St. in Kapahulu. Although the grand opening is scheduled for late March, the operation is already up and running. "I have two assistants and I'm bringing in a third. We have the largest black and white lab in Hawai'i. We ean do murals up to eight feet," she said, showing off the darkroom she constructed herself with a loan from her family. "My dad designed and created our beautiful sign outside." Johnson's parents, Kurt and Claire of Hakipu'u, have always been supportive of her photography. In fact,

her dad got her started by lending her his camera

when she was just 10 years old. By 13, she had acquired a set of her own, complete with multiple lenses, and at 16 she

enrolled in a Punahou photography course taught by Jim Little, who recognized her talent and persuaded her to apply to the Brooks Institute in Santa Bari bara, where she trained. In 1980, she eame home, ^ but, she said, "I felt I

obligated after such expensive schooling." So she spent several years helping with the family flower farm before paying her professional dues as a lab technieian, fashion photographer's assistant and studio manager. "In 1986, 1 went off on my own," said Johnson, who by then knew her professional bent was toward people, natural settings and what is known in the trade as "installation art," photogra-

1 phy displayed in public spaces. Although art is what she loves most, weddings pay the bills. Johnson's I prices begin at $2,000 for full coverage, 1 from the engagement photo session to * the first dance, and she has a smaller I package beginning at $600 for a shorter P time span. She always turns the negatives over to the eouple, so they ean save on reprints. Word of mouth accounts for mueh of her business, and | she has photographed the weddings of I all the siblings in many families. I Brides and grooms also find Johnson I through bridal magazines, wedding 1 directories and referrals by hotels, I caterers and wedding coordinators. I So what is so special about her work? 1 "I have a niehe as more of an art pho1 tographer," she explained. "Couples I who choose me often don't want anything posed. I don't even shoot them in a studio, but try to use the outdoor envi- | ronment as best I ean. The scenery here is just great and the couples are happy to show off Hawai'i." Johnson, the Native Hawaiian artiste, is currently working on black and white portraits of kūpuna for a book to appear at the end of 1999. Among those already photographed are Nona Beamer, Irmgard Aluli and Johnson's own grandmother, Margaret Parker. Johnson is looking for other Hawaiian elders, at least 75 years old, who are willing to to be interviewed and photographed for her book. Interested kūpuna or their friends or family ean reach Arna Johnson at her studio at 236-0009. ■

siness |

"Plumen'a," is the title of this black and white photo whieh Arna Johnson (left, holding her camera) has colored by hand and expanded to 30" x 48" for her flower series.