Title: Principal
Company: Visual Media One
Location: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Johnny Bivera, principal at Visual Media One, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in photojournalism.
Before launching his professional career, Mr. Bivera pursued an associate’s degree from the Community College of the Air Force, subsequently earning a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from Midwestern State University in 1974. A decade later, he obtained a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Maryland and a Master of Laws in English from Boston University in 1987. In 1990, Mr. Bivera graduated as the top performer in his class of 15 from the Advanced Military Photojournalism Program at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Since 1991, Mr. Bivera’s journey in visual media has been marked by several impactful roles. Beginning as a combat cameraman at Combat Camera Atlantic, he transitioned to combat photographer with Navy Combat Camera and official videographer for U.S. President Bill Clinton with White House Television until 1999. From 1999 to 2002, he served as the executive photographer at The Pentagon. Since 2007, Mr. Bivera has excelled as a principal at Visual Media One, while also establishing Shoot Off Visual Media Workshops in 2006 and co-founding Legion Photo Agency, where he held a post until 2017. His dedication to mentorship led him to a senior visual storytelling instructor position at The Red Badge Project from 2012 to 2016.
Other notable accomplishments over Mr. Bivera’s nearly four-decade-long career include working as the official videographer to U.S. President Bill Clinton and executive photographer to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark and Admiral Mike Mullen. He also covered combat and humanitarian missions to maritime operations such as the Bosnia-Herzegovina conflict, the Israeli-Jordan Peace Treaty, Turkey’s tragic 1999 earthquake, and the War in Afghanistan.
In addition to his primary vocation, Mr. Bivera maintains affiliations with several organizations. He serves as a member of the education committee of the White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA) and the advisory committee of the D.C. Public Library Arts Council. He is a founding faculty member of the Red Badge Project and actively participates in the Department of Defense Liaison for the National Press Photographers Association, WHNPA, and American Society of Media Photographers while also holding the role of past president of the National Association of Naval Photography.
Mr. Bivera is a Filipino-American with a rich cultural heritage who abides by the motto of “one theme, infinite possibilities.” His future goals entail his creative pursuits and venturing into screenwriting, drawing inspiration from his personal and family history. Additionally, he aims to visit all 50 US states, capturing their unique essence through black-and-white photography.
For more information, please visit:
The Red Badger Project
Visual Media One
