A lot can happen in a year. This year was rather exciting for me. A few of my highlights included moving to Little Rock, meeting and photographing a lot of wonderful people, shooting a wedding in Iceland, and some other things that I can only tease about for now. :) I tend to always look on the bright side of things, but looking back at these favorite photos from 2018, I can’t help but feel blessed.
Thanks for being here and following along! Cheers to another amazing year. :)
Today I’m going to take you on a journey through the stories and lives that I’ve been able to be a part of this past year. What is always my favorite part of photography (or film or any media that touches into storytelling) is being able to almost physically touch a moment after it has passed. Sometimes we don’t know why we feel a certain way, why we love, or what draws us to certain people…yet photography can put a few pieces together to bring some of that back to tangible.
In reliving 2017, I think back through all the wonderful memories I’ve had both with the wonderful people that I’ve been able to work with, family, and friends. So I’m going to put both personal and client work all together. :)
This year I was fortunate enough to travel to Europe with my mom to visit my sister and to explore. We started in Lyon, France, drove to Switzerland, swung by Italy, and then back to France again. I plan to blog about this adventure soon-ish. Another favorite little trip was meeting up with some friends along the border of Illinois and Kentucky to watch the solar eclipse. I also became an uncle and took a trip to the smoky mountains with my family.
One of the greatest blessings in life is being surrounded by wonderful people. For that I’m very thankful. :) Hope you enjoy the photos! Thanks for following and/or being a part of this.
I always enjoy a good reminiscing session.
A time to create your sci-fi time machine that you might have fantasized about inventing. A time to flip that mental nostalgia switch and put yourself back into some glorious previously experienced stories. This is kinda like that, except this time around, the stories are from my time machine. :)
Let’s travel back to the year 2016. A year many had a lot of negative feelings attached to it. But in this nostalgia-session, you anything dark. You’ll find a collection of some of the most joyful moments I’ve been blessed to be a part of. You’ll find quiet moments, happy times, anticipation, and delight. Also you’ll find my cat. You’ll find some of my favorite non-cats that I’ve been able to work with–some of the best people around. People who are making the world a better place.
This is a mixture of personal adventures, details, engagement sessions, and weddings, organized in a very purposeful way that I can’t quite explain. I hope you enjoy this look back this past year through my various digital lenses.
Good times.
For more time machine posts, here are my previous years in review: 2015, 2014a, 2014b, 2013
Thanks as always for following along and for the words of encouragement. It means a whole lot. <3
This is probably the most nostalgia-inducing post I do each year.
Each of these photos bring back a flood of memories and put me right back into the moment that I pressed the camera shutter. All the memories of joy, tears, quiet contemplative times, and feelings of thankfulness that I’m able to work with some of the best humans…it’s all still here.
Contained below is the collection of tiny moments of what this past year has been to me. From personal adventures to weddings to portraits to engagement sessions. It has been a wild ride.
Thanks for being a part of it and/or for following along. It means a lot. :)
I’m a sucker for nostalgia. I put a lot of weight into reflecting over past memories and highlighting the goodness of life. That’s a big part of why I do photography–to show real stories through photographs.
Other Year In Review Posts– Sessions // Weddings
Here are the highlights of 2014.
And that’s it! I’m so grateful to all the people that made this year so special…in and out of these photos. Adventures by themselves aren’t quite the same. :)
~ Jon
In my continuation of my best of series, this is the collection of 2014 engagement sessions (mostly) as well as some portrait sessions. I’ve said it way more than once and I’ll say it again: I work with the most fantastic of people! I enjoy pushing myself artistically to create my best work every time I pick up my camera, but truly my favorite part of photography is being able to work with so many incredible people. It’s just great! And it keeps me ever so humble and grateful to be able to keep on doing this.
There’s so much love here. :) This is my 2014 review of engagements & sessions!
This past year has not paused in the slightest waiting for me to catch up on my photo review, but it was too awesome to skip over. :) There were so many great times that this will be a two-part post (weddings and non-weddings). 2014 marked another fantastic year working with the sweetest people in the world across six states. It seems as though people are still putting up with my quirky take on humor and my new found cat lady syndrome, so that’s a win in my book. :)
Included in this post are some of the greatest and most kind people I know. These folks are the real deal, always keeping me smiling and excited for the impact they’ll make in the world. It’s been my honor and privilege to share in so many momentous occasions of happiness, laughter, tears, anticipation, and joy.
This is the story of stories.
I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Thanks for all of you who made it so special! :)
2013 has been so good to me. Looking back, I think of so many blessings, so many good times, and so many new experiences. I’m not going to say that it has been my best year yet, but it’s right there at the top. And for that I’m thankful.
This is a little taste of my year…from personal to professional and everywhere in between.
background music, if you’re into that: my brother, this mystic tune, or
this playlist of a few random favorite songs of 2013 [spotify]
The last set of images is from my Instagram, my favorite social media site as of late.
Looking forward to 2014, my biggest aspirations are for more God, more giving, more sharing, more experiencing, and less time spent on things easily forgotten. Life’s too short.
Thank you for being here! To those of you that have been in front of my camera, thanks for inspiring me with your love for the people around you. To the amazing group of people that I’ve been able to call friends and also clients, thank you for welcoming me and having me tell the story of some of the most exciting times of your life.
I couldn’t do this without the support of friends and family and those of you that share and recommend me to your in-love friends. That’s what keeps me going! I’m so blessed to be able to work with some of the most incredibly loving, genuine people. For that I’m thankful. :)
Do big things. Adventure. Investigate the world outside of your comfort zone. Try some crock pot recipes. Go see new things. Give. Turn off the noise. Focus. Re-focus. Pursue. Laugh. Dream.
Happy 2014. Make it count.
~ Jon
This is a story of travels, laughter, ups, downs, happiness, fresh air, new places, friends, excitement, newness, love. In a word, adventure.
This is the the last 365 days of my life.
I can’t help but feel overwhelmed looking over everything from this past year. There’s been so many things that have happened. God has blessed me in so many ways. But I have no words to express how I feel, just pictures. So, this is my story. This is my life. I hope it inspires you to create, find adventure, and to live life to the fullest.
Merry 2012.
music: my only swerving / the breeze
I live by the perspective that there’s adventure everywhere. You just have to find it. And that I did…
I hung out with Kelsey and Katie a bunch! This is our BFF zonkey.
I hung out around the house quite a bit. These are a few of my very excited models.
You can just see the excitement dripping off of them… ;)
I did a PTP photo booth. Fun!
Went to the zoo with some party animals.
I hung out with Spencer a bunch! This guy is a master web designer who can’t stop learning stuff. :)
It’s Katherine! And then there’s Madison who doesn’t like hugs. Weird. I starve without hugs…which is why I went to Harding.
My brother graduated! As did Marcy the new sister. :)
I’d live in the water if I could. I’m also fascinated by construction..
More adventures!
In the sky…in the water.
The wonderful Lisa Carr. This was from her show Prodigals.
Fun times, light painting, birthday caking…
This is the place that Yoder apple cider is made.
Fun times with the family!
I helped a few of my best friends move out. It’s a sad thing but I guess moving on is just a fact of life.
I’ll miss this guy a ton. Without him there will be less coffee consumption, less pointless driving around times, and less Chic-Fil-A.
Travels…from the streets of St. Louis to the mountain tops of Pennsylvania.
That is one crazy Canadian.
So…this guy is the bomb–I love him dearly. Everybody buy his music, k? :)
The second annual Help Portrait: Searcy was a success! I am so blessed to be friends with these people. Some of the nicest photographers around. :)
I love love. First, proposals… from a Little Rock mountain top to a field in Searcy.
You didn’t hear it from me…but I kinda miss going to ring ceremonies. :)
I photographed a few engagements! I love spending time with couples and seeing their love for each other shown in their own personal way. It’s beautiful.
Bridal sessions are always fun! But then who am I kidding…all this is fun. :) If it’s not, I’m doing it wrong.
And then…weddings! I love photographing weddings and spending time with two people on one of the most important days of their life. I’m so blessed to be able to work with some of the most kind, genuine, and loving people that make what I do so fulfilling.
I also shot a whole lot of weddings with other photographers!
Most of my assistant photography weddings were with Lori Sparkman! These are her poses. :)!
I also had the pleasure of doing portraits for some awesome people.
Also, my brother got married! I now have a sister Marcy!
I spent Christmas with the Smith family. They’re just fantastic people! =)
I did a few other things, too.
That’s my life. Thanks for following along. None of this would be possible without all to the people around me that encourage and inspire me.
Thank you.
Here’s to an even more adventurous 2013.
~ Jon
