Jonathan Betz Photography Blog bio picture

Portrait Artist | Jonathan Betz, M.Photog., CPP

Jonathan found his love of photography and light while working in Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 1999. During his time there, he mentored under a professional photographer that taught him how to see and capture light - the very foundation of photography. Upon returning home to St. Louis after that summer, he began pursuing a career in professional photography. In 2002, Jonathan accepted a position with a St. Louis Studio as a portrait & wedding photographer and studied under five different Master Photographers. In 2006, he and his wife Lindsay moved to Colorado and opened Jonathan Betz Photography in Colorado Springs.

Jonathan earned his Masters of Photography Degree (M.Photog.) in 2019 and Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) in 2015, conferred by The Professional Photographers of America. His work has been recognized with honors at the national and international level, most recently receiving the Platinum Medal and earning highest honors with a Grand Imaging Award. Jonathan served five terms as the President of the Professional Photographers Guild of Colorado Springs. He has served on the Board of Directors for state and regional professional photography organizations. He's committed to lifelong learning and continually seeks to elevate his craft through professional training, education, and teaching opportunities to help younger photographers refine their skills and businesses.

Studio Manager | Lindsay Betz, Cr.Photog

Lindsay joined the photography industry when she and Jonathan moved to Colorado in 2006, filling the integral role of studio management in the business. Our client families benefit from her guidance for everything before and after the photography session.

As she has embraced the photography industry, she loves opportunities to teach and present to the community of professional photographers from her expertise on the business side of photography. She has presented to professional photographers on the national platform every year since 2018. In 2022, she was recognized with the National Award for Business Education by Professional Photographers of America (PPA).

In 2019, she earned her Photographic Craftsman (Cr.Photog.), the degree that recognizes those in the photography industry that serve through professional-level teaching. She was elected to the National Council for PPA in 2016 and continues that leadership into her third term. She also serves on the PPA Education Advisory Board Committee. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors for the Professional Photographers Guild of Colorado Springs since 2015.

Proud members of:

Professional Photographers of America
Professional Photographers Guild of Colorado Springs

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Winter Family Portraits at Cheyenne Canyon

I mentioned in a prior post featuring sessions in Cheyenne Canyon that we had some snowy family sessions there as well, and here they are! It’s amazing how frozen Helen Hunt Falls is this time of year! We’ve had many more sessions late into the year and during the winter months so we’re seeing familiar places looking much different than usual for us! Snow always makes for fun and different portraits, and we have handfuls of favorites from both these sessions that ended at the snowy and frozen falls and upper canyon areas.

The Stanton Family…

The Williams Family…Amanda and I went back and forth on the phone the days before and day of the session. She just wasn’t sure the weather was going to work for her family. We always want the session experience to be fun and memorable for our families, and while I didn’t want to make the decision for her, outdoor sessions give so much more variety and memories than an indoor, studio session. Plus, I knew that their whole photography experience prior to us had been commercial studio places where it was an in-out-done whirlwind – I really wanted them to experience something far different this time! She decided to go ahead and give it a go in Cheyenne Canyon. I was a little nervous since I obviously didn’t want to have swayed her to outdoors and then hear they were miserable in colder, somewhat snowy, weather, so I was thrilled when Jon shared how much they loved their session. And at the end of the session when they finished above Helen Hunt Falls, Amanda yelled out, “We’re not Sears people anymore!!!” I love that!