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

Friday, July 6, 2018

Elijah | Colorado Springs High School Senior Photography | Class of 2018

Congratulations, Elijah, on becoming one of the newest high school graduates in Colorado Springs!

Elijah is a fashionable guy who loves city life and being surrounded by the colors and textures of urban architecture. He’s planning to pursue a career in marketing. While his photography session in downtown Colorado Springs focused most on Elijah with favorite outfits in great urban settings, we love the tribute to his grandfather he included in his session.

All of our high school seniors benefit from a pre-session consultation that plans the session. We want every senior to be fully prepared and build excitement for their photography session. We love hearing about all of their interests and activities and future plans, even when those aspects of who they are will not be a part of the session. We often brainstorm all sorts of ideas so that every senior can think about what they want to bring and never have a moment of “I should’ve” or “I wish I would’ve” after the session. Framed pictures can often help with storytelling portraits during the session, and we love that Elijah thought to bring the picture with his grandfather. Other families sometimes bring a childhood picture of their senior to storytell a “then” and “now” of how much their child has grown and changed over the years. Photography provides a priceless connection of the past to the present, and there are great opportunities to use pictures from the past in today’s sessions.

Enjoy some of our favorites from Elijah’s senior portraits!