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

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Garden of the Gods Family Portraits

Our final months of 2010 were the busiest we have EVER been! We had almost 100 sessions during a 10 week stretch, and we loved it! It’s been nice to enter the new year and have a little bit of a breather, and this breather is what we need to catch up on some blog posts! Garden of the Gods is probably our most requested location for portraits, so we’re sharing some highlights from earlier this fall…

Kay and Erik found us through our groupon and used their session for engagement portraits. They have two great dogs that we photographed as well. They are a fun couple and we’re very thankful for their dedication and service in our military. They’ll be back to Colorado in May for their wedding in Estes Park. Enjoy these last few months of your engagement!

The Martinez family was great to have back. Their daughter, Marissa, is in the Class of 2011, and we did her senior portraits over the summer. We loved photographing their whole family later this fall.

The Kempe family also found us through groupon. They are a fun-loving, high energy family…there’s 5 kids and 4 are boys! We also were able to time their session to include their grandmother in some of the portraits. Our top favorites from their session were individuals of their daughter and their youngest son. The youngest just melts my heart with this picture…

Kirsten again found us through groupon, and since a possible move overseas may be in her future, had a great time taking portraits in Garden of the Gods to remember her time in Colorado Springs. Kirsten is vibrant, easygoing, and I felt like we were fast friends in getting to know her during our time together. She’s also got to be one of the best aunts to her sister’s kids because she was just so fun to watch with Natalie and Tyler.