Jess Jones Photos Blog

I love seeing the city leaders young and old figuring out new ideas to bring more life to the city.

Moving back here was a struggle for me. I struggled to know where I fit in after being gone so long. I was so grateful to experience other cities and cultures the past couple years. It really changed me and opened my eyes to new experiences.

I want the small business owners and creatives of columbus to have a voice and a presence in the community. Columbus has changed a lot since I left and moved back. I see slow changes happening…especially, in the Bibb City area. Artists, like myself, are setting up shop in what was once an industrial area and an area you didn’t want to spend time in.

And I hope that people will continue to take a chance

and Its exciting to learn that there are really cool and interesting things happening by young entrepreneurs

I love seeing the city leaders young and old figuring out new ideas to bring more life to the city.

And I hope that people will continue to take a chance

and Its exciting to learn that there are really cool and interesting things happening by young entrepreneurs

Ever wondered what your partner’s reaction would be to your boudoir session?

Many of the women that I haven’t yet photographed have some concerns. They are worried about what their partners, finances, husbands, or wives would say about their choice to have a boudoir session.

Will they be mad?
Will they even give a sh*t?
Will they be happy about receiving the gift?

Of course every relationship is different, but let me share what I woke up to this morning about this particular relationship.

Testimonial from my 60-year-old boudoir client:

Valentine’s morning felt like Christmas morning this year. I surprised him in bed by rolling in my suitcase with several gifts, the last being the blue velvet covered photo book from Jess Jones Boudoir.

His response: Quiet, choked up, tearful at times as he said softly, “This is so beautiful! You’re so beautiful! I can’t even describe how this makes me feel. I feel such love, commitment, and devotion for you. To know that you did something like this for me, something outside your comfort zone, makes me feels so loved like nothing else could.”

Again, I told him I was worried he’d be upset because he wasn’t the one taking the photos. “Oh, no! I’m so happy you had a professional do the shoot because she was able to capture all your beauty through her expertise.”

He studied each page carefully, slowly with such appreciation. I was so relieved! He wasn’t upset at all. Just the opposite. It was the perfect gift to complement our engagement.

Even now, over two weeks later, he still looks at the book every day. He beams with joy. He studies each picture and he’s always seeing something new. “They become more beautiful to me as I take more time to enjoy them each and every time I open the book.”

He was so excited about how well the book turned out and based on how much time he said I put into the photo shoot, he decided to purchase the balance of the pictures. This is truly a gift that will last the rest of our life together. As he said, “We can never top this Valentine’s Day!”

So, when I say this was a REALLY BIG DEAL, I absolutely mean that in every aspect. What this did for me was help me fully embrace my beauty, my sexuality, my sensuality and my confidence in being and moving in my body. -VB

These photos are not of this particular client, because she is choosing to remain anonymous. I wanted to share her words because some of you might have had the same thoughts.

Has your partner’s reaction ever been a concern for you?

Learn how you can feel more confident today.

Way Down Film Festival | Springer Opera House | Columbus, GA

Way Down Film Festival 2018

If you haven’t been to the Way Down Film Festival at the Springer Opera House in Columbus, GA then you’re truly missing out. This is the 3rd year that the film festival has been a part of the community. This is where filmmakers mingle with film lovers and artists of all kinds to showcase their short films.

The film festival takes place at these Springer Opera House in Columbus, Georgia one of the oldest theaters in the state. The theater itself is so beautiful and ornate it is truly a work of art. It’s the perfect backdrop to this unique festival.

And with the film industry in Georgia booming this festival is sure to continue for many years to come. Founders Jacey Jenkins, Stacy Cunningham and Cora King have done a tremendous amount of work bringing this festival to our city.

This is something so different for our community and it’s so important that people come out and support it so we can to continue growing and doing important events like this for our community’s future.

I was only able to attend the Friday screenings, but I was not disappointed. The quality of films that were shown made me laugh, cry and kept me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to be a part of the event next year.

It’s fascinating how these storytellers can capture you entirely in movie that is less than 20 minutes long. These pros can tell such a engulfing story full of emotions that leaves the audience with lasting impressions.

Please enjoy these photos from the Way Down Film Festival 2018 and be sure to check out the full gallery at this here.

When in Maui…| Boudoir | Kihei, Hawaii

I was inspired to share some photos from my Maui trip where a fellow #boudiebabe and I photographed each other in Kihei, HI.

We were in the same boudoir course and discovered that we both happened to be in Maui at the same time. So duh, we photographed each others boudoir sessions early one morning in paradise.

Enjoy!

Eboni + Melvin | National Infantry Museum | Columbus, GA

Eboni and Melvin shared a beautiful and FUN wedding ceremony at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia. I loved every minute of being a part of this wedding.

I met these two last fall when I photographed their engagement session at a record store called Moods Music in the Little Five Points area of Atlanta. We chose that location because these two love Atlanta, they live in Atlanta and they shared their first date at this record store. They both love of music and bonded over discovering new artists.

Eboni’s vintage wedding vision came to life with every detail of the wedding day. From her beautiful dress, her hair style, the lush red roses and to the vintage Rolls Royce that whisked the couple away to their honeymoon.

I love photographing weddings at the National Infantry Museum, because the building looks is so symmetrical and makes a beautiful upscale wedding location.

The bride and her bridesmaids prepped for the big day as well as Melvin and his groomsmen. The ladies chatted and sipped champagne while the guys hung out and drank sips of whisky. Bride and groom both appear fairly calm and collected as they put themselves together for the best day ever.

Photographing each of the groups was easy peasy, because the wedding party looked like they stepped out of a magazine. The bridesmaid’s makeup was immaculate and they wore the most beautiful shade of purple dresses. They guys looked handsome in their grey suits and with matching purple accents.

The time came for the wedding ceremony. Guests gathered into their seats just inside the front doors of the museum. Melvin entered and walked just a few steps behind the pastor. He patiently waited for the bridal party to enter. A nervous smile spread across his face as Eboni appeared just outside the museum doors. The doors opened and light filled in as the bride stepped in to make her way down the aisle. She stopped mid aisle to let her father escort her the rest of the way to her groom.

These two shared their vows to love and cherish one another. It was a classic and beautiful ceremony. After the first kiss the pastor pronounced them husband and wife! Let me tell you that first reaction in their faces was EVERYTHING. These two make me so happy. They made their way back down the aisle exchanging blessings and congrats from their guests along the way.

After, the photo portion was finished it was time to kick off the reception. DJ03 had the party going all night and no one really stopped dancing. Eboni and Melvin entered from the glass elevator that lead them down to the first floor. They came in dancing and didn’t really stop until the night was over. They danced for the first time as newly weds to Who Knows by Musiq Soulchild.

There were a couple of special traditions from Melvin’s fraternity brothers, his father included, that added a personal touch to the celebrations. One of the traditions, is for the newly weds to sit in the middle of a circle while the fraternity brothers serenade the new couple. It was super cool tradish that was something I had not yet seen at a wedding.

The rest of the night was filled with partying and taking turns in the photobooth. I think all the guests had a blast. The wedding was carefully planned and was executed perfectly.

As the evening headed to a close, the couple was whisked away through a pathway of sparklers into a vintage white Rolls Royce where the honeymoon began.

Please enjoy looking through these highlights of The Matthews wedding celebration.

The Vendors:

Venue: The National Infantry Museum

Dress: Carrie’s Bridal

Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal

Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse

Coordinators: Lauren Chambers

DJ: DJ O3 Olly Hall 5270132@gmail.com

Florist: Bloomswoods

Makeup Artist: Shon Sanks shonsanks@gmail.com

Hair: Petal Jolie Salon

Cake: Chari Pitts How Sweet It Is

Neon Lights

Sometimes you just gotta CREATE somthing that you don’t normally create to keep your brain working.

So, I did.

This is a shoot from a few months ago with my friend Jason Walls. We were in downtown Columbus, GA and just decided to get creative with some night shooting. These are not the original edits, but I came back to these to see what I could do. After playing in Lightroom a bit…I love the results!

I couldn’t let that neon trend pass me by!

What do you think? Cool or nah?

Ryan + Caroline | The Woodlands at Sweetwater Brewing Co. | Buckhead, GA

Before the special wedding celebration at the sweetwater brewing company in Buckhead, caroline and Ryan met at CSU.

I remember the night at the Tap when she squealed because Ryan had walked into the bar with his friends. She had had a crush on him for awhile. We were hanging out after a shift together at Houlihans. This must have been before her nursing program, because she was actually out with us to have fun. 😉

Caroline and I became good friends while at Houlihans during our restaurant days. We’ve had some fun times together. We’ve listened to music together in the hot Tennessee sun at Bonnaroo. We’ve ruined through all her dresses too find the most flapper-esque styles, so we could have a 20s themed photoshoot with our other friend Gaby. We traveled to Cozumel where we went scuba diving and kissed tiny baby monkeys (which was probably a bad idea, but we survived).

Since then she’s become this incredibly determined and driven woman. She knows what she wants and shes not going to let anyone get in her way of her plans…except Ryan. 😉

Ryan and Caroline seem to have one of those relationships that makes it easy to love one another.

They lift each other up.

They cheer on the others accomplishments. They inspire one another.

I’m so happy that my friend has found that in Ryan. They are both beautiful and genuine people and their wedding day was nothing short of authentic.

The ceremony was held at the Sweetwater Brewing Company in Buckhead.

But let’s rewind a bit to the time I arrived at the wedding an hour early. I was feeling good ready for the day. Found a great parking spot. Paid for said parking spot. Only to walk into the lobby to discover there was more than one ac hotel in the atlanta area and I was NOT at the correct one…CUE THE PANIC!

Luckily, my second shooter, Jason and I, made it to the correct hotel with enough time to get all the shots we needed! Phew! But let me tell you that no wedding ever goes without some sort of panic, but it always works out in the end.

Fast forward to the ceremony. Ryan and his groomsmen were hanging out in the upstairs area of the brewery. Beers in hand. This was an amazing place for a wedding. There was a stack of sweetwater cans on the counter that were stacked like a three tiered wedding cake.

The girls were in a empty room with amazing light on the other side of the bar. They were busy helping Caroline get into her stunning dress. Her mother held her veil and helped fasten her dress. I mean, it would hard to find a more beautiful bride than Caroline.

She shared a first look with her dad who is a pretty quiet man, but full of love and pride for his daughter. She read him a sweet letter before he walked her down the aisle.

While I was going back through these photos after the wedding, I got so emotional thinking about all the authentic moments of joy that were shared throughout the day between friends, family and especially between Ryan and Caroline. I’m getting emotional now thinking back on them! The photos were beautiful but there’s an authentic emotion that was captured in them that brings me so much joy.

The ceremony was unique. They music they played was amazing. The grooms brother, Gerald, officiated the ceremony. He did a great job. He made people laughed and shared Gods word. The special part of the ceremony was where they washed each others feet. The River played during this portion and couldn’t have been a more perfect song choice. It’s a beautiful and powerful song.

The newlyweds shared their “I dos”.

I took the couple out to take their portraits before they could go in and party. They were enjoying the moment of calm in all the craziness that was about the the reception.

The wedding party lined up to enter the reception. The crowd cheered and clapped as each member was announced into the party. Last, but def not least, The Branches entered the reception. They jumped right into their first dance to a Work S

ong by one of my favorite bands, Hozier.

Instead of a cake, they had their own beer brewed by sweetwater. They tapped the keg instead of cutting the cake which was so awesome! Future reference: Stand back when kegs are being tapped!

The rest of the night was where everyone could party and let loose! This was a dancing crowd and they were awesome. Looked like everyone was really having a blast! Even the photographers. 😂

The night was coming to a close and like many couples these two had to run through a corridor of friends and family holding sparklers to bring the night to a close. This is always such a fun moment to capture. Caroline and Ryan’s exit was no different they left their wedding on cloud 9 and were whisked anyway to their honeymoon in Columbia.

I was so thrilled and honored to photograph this wedding. Happy to call these two friends. I know you guys will be just fine. Cheers to a lifetime of happiness!

Check out the photos from The Branch’s day!

The Vendors:

Venue: The Woodlands at Sweetwater

Hotel: AC Hotels

Dress: Long story…

Bridesmaid dresses: Shop Revelry

Tuxes: Black Tux

Coordinators: Stella Harper Events [Erin Stapleton]

DJ: DJ Byrd Dillonb33@yahoo.com

Florist: Stems Atlanta

Hair and makeup: Candace Davis icon_stylist2012@yahoo.com

Videographer: Rusticus Films

The BEST Dudoir you’ve EVER SEEN | Maui, HI

Y’all ready for the BEST dudoir I’ve ever photographed? Let’s dive in. (Pun intended)

Jeremy brought his poop hat, ‘Merica Speedo and Pineapples to his dudoir session in Maui. We headed down to the beach in Kihei for his session. The tide was high and the beach was deserted.

Jeremy lives here on Maui with his wife, Olivia (sorry, ladies) and 3 year old daughter, River. Olivia and Jeremy are expecting their 2nd child in August. A boy! He and Olivia own and operate Ohana Ocean Advntures a clear kayak and snorkle experience. In the summers you are sure to see lots of sea turtle and in the winter, whales! Jeremy has a wealth of knowledge of the marine and land life here on Maui and is sure to show you a good time and point out some cool fish and sea life. Jeremy took me out kayaking and we saw all kinds of cool stuff like eels, tropical fish and about ten sea turtles chillin’.

He will also let you know which animals you don’t want as a pet…like the Mongoose. Apparently, you don’t want a mongoose as a pet even though they look like cute ferrets. Jeremy says they’re mean.

The clouds were the only thing throwing a little shade that afternoon. Mr. Rose brought his A-game as he frolicked on the Maui beach. The waves were crashing on the rocks as Jeremy tossed his pineapples like a boss.

So, in honor of Father’s Day…I give you Mr. Jeremy Rose.

Does you or your man need a Dudoir session? Email me!
jess@jessjonesphotos.com with the subject “PINEAPPLE” for a special intro deal!

Katelyn + Caleb | Mountain Shadows | Hamiton, GA

Katelyn and Caleb shared a beautiful wedding ceremony at the Mountain Shadows Community Church in Hamilton, GA. It was a gorgeous forest theme. The church grounds are already beautiful, but Katelyn added her special touches to make it one-of-a-kind. The Georgia weather was pleasantly mild and the sun was shining! It was the perfect Saturday.

I’ve known this family for 12 years and I love them so much! Katelyn is such a gorgeous young woman and I’ve the opportunity to watch her transform into the stunning woman that she is today. Photographing this wedding was very special to me. My last photo memory of Katelyn was when I photographed her senior portraits. She wanted a Lana Del Ray theme and we totally pulled it off. I don’t often photograph senior portraits, but those were some that I’ll never forget!

Katelyn and her bridemaids prepped and applied their make up as I arrived. Mac Steedly was busy working away with the girls hair. He did an amazing job with the flower crowns. The bridesmaids wore a gorgeous shade of lavender and they all had flowers in their hair. Katelyn wore a beautiful flower crown made of eucalyptus and white flowers. The girls had a blast sharing laughs and tears that morning. Katelyn was definitely surrounded by all the love!

Caleb and his groommen were prepping for some special photos of their own. They’re all pokemon lovers, so they each wore their favorite pokemon shirt under their suits to pose for a photo. Caleb looked handsome in his Gentry Shops suit and bowtie.

Katelyn’s dress was gorgeous and was MADE FOR HER. It oozed fairy tail forest wedding. Wasn’t super over the top, but its was lovely and she looked gorgeous. Everytime I look at the photos of Katelyn, I’m like #FLAWLESS.

After she was all dressed and ready for the ceremony, Katelyn shared an awesome first look with her dad and brother. Who were about equal in their enthusiasm. Runs in the fam fo sure!

The ceremony was lovely, the beautiful decor was provided WM Events. Lana del Rey was playing over the speakers as the guests arrived and took their seats. Caleb waited eagerly to see his bride for the first time as she made her way down the aisle. The couple shared a sweet marriage ceremony surround by their closest family and friends. Officiated by Don Butler.

The reception was getting started. Kately and Caleb entered and hopped right into their romantic first dance to Ed Sheeran’s Tenerife Sea. These two are such a sweet and fun loving couple. They seemed to enjoy every minute of their day.

The father of the bride, Jesse, couldn’t let Caleb one up him while dancing with his daughter, so Katelyn and her dad showed everyone their dance skills and boy was it awesome! They started out in a sweet and typical wedding waltz, but then quickly shifted to an AWESOME choreogrphed number to a medly of fun party songs! Check out the video of the whole dance here. That dance set the tone and everyone was out of their seat and on the dance floor! The DJ, George Cotton, did an awesome job getting the party started and demoing the dance moves!

When the time came for the ceremony to wind down the newlyweds were whisked away for their honeymoon through a sea of sparklers! Always a favorite shot for me!

I loved being a part of this special wedding! It was such a blast. I’m wishing Caleb and Katelyn and happy, fun filled, and long lasting marriage! And a fun time in their new state, Texas!

Check out these highlights from Katelyn and Caleb’s day!

The Fab Vendors:
Venue: Mountain Shadows Community Church
Coordinator: Linda Butler
Minister- Don Butler
Event Design: Leigh Clemmings with WM Events
Hair Styling: Mac Steedly
Make up: The Bride!
Dress: An Affair to Remember
Bridesmaids dresses: An Affair To Remember
Tuxes: Gentry Shops Formalwear
Cake: Columbus Corner Bakery
Florist: Sarah with WM Events
DJ: George Cotton

	Joni Jones on Lance + Kristi \| Flint River h…
	anna hoffman on Krystina + Anthony
	Joni on Shelby + Kory’s Engagemen…
	Joni on Jess + Andrew
	Joni jknes on Sooo, I did this cool thi…