The Byrd Family

Jon's thoughts: Prior to moving to Tucson from South Carolina, Kerry and Andrew had many gorgeous portraits created of their son. I was flattered with the opportunity to create this recent art piece for their family. I love children at all ages but there is something special about sharing time with a five-year-old. Their son is beyond his years brilliant! He is articulate, artistic, and knowledgeable about so many things. Conversing with him about our shared love of Star Wars was a highlight of my day.

This portrait was a long time in the making. Andrew's schedule as a pilot with Homeland Security keeps him incredibly busy. We took our time in scheduling our meetings so that he could participate every step of the way. Each time we met I grew fonder of this family. Watching that special bond that father and son share touched my heart. The love this family holds for one another is strongly evident in person and in their beautiful portraits. 



Kerry's words: Jon is simply the best. I purchased a session with him at a charity event with the intention of getting a portrait of my then five-year-old son. What quickly became apparent when I called to schedule the session is that Jon is no ordinary photographer. First, he wanted to meet with me and my husband prior to the photography session. I admit, I was initially puzzled by this but after meeting with him it made sense. During our initial meeting, he inquired about our goals for the session, general information about our family, our likes and dislikes. He educated us about the science and art of portrait photography and his philosophy as an artist. He talked us through his methodology about photographing the whole family - something that we had not previously considered. Neither I nor my husband felt like we were in our best physical condition and didn't necessarily want a family portrait to document that fact- but Jon convinced us to give it a go. I am so glad we did. On the day of the photography session, he was wonderful. He engaged our son and made me and my husband completely comfortable in front of the camera. He was patient and attentive to every detail. The results of his efforts are obvious with the finished product. To say that we were blown away by our pictures would be an understatement. Viewing the proofs and choosing our favorites to be printed was a daunting task, as there were so many great shots to choose from. We are beyond thrilled with our portraits and can't wait to receive our final, framed art pieces. Jon is a true artist - I would recommend him to anyone without hesitation.     - Kerry and Andrew