Crystal Jones Photography

New Blog Site

2009-03-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! My blog has moved! Please click here to visit my new blog and see all the latest news and updates from my studio. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

Cupcake Craving Anyone? Yummy!

2009-02-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

Look at these adorable Valentine's Day cupcakes! Thanks to Cupcake Craving, I had way more than my fair share. If you're looking for a delicious treat to give your valentine this year, I suggest one of these...

Senior BFF Session - Alicia & Julie

2009-01-27T13:10:00.001-08:00

Look out ANTM! These girls are so beautiful! Not to mention sweet and fun. I had a great time trying new things and new lighting techniques with them (they were so patient as I attempted to use a video light for the first time). Anyway, thanks again girls, you were great!

Senior Portrait - Catelyn

2009-01-24T00:11:00.000-08:00

Hey all! I'm back from vacation and getting back in the swing of things. I've done a few sessions since I've been home and I've been really inspired by the people I've photographed. I just really love what I do!

One of my sessions was with Catelyn, a really sweet girl with the most natural ability in front of the camera. Here are a few for you to enjoy!

Maternity - Elizabeth

2009-01-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

Well, here they are. I'm really excited about these photos. I think Elizabeth looks beautiful and she and Jason look so cute together. They are going to be amazing and loving parents. I can't wait to meet the baby! I love you guys!

Blizzard!

2008-12-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

Well everyone, if you ever wondered why I left the beautiful Inland Northwest - take a look at this! It hasn't stopped snowing for 2 days straight and we can't even leave the house. We got stuck on the hill coming home last night and started sliding backwards. Sooo scary. We ended up driving for an hour before we found a way to get to my mom's house without having to drive up a steep hill. It's crazy! I think it is absolutely beautiful, but mostly because I'm on vacation and I have nowhere to be. I get to just sit inside and stare out at it. It's been interesting. I miss everyone, but I'm having a good time! See you soon!

Maternity - Lisa

2008-12-08T01:43:00.000-08:00

Aww, so beautiful!! One of my oldest and dearest friends, Lisa, is having her first baby. A boy. She looks absolutely amazing and this is only the first of a few maternity sessions we are doing. Next is a shoot in the snow up in Washington. We'll both be up there for Christmas since we're both from Spokane. We just really hope it snows for us!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-08T00:36:00.000-08:00

Melissa and her two adorable dogs came in for Christmas Card portraits with an entire set in tow. She had the cutest idea to have an entire Christmas scene, complete with a tree and presents, as her backdrop. Not to mention her sassy santa outfit, check her out! With the help of our wonderful assistant, Wiley, we made the whole thing happen. Her dogs are sooo cute and I had so much fun!

Senior Portrait - Josh

2008-12-08T00:13:00.000-08:00

Talk about a busy high school senior! Josh plays football, basketball and runs track. Now he can add modeling to his resume. He's definitely a natural in front of the camera and a really nice guy to top it off. Thank you to his mom, Lori for bringing him in and Lisa, my longtime friend for setting the whole thing up (and being my assistant, lol). You guys were great and I had so much fun!

Halloween Wedding--Ben & Kimberlee

2008-11-03T22:53:00.000-08:00

Talk about doing something different on your wedding day! This wedding went from frightening mummies and witches to beautiful flowers and an amazing bride and groom. Kimberlee is full of energy and enthusiasm and I can't help but smile when I'm around her and Ben proved to be her perfect match.

They decided to get married at the Ryde Hotel on the River Road (Hwy 60) because it's believed to be haunted and Kimberlee had her bridesmaids and bridesman dress up in costume for the ceremony. She also had her bridesman (Boy George) sing to her as she and Ben walked down the aisle after saying their vows. So cute!

After some fun family and bridal party photos I stole Ben and Kimberlee away to take some shots of just the two of them. They are naturals in front of the camera and it couldn't be more obvious how in love they are!

My friend Matt Holsinger, their DJ, introduced me to them and I can't thank him enough! I really enjoyed working with all of you and I hope you enjoy your photos...

Roadtrip!

2008-09-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I just got back from a week long roadtrip and I had an amazing time! My friend, Kristene, and I drove from Sacramento to Vegas (woo hoo!) to Zion National Park and then to Arches National Park and back. We bonded during our long car rides from place to place, I camped for the first time in 13 years, and we saw some of the most amazing places we could imagine. The pictures I took don't even capture the full beauty of the places we went, so anyone who has the chance should definitely go see them in person. The first few photos are from Zion National Park in Utah, where we camped and took our first hike up the side of a very steep mountain. There were so many breathtaking views we ended up stopping every couple minutes.

We had a long drive after Zion to get to Arches National Park near Moab, Utah but the scenery was absolutely beautiful. We drove through valleys, grasslands, canyons, and deserts. The landscape seemed to be constantly changing and I was really in awe. So, of course, we had to stop along the way and capture as much as we could.

We ended up getting to Arches right as sunset was starting, which was perfect. We did a little research and found a short hike to a view of the famous "delicate arch." So, off we went. Little did we know the hike was straight uphill, oops. Pretty strenuous but sooo worth it. We sat on the edge of a cliff and watched the sunset over the hills and took pictures, of course. This place is truly amazing.

We decided not to camp and ended up staying in Moab a few miles down the road. It's a cute little town with a great atmosphere. This is definitely a busy time for them with tourists from all over the world. We were lucky enough to find a room even though almost every hotel was completely full, so we had a great dinner and went back to our comfy motel. Our second day there we got to really see the park and found some great places to shoot.

That night we took the hike we were most afraid of, up to the real view of the delicate arch. We thought it was 3 miles but it ended up being half that, thank god! It actually ended up being pretty easy. Once we got up there I got really scared though, I guess I'm a little afraid of heights. We were sitting on a slanted slab of rock that led straight off a cliff. If you tripped you would fall right off. A little terrifying.

I have to say that we drove on the easiest and emptiest highways imaginable. We had the easiest time getting around. We ended up taking Hwy 50 all the way home and were alone pretty much the whole way. So, when we got a little bored, we decided to stop and do a photoshoot. First it was for the landscape (there was a salt flat in the distance reflecting the mountain range), but then we started goofing off and suddenly Kristene became America's Next Top Model. Check her out! This was so much fun and I'm so glad she wanted to be in front of the camera for a change.

The Hamiltons

2008-08-20T22:15:00.001-07:00

Sooo, I just got back from a little vacation up in Spokane, WA (my hometown) where I relaxed and spent some time with my family and old friends. I only worked one day and I'm so glad I did. I got to do a family portrait session for the Hamiltons--Amber, Craig, Jaxson, and Faith. Such a cute family! I went up to their house, which they are building themselves on 20 acres of land far, far away from the hustle and bustle of Spokane. It was absolutely beautiful out there and the perfect location for some outdoor photos. Here are some of my favorites...

MacKenzie and Jessica

2008-07-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

I had such a great time shooting today! Kenzie and her friend Jessica are so much fun and willing to do so many crazy things. We worked in the studio for a little while and then went outside for a change of pace. All you have to do is walk outside the studio doors and you can find so many great places to shoot. That's why I love downtown! I was so excited when we were done that I came straight home to work on their photos.

Yosemite

2008-07-21T22:38:00.001-07:00

Well, crazy as it is, I have lived in NorCal for 6 years and have just now made it to Yosemite. Carmen and I had a wedding to shoot down there, so I finally made the trek. Her friends Brian and Chelsea actually met while working there and decided to return for their wedding. We showed up and attended a nice BBQ and later tried really hard to find our cabin on our own. However, Carmen and I are not very good with the outdoors and the dark night and lack of sidewalks did not help. I brought a rolling suitcase, having no clue that I would be dragging it through the forest and we had mounds of equipment to hall in on top of that. Our cabin ended being really cute and we were in a gorgeous location. We were amazed in the morning when we walked outside and could actually see the view. It was a great time and I definitely want to go back just to take pictures of the landscape.

Bridal Shower for Alexis

2008-06-21T23:31:00.000-07:00

Alexis is an ex employee of Chilis and a friend of mine who is getting married on August 2nd, so soon! She had her bridal shower this weekend up in Santa Rosa and I was invited to capture the moments of the day. I also had the chance to take her and her best friends, Lucy and Amy, outside for some fun shots. It was probably the hottest day ever but these girls were total troopers and they look amazing! Here are my favorites...

Rock Star Portrait Session

2008-05-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

Kristene and I had the best photoshoot yesterday with our rock star models--MacKenzie, Olivia, and Austin. These guys are amazing! They showed up with suitcases full of clothes and jewelry and set us up for an incredible time. They were so much fun and were willing to try all the crazy things Kristene and I suggested, plus had a few ideas of their own. We were supposed to shoot outside but got rained in and I have to say I'm really glad. It worked out for the best. Here they are...

Turley and Associates

2008-05-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Brian Provencal of Turley and Associates sent me out to Lincoln a few weeks ago to take pictures of the new City Hall out there. His firm has been working on this building since the winter and it's finally done. Here are some pictures I took for their promo postcard they'll be sending out soon.

Kimber

2008-05-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Kimber recently got married, but before she did I took some photos of her for her husband Charlie. Check her out, hot mama!! Her wedding was beautiful, I'm so happy for them!

Ashley the Supermodel

2008-05-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

My bff Ashley took some time out of her hectic schedule to model for me and Carmen a couple weeks ago. She did a great job and I'm thankful to her for helping me test out some different lighting situations. Thanks Ash!

Beautiful People

2008-05-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Courtney came down to the studio to model for a bunch of us at a Pictage "Shoot out." It was a good experience and helped me get one step closer to mastering my flash unit. I couldn't ask for better models. Thanks guys!

More Cupcakes

2008-05-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

The wonderful people over at Cupcake Craving contacted me recently to take some photos of their wedding cupcakes for an ad in a local wedding magazine. The issue with the add should be out this month so you can see which photo they chose, but here are my favorites.

Mom!

2008-05-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, it's been awhile...I've been so busy I haven't been able to update. My mom actually came down for a visit, so I took a little break from work except to take pictures of her. We went to a little park by my house and had a small shoot. It was almost 100 degrees so we kept it short. But here she is...

The Corvair

2008-04-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

These are the "before" pictures of my friend AJ's Corvair that he plans to restore to it's former glory. This baby was featured in a magazine in its day and AJ plans to see it in one again. Stay tuned for the "after" pictures. The car will look fabulous, I'm sure.

Jose

2008-04-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Gaby brought her 3 year old nephew to the studio today. He was soooo shy but completely adorable. By the end of the session he warmed up to me and we got some amazing photos of the little guy. He has the most amazing eyes! So cute. Thank you to Gaby for giving me some practice taking pictures of a toddler. Hope you like them.

Rebekah, Mark and Triston

2008-03-08T23:23:00.000-08:00

My good friend and fellow photographer, Rebekah, bravely stepped in front of the camera for me today along with her husband, Mark. Their son, Triston, is due in a short six weeks from now. They couldn't be more excited and Rebekah could not look more amazing! The two of them definitely brought their modeling skills and took some beautiful photos.

Kiley's 1st Birthday

2008-03-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day for little Kiley! She turned one and celebrated with a Princess Party at the Park. She was so cute running around in her pink tutu, it was hard to take a bad photo. Kristene and I took advantage of every good shot, here are some of mine...

Hawaii!

2008-01-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I just got back from my graduation trip to Hawaii, which was amazing. It was so nice to relax, lay on the beach and hang out with my mom. Here are some photos of the beautiful Honolulu.

My last field trip

2007-12-09T21:19:00.001-08:00

For our last hoorah in my field trip class we went up to Preston's Castle, an old condemned building that used to be a boy's reform school. The place was amazing. Four floors of photo heaven--peeling paint, cracking walls, old doors, broken windows, moss covered steps, and more. I brought Shuni with me because I knew it would be a great location to end my umbrella project, but we also had fun with some other ideas. Here they are!

A couple more studio shots

2007-12-09T21:16:00.000-08:00

This food picture has been a big hit so I thought I'd put it up here and the heineken is my last shot for my 148 studio lighting class. School is almost over!

The end of my umbrella project

2007-12-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my project for my senior portfolio class! Shuni has been the best model and my project turned out better than I imagined.

Studio Shots

2007-11-23T23:22:00.001-08:00

My studio lighting class has probably been my favorite this semester. I love using the studio, setting up lights, setting up shots, the whole thing. I've been lucky enough to be interning for a commercial photographer, Izzy Schwartz, who lets me use his studio and helps me figure things out as well as being able to use the studio at the school. This class has definitely made me a better photographer.

Cupcake Craving

2007-11-23T23:18:00.000-08:00

Working at Chilis seems to have its advantages sometimes and one of them is networking. A new shop opened up nearby called Cupcake Craving that I'm now in business with. The owners are some of the nicest people and it has been a pleasure taking pictures of their cupcakes. Here is my favorite one. Check out more of my cupcake photos at http://www.cupcakecraving.com/.

Photo in the field

2007-11-23T23:12:00.000-08:00

I think everyone might know by now how much of a challenge my Photo in the Field class has been, but it turns out it has done some good. Here are some of my best photos from that class, all from the last field trip on E. Bidwell St. of all places. Interesting how things work out :)

Gabe and Bella

2007-11-23T22:56:00.000-08:00

My new boss Carmen Salazar owns a studio downtown and was so kind as to invite me to a flash unit workshop she and her friends were doing. I was lucky enough to use her little bro and sis as models for my shoot with Carmen as my assistant holding the flash unit and helping me get the lighting perfect. Thanks Carmen! These are some of my favorite shots.

Camera Arts Show

2007-11-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

For my senior portfolio and photo in the field classes we are having shows at Camera Arts, a photography store near the school. The show will go up the first week of December and will stay up until the end of the month. You're more than welcome to come look (and buy my photos, lol).

Winter Show at CSUS

2007-11-23T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hey, so I made it into the winter show at school with a picture from my "umbrella project." Shuni will be so happy to know her hard work is appreciated by more than just me. Love you Shuni!

2007-11-23T22:29:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! This is my first blog just to let everyone know that I have one. This way I'll be able to show you what I've been up to my last semester in school and keep you updated on things in the future. I'll be posting new pics frequently so be sure and check in often and let me know what you think. Thanks!