ABOUT JONATHAN BROWN

I’ve Been Making Photographs Most of My Life.

It started with a high school yearbook in a small town in the Mojave Desert. Since then, photography has taken me through studios and darkrooms, magazines and print production, raising two daughters, and eventually back behind the camera at F11 Studio.

WHERE IT STARTED

A Yearbook Camera and Senior Portraits

I started as the photographer for my high school yearbook in the Mojave Desert. By my senior year, I was making senior portraits for classmates.

After leaving my hometown, I moved to Irvine, California, and worked in photo studios and photo labs. My days were a mix of shooting, developing film, and doing post-production work for professional photographers.

From the Photo Department to the Printed Page

After college, I joined LA Times Magazine as an intern in the photo department. I eventually became Assistant Photo Editor, commissioning and producing photo shoots with photographers and celebrities, athletes, and other notable subjects. I also did photo research and licensed images from syndication galleries.

Later, I ran print production at the magazine. At Backstage, I was Production Manager, responsible for weekly magazine production—from copy and advertising layouts through final pages and the printing process.

PHOTO EDITING / RESEARCH / PRINT PRODUCTION

A CHANGE OF DIRECTION

Then I Became a Dad.

When my first daughter was born, I left office jobs in the art world and became a stay-at-home dad. I stayed home with my two daughters until they started school.

While I was raising them, the print-magazine industry changed around me. The idea for F11 Studio grew during those years: something I loved that I could return to when the girls went off to school.

When we moved to Woodland Hills and I had a dedicated studio space, F11 Studio officially opened in 2019.

F11 STUDIO

Back Behind the Camera

Today, at F11 Studio in Woodland Hills, I photograph actors, business professionals, models, expectant mothers, and families.

After years in photo editing and print production, I’m back behind the camera, making portraits in a studio of my own.

STILL MAKING PHOTOGRAPHS

Some Things Are Better Done by Hand.

I still shoot 35mm and 120 film with old cameras I’ve collected over the years, and I develop the film myself. I also turn some of my favorite images into handmade Van Dyke Brown prints.

I still enjoy the print process. Watching an image come to life in its final form on paper is deeply rewarding.