We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Falando Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Falando below.

Alright, Falando thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?

Family businesses are essential. The pandemic opened my eyes to the importance of having and working in my businesses. Many were furloughed from their jobs because of the economic stress on companies. Although it wasn’t part of my story, it did strengthen the conversation my wife and I had regarding our businesses, not just photography. We didn’t know how to fully take advantage of the pandemic’s silver lining during her postpartum. However, like many others, we’ve found ways to hone our skills, gifts, and talents to monetize them. Side hustles are now family businesses, with parents encouraging their children’s creativity more than the proverbial rat race. My children have options now to continue the photography business, our financial business, or chart their paths. Providing our children with that option will help them reach their goals faster without starting from scratch.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Ever since I could remember, I’ve always had an artistic eye and way of seeing things. As a boy, my grandfather and I used to sit on his living room couch and draw all kinds of things, from cars and animals to landscapes and people. It was something that I enjoyed. I continued drawing throughout childhood to college, where I enrolled in elective courses on sketching that focused on drawing realism. Artists’ ability to manipulate and mimic light on paper fascinated and inspired me as an artist. Drawing and sketching also filled me with peace because I was tapping into a creative realm. Unfortunately, since my art didn’t look realistic enough and was time-consuming, I quit out of frustration. Still viewing life artistically, one day I decided to buy my first camera after my good friend, who became my wife four years later, encouraged me to get it after learning of my desire. In my opinion, my photos weren’t any good at first—they were mostly blurry. But my love for the feel of my camera in hand while capturing an image captivated me. When creating a photograph, there’s something about looking for light composition, toying with shadows and lines that fosters peace and satisfaction. In a way, photography was personal therapy.
I went everywhere with my camera, including personal photo walks in my city. Photography as a potential income earner wasn’t on my mind yet. A friend asked me for a photoshoot because he needed pictures for his upcoming music album. Nervously, I agreed. During our session, he mentioned that I should consider starting a photography business using my unique name as its title.
The feel of my camera in hand and the art of photography still fuels me today. The essence of Falando Jones Photography is two-fold. We serve by capturing unique, possibly missed moments and highlighting the beauty and strength of family and nature as God designed it. Although we live in a world saturated with instant photos from cell phones, the heart and essence of photography are irreplaceable. I desire to create photographs that cause people to pause for a few moments and appreciate what’s around them—even the mundane. I want my images and sessions to be therapeutic and healing to others as it has been for me.
My clients are mainly families, couples, and individuals that I photograph with a blend of candid and slightly posed (guided) moments . I focus on candid moments because they make the best pictures. Our sessions are a collaboration between artist and client—their vision matters too. This collaboration, along with my passion expressed through the images, is what sets me apart. People’s innate desires include being seen and heard, and that is what my art conveys. They’ll look at their pictures down the road and not just see beauty but relive the moments.

A moment I’m most proud of occurred in April 2022 when one of my supervisors asked me to help with a special assignment. A World War II veteran was coming back home to celebrate his 100th birthday. I work for a major airline full-time, so while the rest of the team were decorating, holding signs, making announcements, and making our special guest feel welcomed, I got to do what I love most—photograph the event. His arrival, all reactions, celebrations, and thank yous I captured enthusiastically. Returning from war Mr. Owens never received a proper welcome home; we gave that to him. That moment will always be special to him, his family, our company and myself. Later the each member of our welcoming team were recognized at headquarters where we got a chance to share our story and how we made it a special occasion for him.

I want my followers, potential clients, and readers to know that all moments are worthy of us slowing down and noticing. Our families, skills, and lives need our intentional presence and pause from the daily chaos. My work captures this while challenging our perspectives. My camera doesn’t just denote business—it’s how I grab life, document time, and help us to see today’s moments as tomorrow’s memories. Sometimes people just don’t have the time to stop, so I want to be able to help them see along the way.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Creating images that speak to others is the most rewarding thing about being an artist. Sometimes the most simple pictures have the most significant impact. Even now, some of my “throw-away” pictures that I was on the verge of deleting for their seeming lack of interest may catch someone else’s eye. For example, I photographed one of our dining room chairs while noticing the natural light around my house. Curiosity spawned innovation at that moment. It was no big deal, yet I still shared it on Instagram. Sometime later, I was pleasantly surprised to find a comment that started with “Oh my god…” The individual had a moment of nostalgia, reminiscing about her grandmother’s house, where her grandmother sat in a similar-looking chair. All I did was capture decent-looking light and place my chair in that light; it was commonplace to me, but to that viewer, it was special. If I can strike that kind of positive chord in viewers of my work more often, it would be ideal for us all—photography that touches the heart.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I love reading, and I read a few books a year; physical books, from cover to cover. They focus more on spirituality and fulfilling the purpose of our existence. Many of these books speak to and call out the leader in me. As a true introvert, it’s easy for me to be alone and assume I’d have complete contentment; however, that’s not how life works. We need community. Books such as The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus and The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson are vital in supporting that sentiment and instrumental in the convergence of destiny and business. As an entrepreneur, I now see how to convey my passion and talents into profitable income to help my family and impact my community. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki gave me insight into The Cash Flow Quadrant, which highlights wealth creation through business ownership and not by being an employee.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.falandojonesphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/falandojonesphotography/
• Facebook: facebook.com/falandojonesphotography
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/falandojonesphoto
• Other: Vero: @flymrjones2