A native of Cleveland, Ohio Lisa Marie Jones experienced here first encounter with the arts in 1971, as a third grader during a trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art. The exhibit was Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. The series of canvases artistically presented Monet’s ability to capture a single subject in different light conditions. The play of light and the swirling colors intrigued Lisa and stirred her creative appetite toward photography.
In 1979, at the age of 15, Lisa borrowed her father’s 35 mm Volghtlander camera to experiment with light, color and theme. Known for its excellent lens design, its curvature of field delivered sharp and crisp photos. As a novice photographer, her initial photos focused on the effect of light upon subjects and the variations found in black and white film.
While at Kent State University in Kent Ohio, Lisa became a staff photographer for the Spectrum (Black United Students) newspaper. As a staff photographer Lisa covered social and sporting events. With her camera, she vividly portrayed the human nature of her subjects and the realism of each event.
During the 1980s Lisa spent most of her time traveling with the Woman’s Tennis Association. While on tour she visited Europe, South America and various states within the U.S. With an endless canvas of subjects, her imagery ranged from atmospheric impressionist views of nature to intimate views of life. With each click of the lens, Lisa vividly captured and expressed the sense of reality that was the moment seen through her camera.
By the 1990s, Lisa ended her tennis tour and took a position managing the Central Park Tennis Center in New York City. Due to the nature of her job, she turned her lens to the fast pace of sports photography and the challenge of split-second composition. Sports photography taught her the importance of effective technique, using proper shutter speed to freeze action to quickly translate the intensity of the moment for the viewer.
In 2001 Lisa visited India. The trip turned her attention to human nature and interaction. India’s mix of culture and diversity gave her the opportunity to photograph its rich themes and its many ethnic groups of people. Her lens took an intimate look at India’s many different communities and religious traditions. Armed with black and white and color film she translated India’s beauty and splendor into visual treasures.
After returning from India, Lisa continued to photograph nature and intimate views of life. She currently lives in East Hampton, New York, where the typography of the land re-captured her love of nature. Her creative vision is to capture the beauty and simplicity of nature as an impressionist art form shifting, dissolving, redefining it self throughout the seasons.