Maybe What You Really Need Is a Photographer from the Matrix

We love Jonas Seaman THIIIISSSS much

Jonas_Seaman_APW_1011

Y’all, where do I even begin to tell you about Seattle-based-but-shoots-everywhere Jonas Seaman Photography? Jonas Seaman has become something of a legend around these parts since he first became an APW sponsor way back in 2012, and for good reason: his work, his service, and Jonas himself are basically a trifecta of unmatched awesomeness.

First, there are the photos, which are so good they’ve been shown everywhere from fine art galleries (fancy ones… in Europe) to the Ellen DeGeneres Show (Ellen, you guys, Ellen!). Second, the level of personal attention and customer service that comes standard when you work with Jonas Seaman is so far above and beyond, “customer” feels like the wrong word to use. Think things like location scouting for portraits the day before your wedding, in the same lighting conditions you’ll be facing on the day-of, just so that he’s fully prepared to make the best images for you and your partner.

Which brings me to third: Jonas himself. Despite the fact that with photos like these, he could totally get away with being an artiste, Jonas humbly remains a warm, silly, sweetheart of a guy who will treat you like the most important person on the planet. He’s the kind of guy who will email you out of the blue and say nice things if he thinks you might be having a bad day (true story—to all of us here at APW, the day after the election), and by the time he and Mary (his equally amazing partner-in-crime, second-shooter, and wife) show up for your wedding, you will feel so taken care of that you can just relax into the day unfolding, knowing that, no matter what, you are in their capable hands.
Jonas_Seaman_APW_1023Jonas_Seaman_APW_1007

But let’s talk more about the photos. Maddie, being a photographer (and a Jonas Seaman fangirl), once dubbed his approach, “moody and intense editorial work meets raw emotional photojournalism.” In laymen’s terms, Jonas is the kind of visual storyteller who not only manages to capture all of those subtle, emotional, in-between moments, but he makes each of them into its own piece of art. The collection he delivers is like a fine art book of your own wedding, where each image is as special as the next and all of them transport you right back into the day.

I’ve got to be exaggerating, right? Nope. Go check out the story of Michelle and Lorena’s wedding. Go on, now scroll and scroll and scroll, and see if you can find a single image that you wouldn’t want hanging on your wall. Didn’t think so. Jonas makes it all look so good and so… real, from kids playing in the rain to the front of your refrigerator and the cacti on your windowsill, from epic portraits in front of murals to raging dance parties.

I spoke to Jonas to get a glimpse into how he manages this, and my only conclusion is that his brain slows down time to capture photos the way Neo dodges bullets in The Matrix—he sees the micro-expressions of your most authentic and beautiful self, and in that nanosecond clicks the shutter.
Jonas_Seaman_APW_1022Jonas_Seaman_APW_1018Jonas_Seaman_APW_1001a couple laughing on their wedding day

Even though Jonas Seaman’s work has been featured, um, pretty much everywhere? (Today Show, Elle Japan, Marie Claire South Africa, Seattle Bride Magazine, Rangefinder, Buzzfeed, Cosmopolitan, POPSUGAR, Hello Giggles, and The Huffington Post—and duh, APW—are some highlights.) Jonas is completely in this for his clients, and the proof is in the way they talk about him:

Jonas and Mary are so amazing! The quality of their work speaks for itself, but I want to emphasize what wonderful people they are as well. My wife and I decided we wanted a tiny wedding, to basically elope (but in our home city). We loved Jonas and Mary so much that we asked them to be our witnesses, so that it could be the four of us and the judge. It was the absolute best! We got to spend time with them, and it was so low key that the photos are incredibly intimate. I have absolutely no reservations to recommend Jonas and Mary to any couple. They are so wonderful! —Rachel

Whether you’re eloping, having a backyard wedding, a destination wedding, or really any kind of wedding, when you work with Jonas you’ll feel like one part VIP and one part old friend, like somehow he is more appreciative of what you’re doing for him than the other way around. He said:

I knew when I started this business that it would be intense. I decided early on that I didn’t want to become a wedding factory, so I take on a very limited amount of bookings per year, usually twenty weddings. I never book more than one wedding per weekend. If I book a wedding on a Saturday, I turn down all inquiries for the Friday and Sunday before and after. I devote the weekend to the couple. This way I can show up the day before the wedding to do a thorough location scout, and I’m never in a rush to leave a reception early because I have another wedding booked the next morning. I’ve applied this same philosophy to my culling and editing. I take my time to make sure each collection is perfect, processing both color as well as black and white versions of each picture. I know this means extra days of editing on my end, but if forty years from now it helps the collection to hold up, it will be worth it.

I love wedding photography. I know a lot of photographers who shoot weddings in order to make a living while pursuing their more personal work, but for me wedding photography is my personal work. I feel so blessed to be able to do this, and so grateful that APW readers have been with me every step of the way. The couples and families who have booked me through APW have truly been incredible! The trust they have given Mary and me to come into their lives and capture some of their most candid moments has been a humbling experience. I hope our images reflect how happy we are to be a part of their wedding days.

Jonas_Seaman_APW_1015Jonas_Seaman_APW_1024Jonas_Seaman_APW_1005

Jonas Seaman’s pretty much all-inclusive wedding package is $4,400 and includes:

  • Full day of coverage with 2 photographers (up to 10 hours of consecutive photography)
  • The aforementioned second shooter (AKA Jonas’s wife, the equally talented, calming, and kind Mary)
  • Two full collections (both color and black and white edits for each delivered image)
  • A flash drive of all of the finished high resolution images ready for both print and the web
  • A website with a slideshow of the day
  • An online web gallery with print fulfillment

Even though Jonas is officially based out of Seattle, he means it when he says he will shoot your wedding no matter where it is. (Seriously. From Mexico to Utah to everywhere else.) There are no crazy travel fees, just actual travel costs for any weddings outside of the Seattle area.

And because he loves APW couples the most, Jonas is offering a discount of 10% to any reader who books within 30 days of inquiry. So, after you email him with your date and inquiry, as long as you book within 30 days of that initial email you will get $440 off, and all the magic that is Jonas Seaman Photography for less than $4,000 ($3,960 to be exact).

Jonas_Seaman_APW_1017Jonas_Seaman_APW_1002Jonas_Seaman_APW_1013

You guys, there are photos, and then there is your real life made into art, and with Jonas Seaman Photography you get the latter all day, every day. But why listen to me when the pictures say everything you need to know about why you want to work with him. So go get lost in the stories on Jonas’s blog (or go be his friend on Facebook), then find out if he has your date available and snatch up that 10% discount before it’s too late. Because while there are lots and lots of wedding photographers you can hire for $3,960, there is only one Jonas Seaman, and he’s priceless.

JONAS SEAMAN PHOTOGRAPHY IS OFFERING 10% OFF TO ANY APW READERS WHO BOOK within 30 days of inquiry. CLICK HERE TO GET IN TOUCH!

Featured Sponsored Content

Please read our comment policy before you comment.

The APW Store is Here

APW Wedding e-shop

go find all our favorites from around the internet, and our free planning tools

Shop Now
APW Wedding e-shop

Planning a wedding?

We have all the planning tools you need right now.

Budget spreadsheets, checklists, and more...

Get Your Free Planning Tools