At age sixteen, most kids are focused only on passing their classes, winning their next game, or scoring a date to homecoming. Junior Jonathan McInnis, however, has his mind set on something much bigger – running his own photography business.

            Surprisingly, McInnis found his interest in photography by accident after enrolling in a class he did not particularly want to take.

“I had to choose another one semester class [for sophomore year],” McInnis said. “The only class that I was somewhat interested in was [Photojournalism 1]. I didn’t really take it that seriously because I knew I was just doing it as a filler class, but once I got my brother’s camera, I really dug in deep to the roots of portrait photography. I got so into it that I switched out of health to take [Photojournalism 2].

From there, McInnis’s business, McInnis Photography, was born and is growing at a fast pace.

 “McInnis Photography is a Full Service Portrait Studio mostly targeted to high school seniors and [other] teens,” McInnis said. “I have shot, with my camera that is, over 125 people since the beginning of 2012, and I am still counting.”

He is quickly becoming the go-to photographer for students needing senior pictures or headshots, as his talent is top-notch.

“[My] shoot was really fun and laid-back,” senior Sydney Prendergast said. “I was completely surprised by the way that he could take a plain picture of me and really turn it into a work of art. They are so professional and they’re more than I could’ve asked for from any photography studio.”

 While McInnis’s skill is mostly recognized by students and teachers here at Lovejoy, he is also creating a name for himself in the “real world.”

“Not only have I done shoots for people in Lovejoy, I have also done shoots with people as far as Carrollton who come across my work on the web and want their pictures taken,” McInnis said. “I have also become the main photographer for Unistar Talent, which is an emerging agency for models, actors, and artists based in the Dallas area.”

McInnis’s talent extends far beyond the camera, as he has also had major success in other activities.

“I am mostly involved in choir and [photojournalism], but I am also involved in theatre,” McInnis said. “I am the first, and currently only, male from Lovejoy ISD to make it into an All-State choir, which really made me feel special.”

Although he is a student with many artistic gifts, McInnis thinks he knows what his calling is.

“I would have to say that my true passion is photography at the moment,” McInnis said. “When I do a photo shoot and I look at the finished images, I realize that I have created a piece of art that is 100% my work, and I feel so proud.”

McInnis sees his art as even more than a passion – it helps him get through everyday life.

 “Photography means a whole lot to me,” McInnis said. “I have been going through some hard times, and I have been kicked to the ground, but I always know that I have my photography to fall back on when times are tough.”

If you’d like to contact Jonathan to ask questions, schedule a photo shoot, or just take a look at his work, you can visit his website, mcinnisphotography.com.