About Jono

I come from an ‘arty’ family. Painters primarily.

My parents gave me my first camera when I was about 10 years old. A Kodak Brownie 127. Basically a point and shoot with a fixed plastic lens. I was only allowed to shoot Black & White film and I did just that – and plenty of it!

When I was 15 years old, my Grandfather allowed me to borrow his pride and joy – a 1960’s Praktica Super TL SLR camera with a Standard 50mm lens. I needed it for a High School Technical Drawing project and when I went to give it back a few months later his reply was... 
“You just keep it and look after it for me, Jono.”

I loved this camera and felt honoured to have been given the responsibility of caring for it.

The Praktica was an entirely manual 35mm SLR camera and taught me all of the basics of photography. I shot scrolls of colour print film in the years that followed. My subjects were anything and everything.

Though one genre always stood out.

Jump ahead to 2012 and a few 'hobby' and 'family' cameras later. With my children largely independent and time on my hands I decided to invest in a Digital SLR and begin shooting again. This time with more of a sense of purpose.

I soon realised if I wanted to continue to improve I need to focus on one genre alone. For me that genre has always been landscape photography.

So here I am today. My passion for this craft and hunger to explore my local landscape continues to grow with every passing season.
I believe I have a lifetime of opportunities within a couple of hours drive from my home that will keep me satisfied for many years to come.

I spend many hours reading and looking at ‘picture books’ as Chrissie calls them. I am fascinated by the composition skills of landscape masters and am interested in how they release their creative skills.

For me, landscape photography is very much an 'emotional journey' into the landscape, rather than a technical pursuit. The equipment is simply the ‘tools’ of the trade.

I know there is more creativity inside me to be released. I hope you will follow along with me as I journey and that my images will provoke and strong emotional and affirming reaction within you.
Every time I go out I am in awe of the beauty New Zealand. People came from all over the planet to enjoy and take photographs of our stunning landscape. This reminds me to never take my ‘home’ for granted.

Relax, enjoy, look around and drop me a line via the ‘Get In Touch’ tab above if you feel so inclined.
I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Jono Manning – Luminis Photography.
Christchurch, New Zealand.
Updated January 2019.