Hi, I'm Jonas Nakas and this is my online portfolio.  I grew up near the shore of Southern Lake Michigan and followed my love of adventure to Southern California in 2007, where I earned a BFA in Analog Photography from California State University, Long Beach, in 2011.

 

My love for photojournalism has been a major influence on my work, and as a result of my curiosity, I've allowed myself to explore a variety of subject matter.  Analog cameras and film hold a special appeal to me for many reasons; Both as relics of a shared past, and as a rarefied print-making process with greater room for chance, and organic variation.

 

As a lover of science, history, literature, and art, I've turned to photography as my personal means to revealing and recording the story of my life.  My Grandfather, Alfonsas Nakas, was a journalist, who used the written word to tell his story.  The camera has been my golden key; giving me permission to ask questions, jump into the fray, and examine the inner lives of the people around me.

 

As a life-long surfer, scholar of surf history, and vocational adherent to the occult practices surrounding surfing, I have followed my greatest passion on a meandering path through life, and it has rewarded me with a front-row seat to a life of wonder.

 

I serve my community as a Public Art Commissioner for the City of Ontario, California.  I also enjoy volunteering for Ontario Museum of History and Art, Museum Associates.  We are a volunteer group that supports the museum as a hub of culture in our region.

 

As a father, I am pursuing my career teaching art in high school, and making art at home.