2026-07-18T16:10:32.296Z

How do you describe Jonathan Roob of Jonathan's Portraits in just one word? It's a bit like trying to catch sunshine in a jar—nearly impossible. But if I had to choose, I'd say genuine. In a world that can sometimes feel polished to perfection and filtered beyond recognition, Jonathan is wonderfully, refreshingly real.Our family's story with the Roob family began more than six decades ago, when my mom discovered Walter Roob Photography. She wanted beautiful portraits of my brother, Michael—a little boy with special needs whose light shined in ways the world didn't always recognize.Michael didn't walk like other children. He didn't talk like other children. He couldn't see like other children. He understood the world differently than other children.But Walter never saw limitations.He saw Michael.With endless patience, extraordinary kindness, and a heart that believed every person deserved to have their story beautifully told, Walter captured not just photographs—he captured the pure love, joy, and goodness that lived within my brother. Those images became treasures our family will cherish forever.Over the years, Walter photographed not only Michael but me as well. When I was 17 and Michael was 24, I secretly arranged for Walter to photograph the two of us as a surprise gift for our parents' 25th wedding anniversary. It was a gift far beyond my teenage budget, but Walter graciously allowed me to make payments.Those payment visits to the little studio on 27th Street introduced me to Jonathan.Every time I walked through the door, there he was—bright-eyed, cheerful, and welcoming, as though he'd been expecting me all along. He had a way of making people feel seen, important, and completely at ease. Even then, it was easy to tell that kindness ran in the family.As the years danced by, Jonathan stepped behind the camera for our own family portraits. And just like his father, he possessed a remarkable gift.Jonathan doesn't simply take pictures.He discovers people.Photographing Michael has never been easy. Ask him to open his eyes, and he'll close them. Ask him to smile, and you might get the most spectacular grimace you've ever seen.But Jonathan never rushed him.He never expected Michael to fit into the photograph.Instead, he shaped the photograph around Michael.He understood Michael's physical needs, patiently adjusted every pose, celebrated every tiny success, and somehow managed to capture the very essence of who my brother is. It's as if Jonathan can find a masterpiece where everyone else sees only a muddy puddle. He has an extraordinary ability to uncover beauty that others might miss.I could fill pages with stories about Jonathan's Portraits and the incredible family behind it—Jonathan, his wonderful wife Wendy, and their amazing daughters, Brittany and Ashley. They are more than photographers. Somewhere along the way, they became dear friends, and our lives are richer because of them.If your family includes someone with physical challenges, cognitive challenges, or both, I cannot imagine a more compassionate place to entrust with your memories. Jonathan's Portraits is warm, welcoming, endlessly patient, and deeply genuine. They don't simply create photographs.They preserve love.And years from now, when the moments have become memories and the memories have become priceless, you'll be grateful that someone with such a kind heart was holding the camera.

2026-07-17T02:06:26.282Z

Thank You for Capturing Our Family's StoryI wanted to share how grateful our family is for the experience you provided. Having a child with special needs can make traditional family photos challenging, and when I first called, I explained that our family is not traditional—we could not simply sit and all look at the camera.I needed someone who may not fully understand our situation but was willing to work with us and see the beauty in our family. I honestly never thought we would receive photos that we could truly cherish.Boy, was I wrong. You captured our family dynamic perfectly and gave us the opportunity to create memories that reflect who we really are. The images you created are priceless, and they are something our family will treasure for years to come.Thank you for your patience, kindness, and willingness to work with us. Your talent gave us more than photographs—you gave us lasting memories.

2026-07-14T14:34:51.435Z

Thank you Jonathan’s Portraits!The team at Jonathan’s Portraits worked together to create lasting memories of my exceptional needs daughter’s high school years. John was kind, respectful and patient with my daughter. His use of humor turned this into a great fun experience for her. John took the time to include her service dog and two other family dogs in her photos. He asked about her interests and school activities so those were included in the photo shoot.The team at Johnathan’s worked with me to create lasting memories of my precious daughter’s high school days in the final product. The photos that include our family and animals are such wonderful memories for our family.Thank you to the team at Jonathan’s Portraits!

2026-05-17T11:50:09.031Z

We cannot say enough about Jonathan's portraits! We first fell in love with Jonathan, and by We I mean the groom, at a wedding show. His energy was exactly what my husband was looking for to bring to our wedding day and pictures. We also fell in love with the whole family and their incredible work! After meeting them several times, it felt like fate to hire them as our wedding photographers.Their energy and professionalism did not disappoint day of. Groomsman, bridesmaids, and guests all commented on how amazing and fun the photographer was.We used our engagement photos as a guest book and are very excited to see how our wedding photos turn out.Thank you for the time and attention to detail you provided for us!Justin and Kaitlyn

2026-04-20T18:54:36.665Z

Jonathan's Portraits did both our family photos and my stepdaughter's senior portraits almost 2 years ago, and we had a fantabulous experience! They actually made my stepdaughter feel confident - she was incredibly nervous about photos, and they captured all of our absolute best moments throughout the session. We now have an amazing non-traditional family photo that shows our family sharing real smiles and laughs mounted above our fireplace. Thanks so much to Jonathan's Portraits for a great experience!

2026-04-15T15:39:14.772Z

You have no idea what you’re missing not working with these photographers, if you have a dream, or even a sliver of an idea of what you want your wedding photos, or special event to reflect, do yourself a favor for years to come, and book with them.I will cherish the photos from my wedding the rest of my life, they capture your beauty, personality and the finer elements every photographer dreams of capturing. I’m speechless and unbelievably happy.

2026-04-14T20:30:55.828Z

From begining to the end we made a family friendI decided to use JP after speaking with Jonathan on the phone. He is genuine, kind and patient. Jonathan knew exactly want I wanted and did not want in my photographs. He asked many questions to make sure but his intuition was spot on and didnt really need them. It was peanut butter and jelly. Im very very picky about photos. Enjoyed the phone conversation better than when I met him at the fair and he was pretty professional funny and impressive at state fair.I booked him for my daughter's senior photos. Him and his daughter were amazing in handling the detours to the plans due to the flooding that happened back in September I believe it was. We decided to to an outdoor shoot and use some of the flooded areas. Love the creativity. They both made my daughter feel special and giddy enough for big smiles during her shoot. I hadn't seen some of her expressions Britney pulled out in years.I did love watching them work together as a team. Again, peanut butter and Jelly. Finishing each others sentences, bouncing ideas etc.When it came time to attend the appointment to select our photos it was lots of fun. Our Suggestions were considered with theirs to create a beautiful photo book. No pushing and very knowledgeable. To handle two different personalities in the room was impressive to me as me and my daughter are pilat opposites. The appointment did not run over time.I was given time and gentle reminders to pay for what I purchased. I really loved that.When picking up my photo album it was presented in the most professional way. In addition I was introduced to the new studio. It so astonishing. Every type of photo will be ablr to be taken here. I mean anything you can think of trust me. I appreciate the leaps Britney and the family made for us due to weather. Just good people all around.Thank you so much.#Great parking #cleanspacePlease excuse any gramatical errorsBe blessed chose Jonathans portraits!!

2026-04-07T15:52:42.056Z

I have been going to Jonathan portraits since it was named Roob Photography in the 90's! They photographed my senior pictures and now he had captured the most precious moments of my life as my girls get their senior pictures taken with them. Their energy and talent is beyond expectations every time!!!