Jonathan Adams has a secret.
While his pictures and portraits of all things Kansas have garnered him plenty of acclaim, the Iolan notes when it comes to photography, hes still well below what one would describe as an expert.
Ive always had above average interest in it, but Im far below the enthusiast level, Adams said.
Hes never taken a photography class. Never learned the ins and outs of how to use a camera or even taken a class on how to compose a photo.
Anybody whos taken a photography class in high school knows more than I do, he said, probably still today.
But what is unrivaled is Adamss keen eye for detail, to find beauty in the mundane, and his passion to share what he knows about the Sunflower State.
His work garnered Adams a Kansas Finest Award recently by Kansas! Magazine, as one of five 2019 honorees.
Kansas! Magazine features interesting and sometimes little-known aspects about the state. The short articles rely heavily on photographs.
Adams does much the same, whether its exploring an array of frost flowers situated along the Lehigh Portland Trails south of Iola, or finding a unique rock formation tucked away in the Flint Hills..
Exposing people to hidden treasures is a joy of mine and a mission, Adams said, noting Kansans Iolans, too have what he described as the occasional inferiority complex.
I want to help change peoples perceptions of their very own backyards, he said, and hopefully inspire people to get out and explore and enjoy. We have something special to offer the world. To be from Kansas is something to be proud of.
A lightning storm illuminates the Neosho River west of Iola during a thunderstorm earlier this year. PHOTO BY JONATHAN ADAMS
WHILE hes a relative newcomer to the world of photography, Adams credits his curiosity about hidden landmarks to his late father, where a drive to a neighboring community often involved taking the back roads the scenic routes.
He was an explorer, an adventurous guy, Adams said. My mother is, too, And she helped me have a very adventurous childhood. But she didnt always take the scenic route. My father was the one who would drive around aimlessly, finding cool stuff I had no idea existed.
Adams grew up in Newton, eventually migrating to Kansas City, where he worked as a carpenter. He is married to Iola native Dawny Barnhart, who graduated from Iola High. The couple moved to Iola about three years ago. She is a psychiatrist with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.
The couple moved to a house on North Kentucky Street, which they inherited from Dawnys great-aunt, Lenora Osborn.
