Meet the Photographer
JONATHAN KNIGHT
Photographic Artist
Jonathan Knight is an internationally awarded photographic artist known for minimalist, long-exposure images that explore time, memory, and emotional presence. Based in Denver, Colorado, his work invites viewers into quiet, contemplative spaces where landscape and architecture alike become mirrors for human experience.
Knight’s photographs are defined by restraint and intention, often distilled to elemental forms—water, stone, horizon, structure, and light. Through long exposures and natural light, he reveals subtle tonal transitions and textures that emerge only through patience and stillness. Whether photographing an expansive terrain or a constructed space, his approach remains consistent: reduce the image to its essential structure and allow atmosphere to carry meaning.
Central to his practice is an interest in how spaces hold emotion. Rather than documenting spectacle, his work captures the feeling of inhabiting a place. This minimalist sensibility encourages personal interpretation and is often described as calming, contemplative, and grounding.
Before dedicating himself fully to photography, Knight practiced landscape architecture and urban planning at several leading international firms, experiences that continue to inform his sensitivity to spatial sequence, material expression, and the dialogue between human intention and environment. His photographs have been exhibited internationally, featured in leading publications, and are held in public and private collections worldwide. He has received over two dozen international awards for his work.
Press
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![Cover of a book titled "Elements" featuring a minimalist landscape photograph of a volcanic mountain surrounded by water and a clear sky.]()
Elements Magazine (Dec 2025)
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![A black and white photo of distant mountain peaks viewed over smooth sand dunes in a desert landscape.]()
Voyage Denver (Sept 2025)
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![Title slide with text 'Ethereal Waters: Landscapes with feeling' by Amanda Arnold, dated 7.31.2025, with a black and white photograph of a waterfall on the right side.]()
Professional Photographer's Magazine
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![A web page showcasing a black and white photo of a waterfall flowing down a rocky landscape with trees in the background. The page has a beige background with black text, green tags, and a black logo word 'cOllosal' at the top.]()
Colossal Magazine
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![Modern lounge area with a round wooden table, green armchair, white sectional sofa, and black and white artwork on the wall, with a tall lamp to the right.]()
Studio Como
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![Black and white portrait of Jonathan Knight with glasses and a beard, crossing his arms, standing against a plain background, on a webpage introducing him as a landscape photographer.]()
Shoutout Colorado
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![Web page screenshot from VoyageDenver featuring an article titled 'Meet Jonathan Knight of Denver'. The image includes a logo for VoyageDenver on the left and a grayscale landscape of mountains and dunes.]()
Voyage Denver
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![Web page from Szeroki Kadr magazine featuring an article about photographer Jonathan Knight, describing his background and inspiration, with a black left sidebar and main content in Polish on a gray background.]()
Szeroki Kadr / Nikon Poland
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![Logo for minimalism and photography with the words 'Peace, Love and Photography'.]()
Minimalism Magazine
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![A graphic design with a blue circle containing the letters 'D Y' and the word 'Photo' below it in black text.]()
DIYPhotography
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![Logo with a milk bottle icon and the text 'deMIlked']()
deMilked
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![Black and white landscape photograph of sand dunes in front of mountains and dramatic sky, taken at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.]()
Colorado Springs Gazette
Jonathan Knight has won 20+ global awards and been showcased in exhibitions worldwide.
AWARDS
2025
Black and White Spider Awards Nominee
Paris Photo Awards Silver Medal
2024
Tokyo International Photo Awards Honorable Mention
ND Photo Awards Honorable Mention
MonoVisions Photo Awards Third Place
International Photo Awards Official Selection
Monochrome International Photo Awards Honorable Mention
Minimalist Photo Awards Honorable Mention
Paris Photo Awards Silver Medal
London International Creative Competition Official Selection
Black and White Spider Awards Honorable Mention (3)
2023
Minimalist International Photo Awards Photographer of the Year / 1st Place
PX3 Paris International Photo Awards Silver Medal
Black and White Spider Awards Honorable Mention (3)
Budapest International Photo Awards Honorable Mention
ND Photo Awards Honorable Mention
2022
ReFocus Awards Honorable Mention + Nominee
London International Creative Competition Official Selection
Moscow International Photo Awards Bronze Medal
PX3 Paris International Photo Awards Honorable Mention
Black & White Spider Int’l Photo Awards Nominee
Monochrome Awards 6x Honorable Mention
Minimalist Photo International Awards 3x Honorable Mention
ArtLimited International “Black and White 2022” Honorable Mention
2021
ND International Photo Awards First Place / Gold Star Award
Black & White Spider Int’l Photo Awards Honorable Mention + 2x Nominee
Minimalist Photo International Awards 2x Honorable Mention
2017
University Olmsted Scholar* Landscape Architecture Foundation
ARCC King Medal of Honor* Kansas State University
National Fellowship Finalist* Landscape Architecture Foundation
Tau Sigma Delta Bronze Medal* Kansas State University
Robert P. Ealy Award* Kansas State University
*For works at the intersection of photography & urban design
2010
Fred Wrightman Award for Excellence in Photojournalism Kansas State University
JURIED EXHIBITIONS & ART FESTIVALS
2025
La Quinta Art Celebration (La Quinta, CO)
Art in the Pearl (Portland, OR)
Sun Valley Arts & Crafts Festival (Ketchum, ID)
Crested Butte Arts Festival (Crested Butte, CO)
Bellevue Arts Museum Art Fair (Bellevue, WA)
Utah Arts Festival (Salt Lake City, UT)
Old Town Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Denver Art Festival (Denver, CO)
Art on the Square (Belleville, IL)
Tempe Festival of the Arts (Tempe, AZ)
2024
Plaza Art Fair (Kansas City, MO)
Golden Fine Art Festival (Golden, CO)
Park City Kimball Arts Festival (Park City, UT)
Aspen Art Festival (Aspen, CO)
Art on the Rockies (Edwards, CO)
Fine Art Festival (Pagosa Springs, CO)
Artsweek Golden Fine Art Festival (Golden, CO)
Old Town Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Denver Art Festival (Denver, CO)
Abstract National Exhibition (group), Mark Arts (Wichita, KS)
“Banging on the Machine” (group), The Lab on Santa Fe (Denver)
2023
“Banging on the Machine” (group), The Lab on Santa Fe (Denver)
Properties of Water (group), Arts Benicia (California)
Art in Motion (group), Art League Rhode Island
From Ordinary to Extraordinary”(group), Wickford Arts Association (RI)
2022
Crested Butte Arts Festival (Crested Butte, CO)
Aspen Art Festival (Aspen, CO)
Artsweek Golden Fine Art Festival (Golden, CO)
Chania International Photo Festival, Blank Wall Gallery (Chania, Greece)
Vail Arts Festival (Vail, CO)
“Art in the Time of Corona”, DAB Art (Los Angeles, CA)
Unknown Nature of Being, Tubac Center of the Arts (Tubac, AZ)
Natural Habitats, Cabrilla Gallery (Santa Cruz, CA)
Honey Hill Cafe (Denver) (solo)
Denver Art Festival (Denver, CO)
Hotel Teatro (Denver)(solo)
2021
Persevere: Click! Outdoor Exhibition (Group), North Carolina Museum of Art
America’s National Parks (Group), R Gallery (Boulder, CO)
Almost Endless + Feral Grounds (Group), Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art
Grey Matter”(Group), Treat Gallery (Brooklyn, NY)
Chania International Photo Festival, Blank Wall Gallery (Chania, Greece)
