Morning Journey in Abita Springs
Some days are made for slowing down and seeing.
See it on Facebook
A life behind the lens
Seeing beyond what’s apparent.
The Albums
Four ways of seeing
Twenty years of travel, live music, faces and wedding days. Open an album and take your time.
His story
Second Ascent
For 42 years, Michael Jon Neff built a career in aerospace, where precision is not a preference and patience is part of the job. That work trained an eye for detail, and a respect for doing a thing right the first time.
Photography has been the constant through all of it. For more than 20 years the lens has gone wherever he has: the streets of the New Orleans that raised him, the hill towns and harbors of Italy, the rim of the Grand Canyon, the front row of the music he loves.
Now the camera has his full attention. Abita Springs mornings, Mandeville lakefront sunsets, the moon, the turn of fall color. The work is not winding down. He is back in the field.
“…to capture images that tell a story as it unfolds.”
Where the lens has been
A map of the work
From Venice canals to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim to the New Orleans streets he grew up on. Choose a place to see what he found there.
Places
- Venice Italy 12 photographs
- Florence Italy 3 photographs
- Rome Italy 6 photographs
- Tuscany Italy 6 photographs
- Siena Italy 2 photographs
- Lake Como Italy 4 photographs
- Capri Italy 1 photograph
- Sicily Italy 5 photographs
- Monaco Côte d’Azur 1 photograph
- Grand Canyon Arizona 6 photographs
- Las Vegas Nevada 3 photographs
- San Francisco California 6 photographs
- Monterey & Big Sur California 3 photographs
- Hearst Castle California 1 photograph
- Kauai Hawaii 4 photographs
- New York New York 9 photographs
- New Orleans Louisiana 8 photographs
- Colorado Garden of the Gods 1 photograph
- Washington, D.C. area Virginia 1 photograph
From the Front Row
Music connoisseur. Front row, camera ready.
Club stages and theater lights, caught at the moment the room lifts.
Journal
Lately, in the field
Recent outings Michael has posted on Facebook. The captions here are short editorial notes written for this site; the posts themselves are on his page.
Mandeville Lakefront at sunset
The last hour of light, when the sky over the water takes its turn.
See it on FacebookFull moon, handheld, on the new iPhone 18 Pro Max
Proof that patience and a steady grip still count.
See it on FacebookSelect black and whites from Italy
Color steps aside and the architecture speaks: light, shadow and stone. These three frames come from the World View album.
Autumn color and the National Memorial Arch, Valley Forge
A place built for remembering, wearing the season well.
See it on FacebookPrint Shop
The Founding Edition
Twelve numbered prints to begin the collection, from canyon rims and Italian shores to one pianist under the lights. Each is printed on archival fine-art paper in an edition of 50.
Preview pricing. Prices are shown for preview only; checkout opens at launch.
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No. 01
Last Light, South Rim
Grand Canyon, Arizona
The canyon goes quiet while the sky does all the talking.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 02
The Faraglioni
Capri, Italy
Limestone sentinels, one white wake, and water bluer than memory.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 03
Villa Shore
Lake Como, Italy
A twisted marble column frames a lakeside villa under the Alps.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 04
Gondolas at Rest
Venice, Italy
Moored gondolas wait while San Giorgio Maggiore keeps watch across the lagoon.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 05
Tuscan Evening
Tuscany, Italy
Vines, olive groves and cypress as the sun settles behind the hills.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 06
Wind Writing
Sand dunes
The wind writes in ripples, then rewrites every line by morning.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 07
Golden Gate After Dark
San Francisco, California
The bridge glows rust-red against a deep blue night.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 08
Lily Pond
Water garden
Pink blooms open over still water, each one a small sunrise.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 09
Mansard and Cupola
New Orleans, Louisiana
Scalloped dormers, slate and a cupola crown the Cabildo, cut sharp against a dark sky.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 10
Jackson Square in Silver
New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Louis Cathedral and the bronze horseman, quiet in black and white.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 11
Stone and Vine
Tuscany, Italy
Stone farmhouses and young vines above a patchwork of fields rolling out to the far hills.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
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No. 12
Nocturne in Blue
Live, on stage
A lone pianist, a fan of light, and the hush before the first note.
Edition of 50 · archival fine-art paper
$45 Preview pricing
Book Michael
Let’s make something worth keeping
Every session starts with a conversation about your ideas, your style and what you hope to remember.
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Portrait Sessions
Relaxed, unhurried portraits for individuals, couples and families, in good light and a place that means something to you.
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Live Music & Performance
Front-row coverage for artists, bands, venues and stage productions, with an ear for the music and an eye for the moment.
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Events & Bridals
Weddings, bridals and celebrations, documented discreetly so the day can unfold on its own, with Susan assisting at his side.
About
Meet Michael Jon
Photographer, adventurer, space hipster, watch guy, music connoisseur and occasional Cajun cowboy.
Michael Jon Neff was raised in New Orleans, the most European city in America, and the place shaped his style early. For more than 20 years he has been developing a photographer’s eye, bringing a well-traveled feel for art and architecture to the people, cultures and places he documents.
His style is photojournalistic, balanced with a respect for tradition. He aims to capture images that tell a story as it unfolds, and to do it quietly, without getting in the way. He looks beyond what’s apparent for the gestures and glances that pass between family, friends and couples.
He works openly with every client. He talks through ideas, styles and expectations, then shapes his approach so the session stays relaxed and the photographs feel true. At weddings, his wife Susan works alongside him as his assistant.