Who better to start us off than El Presidente? – Member Spotlight Article, Jackson Koontz

After promises of running horses, David and I (Jemma) got on the road to Ocala to interview Jackson Koontz, el Presidente de PPNCF. Can you tell I’m about to leave for Meh-hee-co? Anyway, I couldn’t hide my disappointment when there were absolutely no equestrian creatures to be seen on Jackson’s property. Luckily for me, there were at least three rabbits on watch at the front entrance. We just made it past the guard bunnies and knocked at the side entrance. Welcoming as usual, Jackson waved us into his cozy home office. With such a display of protection, I couldn’t help but ask about his plans for the PPNCF presidential security detail. “I carry a gun with me at all times,”he laughed. “I believe in the second amendment.” On other presidential matters, he was equally nonchalant. “I officially take no stance on global warming because it is non-existent.”

What motivates Action Jackson, inspires him, makes him tick? “I don’t think I have any particular person or inspiration, because life is life. I guess I just really kind of followed myself,” Jackson took us through his journey into the photography business. During college, when he wasn’t cheerleading he was working for the school paper and yearbook. “I became the photography editor; the other guy was screwing up so they fired him and hired me.” Jackson followed this as a photographer with a company specializing in sports photography before moving to Ocala and eventually starting his own business in 1997. Jackson owns Action Jackson Productions based in Ocala, FL. Starting off with sports events and dinner theaters; Jackson evolved his business to include photography, video, sound, lighting, staging, and producing. Now he’s focused on photography, video, and DJ sound work for weddings. That doesn’t keep him from branching out. Action Jackson Productions has a boxing event this March. Jackson’s plans for the business 2010 include short and long term goals. “My big expansion plan. Get out of the home office and get into a bigger spot. That’s short term. And a long term plan of which details I cannot divulge.” Jackson’s expansion plan includes doing a lot more networking, advertising and marketing than he used to. “Decisions you make [in the beginning] aren’t always the best for the future. This is what I do now full time, I don’t have any other job.” Jackson counts developing new ideas and making them known as a valuable tidbit he could have used as a newbie photographer.

Jackson’s plans for PPNCF have the newbie and oldie photographer in mind. Following Krystal, I wondered aloud how Jackson planned to bring the same amount of Klass to the presidency. “Klass is out!” he laughs. “Let’s take what we learned and now build up our membership both for economic reasons, because we’re such a rural group, our membership isn’t where it potentially can be. There is a whole string of new photographers out there. Whether they’ll still be here next year, I don’t know. It seems easy to become a photographer but not so much a professional. The general public does not know the difference; they just look at the price. We want to educate people. It helps when we start bringing the photographers into the fold and teaching them about the trade of photography. It’s a lot more than just buying a twelve mega pixel camera and taking pictures on the weekend. It’s about keeping it legal. We’ve also talked about increasing the number of workshops, inviting people from other guilds, and even just other photographers and bringing them in and all of us learning from each other.”

As the conversation steered away from photography and his new role in PPNCF, Jackson’s youngest son, Ashton burst through the door connecting the office to the house clutching a small toy dinosaur. “Daddy, can I have some gum pleeeaase?” he whispers, hugging Jackson tightly. As Ashton receives his instructions and heads back inside to await his chewy reward, Jackson shares that he and his wife Mary have four children, Jesse 16, Kathleen 14, Jacob 11, and Ashton 4. “Some of them will play it up for the camera. Sometimes they’ll turn their face. They are avid cell phone picture takers.”

Obliging a trip down memory lane, Jackson recalled his earliest childhood memory of photography at five years old. “I remember lining up a bunch of my cars together… and I lined them up in such a way that when I took the picture I had a panoramic. I have them in an album somewhere.” Jackson glances around then shrugs,“I guess you could say that I’ve always been able to pick up a camera & just get something out of it.” Asked if he has something he’d like to try on a shoot but is afraid to ask, he reflected, “Often there are not too many thoughts that I have that we don’t try to do. I’ve done a bikini model calendar type thing for a group of strippers. In order for them to sell it, it could only go as far as bikini. It was interesting to work with a group of girls who are used to working in a strip club scene. It was interesting getting to know them.”

Other than photography equipment and computers, Jackson’s office housed a desk for his wife, some toys, and a guitar case with a few stickers from Christian bands affixed. Yep, he plays. He’s played at church but his favorite gigs were open mic night at the bar. What he plays; “Elvis, the Monkeys, and I just kind of hopscotch around. REM, songs I’ve played that I can’t remember who the singer is.” With a background in youth ministry and achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, Jackson values mission work and volunteerism. He has been to Jamaica to rebuild a church and for his Eagle Scout project spruced up his local church with new paint, flower beds, and mad organization skills. On an average day, you can find him at home, watching the news, working, and hanging out with his family. Oh yeah, and he’s also into Star Trek. “You can pretty much ask me anything.”

Thanks to Jackson for hosting us and letting me jump on his trampoline for parts of the interview, especially the cheerleading parts. Oh and the part where I got to jump on the trampoline with Ashton. Oh and for sparing us from the bunny sentinels. Next time I’m in Ocala though, I better see some horses!