Meet the Artist
JONATHAN KNIGHT
Quiet Landscapes
Jonathan Knight is an internationally-recognized and awarded lens-based artist whose work explores the quiet tension between presence and absence, memory and place. Rooted in a background that spans photojournalism and design, his images are known for their minimalist language—long exposures, elemental forms, and a deliberate stillness that invites reflection, called “stunningly spare and surreal.”*
Based in Denver, Knight creates photographs that move beyond documentation, instead evoking what it feels like to inhabit a landscape. Water, stone, horizon, structure, and light are distilled into their most essential forms, revealing subtle tonal shifts and textures that emerge only through time and patience.
His path to photography was not linear. Before fully committing to his artistic practice, Knight spent years working in landscape architecture and urban planning at leading international design firms. While shaping environments for others, he became increasingly aware of a growing internal dissonance—one that intensified during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Photography, once a parallel pursuit, became a necessary return: a way to slow down, to process, and to reconnect with a sense of meaning that had been obscured.
This period marked a turning point. What began as a personal act of grounding evolved into a body of work centered on mental clarity, emotional presence, and stillness. Today, his photographs reflect that journey—spaces that feel both expansive and intimate, where silence becomes an active element and viewers are invited to project their own experiences.
Knight’s work is often described as contemplative, calming, and deeply human. Influenced by his training in spatial design, his compositions carry a sensitivity to sequence, proportion, and the relationship between human intention and the natural world.
His photographs have been exhibited internationally, featured in leading art and photography publications, and held in major private and corporate collections. He has received over two dozen international awards, including recently named “Photographer of the Year” in an international photography competition.
Recent Press
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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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![Cover of a book titled "Elements" featuring a minimalist landscape photograph of a volcanic mountain surrounded by water and a clear sky.]()
Elements Magazine
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Studio Como
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![Logo for minimalism and photography with the words 'Peace, Love and Photography'.]()
Minimalism Magazine
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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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![A black and white photo of distant mountain peaks viewed over smooth sand dunes in a desert landscape.]()
Voyage Denver
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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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![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.
PLACEMENTS & REPRESENTATION
2026
2021
SELECTED COMMISSIONS & LICENSING
2026
Global licensing agreement — Unlisted Dunes photograph
Exclusive worldwide license with a leading international technology company
SELECTED JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2024
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
Chania International Photo Festival, Blank Wall Gallery (Chania, Greece)
“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)
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)
SELECTED AWARDS
2026
Black and White Spider Awards Nominee
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
2010
Fred Wrightman Award for Excellence in Photojournalism Kansas State University
