JoJo's earliest memory of using a camera was at age 11 during a school study trip in Yosemite National Park. While taking snapshots throughout Yosemite Valley, he was absolutely overwhelmed by a place of such wonder. After returning home from the trip and seeing his photographs, he realized that experiencing Yosemite had changed the way he looked at the world.

As a junior in high school, JoJo enrolled in a beginning photography class. He was a quick learner and had a natural enthusiasm for photography, and because of this he was offered the position of yearbook photographer for the following year. He happily accepted the offer, and while shooting for the yearbook, JoJo learned still more about the craft of photography, and his camera never left his side.

Years later, after attending college and working a variety of odd jobs, JoJo made a life-changing decision. He wanted his life's work to be something he absolutely loved, so he chose to pursue a career as a fine art photographer. This sparked an independent study into the highly aesthetic and technical aspects of art and photography. His main objective in the study was to determine how to communicate the Light he saw in the world through the photographs he created. After learning key elements of composition by studying the great masters of art, and mastering technical proficiency through extensive fieldwork with his camera, JoJo became an insightful communicator.

All of JoJo's studies continue and are precisely revealed in his compositions. His photographs convey the surreal beauty of our world in a stunningly unique way. Through time exposures, in which he leaves the shutter of his camera open for sometimes hours on end, he allows his film to slowly record the Light of each scene.

JoJo Shaiken was born in Walnut Creek, California, in July of 1975. Shortly thereafter, he moved with his family to the small coastal town of Los Osos, California, where he continues to reside.