About Jack

4th generation Jupiter native. Obsessed with light since day one.

Jack Bates — wedding photographer, Jupiter FL

The Eye Behind
the Lens

I was supposed to be a naturopathic doctor.

Went to school for nutrition. Had the whole path mapped out. But somewhere between textbooks and clinical rotations, I kept sneaking off to chase sunsets with my camera. Every single time.

Let me back up.

I'm a 4th generation Palm Beach County native. My great grandfather was the first chief of police of Tequesta back when it was all just dirt roads and mosquitoes. My grandmother became the main tour guide at the Jupiter Lighthouse. I grew up climbing those 105 steps, watching the light sweep across the water, feeling like I was standing at the edge of the world.

There have always been artists in my family. Creatives. People who saw things a little differently. The camera just became my version of that.

"I wasn't just taking pictures of sunsets. I was trying to decode them."

For years I was that kid completely obsessed with light. Golden hour. Storm clouds rolling in over the inlet. The way the sky turns electric right before it fades to black. I would research everything. Study the angles. Learn why certain compositions felt right and others felt off.

That obsession taught me patience. Taught me timing. Taught me how to wait for the moment instead of just firing away at everything.

Then my uncle asked me to shoot his wedding.

I remember standing there with my camera thinking this is exactly the same thing. The light. The timing. The pressure of a fleeting moment you cannot get back. Except now there were people I loved in the frame. And it actually mattered.

When I delivered the photos, something clicked. Not just for me but for everyone who saw them. People started reaching out asking if I could shoot their weddings too.

That was over a decade ago. I never did become a doctor.

Now I bring something a little different to every wedding. I'm the photographer running full speed with a gimbal chasing a bride across the dance floor. Climbing trees for the angle nobody else would think to get. If the moment is moving, I'm moving with it.

The Three Whys

Not the polished answer. Not the one I put on my website. The real one.

Legacy

“These aren't content for Instagram that disappears in 24 hours. This is what someone pulls out of a box fifty years from now and says 'this is where it all started.'”

Your kids and grandkids will flip through these photos. They'll ask about the venue, the dress, the people in the background laughing. That weight sits with me every time I pick up the camera.

Refusal to Settle

“9 times out of 10, the iconic shot comes AFTER most people would have stopped.”

Most photographers get a few good frames and move on. I keep pushing, keep looking, keep chasing that thing I can feel but haven't captured yet. It's not talent. Plenty of people have talent. It's the refusal to settle for good when great is still out there.

Mastery

“I see patterns, compositions, the golden ratio. Photography for me is where math meets art.”

After over a decade of obsessing over light, composition, and timing, after hundreds of weddings and thousands of hours of editing, this is what happens when you commit to something fully and refuse to quit.

What You Actually Get

This isn't a vendor relationship. This is a partnership built on trust, energy, and an obsessive pursuit of the perfect frame.

Unmatched Energy

I run full speed with a gimbal. I climb trees for the angle nobody else would think to get. I ride a OneWheel through the venue to keep up with the energy of your day. Guests always joke, "Who IS this guy? That's just the photographer?"

Same Night Delivery

While other couples wait weeks or months wondering if their photos turned out, you'll be reliving your wedding day before you even leave the reception. A curated gallery, delivered that night.

10 to 12 Hour Coverage

From first light to last dance. I don't leave early. I don't rush. Every quiet moment before the ceremony, every wild dance floor eruption, every sneaky getaway shot is captured because I'm there for the whole story.

Personal Timeline Consultation

Six months before your wedding, we sit down and build your day together. Where the light will be at every hour. Which moments need breathing room. Your day, designed around the perfect frame.

“Growing up at the lighthouse, I watched that beam sweep across the water every night. Steady. Reliable. Always pointing the way home. That's what I want my work to be for people. A fixed point. Something they can always come back to and remember exactly how that day felt.”

The lighthouse taught me that the most powerful things are the ones that endure.

Beyond the Camera

Jupiter Native

Grew up climbing the 105 steps of the Jupiter Lighthouse. This town is in my blood. Four generations deep.

Both Brains

Left brain AND right brain. Math came easy because I see patterns instantly. Photography is where equations meet emotions.

"Who IS This Guy?"

The most common thing guests say at weddings. Running with a gimbal, climbing furniture, bringing energy nobody expects from the photographer.

Family Man

Husband and dad. Everything I do is for my girls. Understanding what family means is exactly why I'm trusted to photograph the start of yours.

Let's Create Something
Timeless Together

Every great love story deserves someone behind the lens who refuses to settle. If that sounds like what you're looking for, let's talk.