There is a particular kind of photograph that stops you in your tracks. Not because it is

technically perfect, but because there is something genuine about it. That is what Monica Jones

has focused on for more than a decade, and it is what she brings to every session through her

Aledo-based business, MoJo's Photos.

Monica did not come to photography through a traditional path. She studied theatre at St.

Edward's University with an emphasis in acting, spending years learning how to read emotion,

work with light, and help people find their most authentic selves in front of an audience. That

foundation translated perfectly behind the lens. When her husband gifted her a camera at

Christmas 15 years ago, something clicked. What started as real estate photography gradually

evolved into a full-time portrait business serving families throughout Aledo, Fort Worth, and the

surrounding communities.

Monica and her family have called Aledo home since 2018, and her connection to this

community is more than a business address. She is involved in local schools and has enjoyed

getting to know families throughout the community and watching them grow over the years. As a

mom of two daughters herself, one navigating middle school and one enjoying her final year of

elementary, she understands all too well how fast these chapters close.

"I've had the privilege of photographing families when their children were little and then seeing

those same kids come back for senior portraits years later," she says. "Those relationships are

one of my favorite parts of what I do."

That perspective shapes how Monica approaches her work. Monica's theatre background helps

her bring out each person's personality, whether she is working with a fidgety 5-year-old, a

self-conscious teenager, or a professional who has never felt comfortable in front of a camera.

She describes herself as "just weird and goofy enough to help people out of their shells," and

her clients clearly agree. The experience is designed to feel relaxed and genuine rather than

stiff or transactional, because Monica believes the best portrait is one where the subject can

enjoy the moment.

Her services today reflect both her range and her focus. She specializes in high school and

college senior portraits, personal and team branding, and professional headshots, while also

continuing the fine-art portraiture and family and children's photography that built her reputation.

She even maintains a curated collection of couture children's gowns in her client closet for

sessions that call for something a little more special. Whatever the context, her north star

remains the same: create images that earn a place on the wall, rather than getting lost on a

phone.

That philosophy extends to the advice she offers families in this community. Print your

photographs. Frame them. Put them somewhere your children will see them every day. We live

in an era of more images than any generation before us, and yet most of them never leave our

screens. Monica sees it as part of her mission to change that, one beautifully finished portrait at

a time.

For neighbors in the Parks of Aledo who are ready to document this season of family life,

MoJo's Photos is a natural fit. Monica is not just a skilled photographer; she is a neighbor who

genuinely cares about the people she photographs and the community they share.