MAYPORT VILLAGE, Fla. – We live in such a big, beautiful, photogenic city and that’s one reason we created SnapJAX. It gives us all the perspective of the world around us from other’s eyes.
One of our biggest snappers is Ed Van Voorhis. He posts on SnapJAX daily. We wanted to know the story behind Ed’s photos, so we met up with him at Mayport Village, a spot he visits every day.
Despite the beauty of his photos, Ed said he wouldn’t describe himself as a professional photographer.
“Oh, no, ma’am. No, not at all. I just enjoy it,” Ed said.
Ed has uploaded more than 1,000 images since becoming a News4JAX Insider and his favorite pictures always include water.
“It’s so pretty. I look around and I’m like, I can’t even believe I have this whole thing to myself. There’s nobody around. And that’s usually a good picture,” Ed said.
Ed doesn’t miss a day to immerse himself in nature.
“Pretty day like this, Oh, I’m on my bike riding around,” he said.
But before he started taking pictures, he used just his eyes to capture the memory.
“When I was a kid growing up in Arlington with my folks, this used to be our outing to come out here. So, I guess it stuck with me,” Ed said.
SnapJAX wasn’t the first time Ed shared his photos. He used to bring pictures to his grandparents who were in a nursing home to share his beautiful adventures and word got around.
“Because a lot of folks, they didn’t have family to visit so I’d go around in the rooms and visit them because they never leave, and they didn’t have family to come see them,” Ed said. “So, I showed them the pictures.”
Now we regularly show his pictures on News4JAX -- on air and in our newsletters. Ed is very casual about his newfound celebrity.
“I mean, I just snapped the pictures like y’all been asking and putting it on there,” Ed said.
He didn’t have to do it, but we’re glad he did.
Look for gorgeous nature photos from Ed Van Voorhis on SnapJAX any given day. I know we do.
“I enjoy it, and I wish more people would do it because like I don’t get to go to South Georgia much and there’s a lot up there,” Ed said.
Keep checking for more SnapJAX Stories. The full episodes are located on News4JAX+ or press play below to watch Ed’s story.