Hwhup The Deans List? The Jason Dean here, bringing an end to the Weekend like it was 2025. That is to say, put out of its misery like a puppy Kristi Noem got for Christmas. And like the Secretary of Homeland Security, I am wildly in over my head as I start 2026 with no guardrails and no plan. Well, that’s not entirely true; I at least have the beginnings of (the start of) a plan.
Anyways. Let’s get into it.
New Logo just dropped!
That’s right folks- if 2026 be the hour when we draw swords together, then I am be rolling up with Andúril to a knife fight (apologies for all the Lord of the Rings references so far. We just finished our annual re-watch of the trilogy and I’m giddier than Bilbo Baggins liking less than half of you half as well as you deserve).
Behold!
My niece designed the logo, but don’t get it twisted- no nepotism here. Julianna is a gifted artist who is creates beautiful work in multiple disciplines. You can (and should!) check out her work here.
I love the color scheme, especially the teal coloring, which was taken from one of my wave photos. How freaking cool! And while I lean heavily into abstract and macro work, being a Michigander is an important part of my identity, hence the presence of Mitten State in all her glory.
Having a logo is just the next step towards being a fully-realized, legitimate professional. It also means possibilities for merchandising. Merchandising? Merchandising.
Guess who’s back (on Facebook)?
If you recall, last year I nuked my decently-sized Facebook page and made the decision to take my ball and go home (AKA start The Deans List on beehiiv.com). Now, less than a year later, I’m…back on Facebook? Who am I, the Prodigal Son?
Not exactly.
I understand that if The Jason Dean Photography is going to succeed, I have to utilize all the tools available to me to grow the market for my work and Facebook is the biggest tool. Scratch that- Facebook is a monolithic presence in the social media landscape. Mark Zuckerberg is the biggest tool. Many people use that platform that aren’t subscribed to The Deans List. Could there be space on their feeds, alongside all the political outrage and AI slop, for unique photography, rapier wit, and a devilishly handsome protagonist? I certainly hope so!
One of the reasons I created The Deans List was because I wanted a way to share new art in my own space. I was frustrated that the images I shared on Facebook did not tangibly benefit me; they just…kept people on Facebook. Now let me be clear- I was able to make some great connections with many of you over there, and I do not take that for granted! But call me crazy- I think I should be compensated for the content I provide.
With that in mind, I won’t be sharing new work there; instead, my goal is to use the page as a conduit to share my work from other platforms while also engaging with my followers. I would love it if you liked my page- it’s a quick and easy way to support me!
New Art in my own space
While Christmas is over, my sharing of Christmas-related images has only just begun. Which doesn’t surprise anyone still dealing with the trauma of me sharing fall images well after all the leaves were fallen and the snow started accumulating (and spoiler alert- I’m not done sharing those images 😁). I apologize for nothing though. If you put a tree in our living room and string it up with lights and a random assortment of geometric shapes, I take pictures of the bastard. That’s my policy.
This image was taken on an early December photo meet-up with Tony. We trekked out to the Black Rocks, hoping to catch a sick sunset. We didn’t- but that’s okay, because we had a fun time and got to take pictures of frosting ice on the Black Rocks, which is the best kind of ice because it, um, looks like frosting.
Last but not least, this is one of the shots that I took on my mid-December trip to Wetmore Landing with Myles. I love the prominent ice ball shapes, clumped together and submerged in the shallow water, waves gently rippling as they slowly find the shore.
2026- the year of Multimedia
This is more of a tease than an announcement; but in 2026, I am venturing into the audio/visual space. Possibly streaming, definitely videos, and the thing I’m most excited to delve into…podcasting.
That’s right, friends. Yours truly is going to dip his toe into the podcast waters since my psychic predicted that podcasts are primed to finally enter the zeitgeist in 2026. You heard it hear first folks, podcasts are my sleeper pick for ‘Things that will unexpectedly be popular in 2026’.
Stay tuned for more info! 😎
New Products
Another tease- I will be adding new products in 2026 on a more structured schedule. Right now, I’m planning to add one new item a month, although I might make it bi-monthly or quarterly. Before I wantonly add something new to my inventory, I want to be able to ensure quality certainly, support local business where I can, and have a variety of products available for purchase without moving too far into novelty if that makes sense.
Thanks for joining me today, friends. I earnestly believe that I’ll be making some waves in 2026 (no pun intended) and if you’re reading this, it means that you’ve decided to venture out to sea on the ‘ol SS The Jason Dean with me. As your captain, it means a lot that you chose this vessel and I can’t wait to see where we’re heading!
See you around,
Jason
