OUR STORY
When we moved from the North to the South we learned very quickly what a change in latitude really means. Life is slower in the South and the world doesn’t revolve around what needs to be done. As we were building our new home studio I overheard one of the carpenters warn the other that here comes “Jump Yankee” with his clipboard. I had acquired a new nickname. I asked Bill, the carpenter, why they called me Jump Yankee and this is the story he told me:

“A man is standing on a bridge threatening to commit suicide. The psychologist is trying her best to talk the man out of jumping and to convince him that he has a reason to live. After hours of negotiating she says that at least he should show some respect for the Robert E. Lee Bridge. The man asks, “Who is Robert E. Lee?” The psychologist replies, ‘JUMP YANKEE!"

The disagreements we had during the remaining construction were always followed by Bill smiling as he would say, “Jump Yankee.” So, welcome to JUMP YANKEE STUDIO! And in case you were wondering, our logo is a rendering of the real Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge in Richmond, Virginia.

Ken Van Dyne
Ken Van Dyne is now a sole proprietor living in Norris, Tennessee. For eighteen years he operated the Van Dyne Studio in Columbus, Ohio. The studio specialized in commercial advertising photography .The work included architecture, corporate portraiture, CD covers, fashion catalogues, magazine covers, medical surgical, product brochures, etc. for companies such as Apple, AT&T, Columbus Monthly, GM, Hawaiian Punch, Krylon Paints, NAPA, NASA, Honda of America, Time Warner, VW and many, many more. He also taught photography for The Ohio State University Creative Arts Program.