John A. Carlos II is a freelance photojournalist, portrait, commercial, and wedding photographer in Columbia, SC working with The Post and Courier, The Free Times, and more.

"Thank you for visiting my page hope you will enjoy the photos and stories I tell here." - John A. Carlos II
I'm a photojournalist, living in Columbia, SC. I'm an avid soccer fan aka real football, a lover of BBQ, and a #beer connoisseur. Join me on my photographic ramblings.
Dodged & Burned:
A PhotoBlog by Columbia, SC photojournalist John A. Carlos II
STEM Education Saves Vets
February 19, 2021
On Tuesday, I walked through a crowded hanger at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Hemmed in by AH-1F Cobra helicopters at the Celebrate Freedom Foundation.
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A Month-In-Photos: January 2021
Feb. 16, 2021
Just me taking way too many photos yet again. Here is a selection of some of my best photos taken in January 2021.
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A Year-In-Photos: 2020 - Part 2
January 7, 2021
2020 went by so slowly. In this blog post, you'll see a selection of my best photos taken in 2020. Unlike last year I don't have an Everest size mountain of photos to sort through, instead, I have a San Gabriel size mountain to sort through. Inevitably there are going to be a bunch of photos that didn't make this list that possibly should... Thank you and Enjoy!
I'm sorry that this one is a long one!
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A Year-In-Photos: 2020 - Part 1
January 5, 2021
2020 went by so slowly. In this blog post, you'll see a selection of my best photos taken in 2020. Unlike last year I don't have an Everest size mountain of photos to sort through, instead, I have a San Gabriel size mountain to sort through. Inevitably there are going to be a bunch of photos that didn't make this list that possibly should... Thank you and Enjoy!
I'm sorry that this one is a long one!
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A Month-In-Photos: November 2020
December 30, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in November 2020.
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A Month-In-Photos: October 2020
November 06, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in October 2020. This past month was the best one in 2020, I reached another level in my career I don't like to brag or boast. Last month I got the chance to work for The Associated Press, better known as The AP. I don't check off boxes in my life and I try not to get too high or too low in my ambitions. I continue to move forward and expand upon my photographic education, which I know will never be finished. I don't have a crystal ball, I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if I'll reach all of the lofty goals that I have in life but I inch forward closer and closer each day.
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A Month-In-Photos: September 2020
October 4, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in September 2020. I took a lot of photos from this month.
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A Month-In-Photos: August 2020
September 4, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in August 2020. After a long couple of months in the hellscape that Columbia becomes in the summer, my body finally had enough of the heat and I got a health scare in the way of heat exhaustion. I thought it could be COVID-19, so I got a test and quarantine myself until the test results came in. This year has been terrible and missing a week of work hurts even more than in years past. I was able to make the most of the days that I had left in the month and got to cover a couple of stories at the end of the month.
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A Month-In-Photos: July 2020
September 4, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in July 2020. I really didn't pick up my camera much during the hot miserable month, but I did have a couple of assignments from The Post and Courier and The Free Times.
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A Month-In-Photos: June 2019
July 1, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in June 2020
2020 remains crazy, the protest that started in May continued, as COVID-19 numbers continued to rise across the state and in the rest of the country.
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A Month-In-Photos: May 2020
June 4, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in May 2020. Last month white people were protesting because they could get a hair cut, this month people are protesting over the killing of George Floyd, and police brutality against the black community, continued today in Columbia. I covered the protest for three days. On the first day, I witness the collapse of societal norms. As peaceful protest turn violent, when buildings were vandalized with spray paint and broken windows, unattended Columbia police cruisers were smashed, and then set fire by a crowd that was at its boiling point.
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A Month-In-Photos: April 2020
May 4, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in April 2020. It has been a very slow month for me... not that I'm complaining. Another crazy month even though all of my calendar was canceled because of COVID-19. For the 2nd month, I've been limited to just a few assignments. I hope y'all are doing good and May the 4th be with you!
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A Month-In-Photos: March 2020
April 6, 2020
A selection of some of my best photos taken in March 2020. I considered not even doing a post this month, I was going to just post a picture with the words canceled in bold on a white background. But then I decided to do something, even though I might not get paid to take them.
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more stories
John A. Carlos II specializes in a journalistic style of photography
JAC2 Photo offers photography services in the following fields,
weddings, commercial, portrait, event, and editorial photography.
John's photography has been featured at:
The Free Times, The Post and Courier, The University of South Carolina, Serve & Connect, and more.