Janice Nelson | Photographer

I grew up on a small farm in northern Michigan and moved to Ann Arbor in 1989. My love of animals was filled to the brim as a child with cows, chickens, pigs, a horse and of course there was always a dog and a cat to play with. Even now I have two cats and an Australian Cattle Dog mix to top off our family. In my spare time, I really enjoy cooking and baking and teaching our dog new tricks.  But best of all, is a day that I can take a drive with a friend to just photograph.

Since I was in my late teens I’ve worked for many non-profits, from homeless shelters to food banks. I was blessed to have hundreds of volunteers work with me, train and work in disaster relief, sell travel, be a nanny, work with kids in special education, work in retail (short lived, so not for me) and work for our beloved Glenn Edward “Bo” Schembechler back in the day! Well, not directly, but he did sign my checks! I have an amazing husband Eric, an outstanding son Zachary and a wonderful extended family, including my brilliant little niece!  My parents are now gone, so friends and family mean everything to me.

Services  Z.E.N. Photography Lifestyles has a focus on animals, kids, sports, travel and nature. Services include photography sessions and creating specialized photo books, such as baby, kids, garden, heritage and lifestyle books, along with unique note cards and a variety of other options.

Specialized Services  Have an old wedding or family photo album laying around, that you never take out of the closet? Do you wish you had a photo album that used those photos to describe your family’s unique heritage? We take all of your old photos and create a new, beautiful book out of them, allowing you to renew and update your precious memories and display them proudly. With your help, we can also add the story behind the photos to any book. This is great with Heritage albums. Think of it as your ancestry coming to life in a beautiful book.

I have always carried around a camera, even as a kid. I love walking and photographing nature and our beautiful Michigan landscapes.  I adore watching little ones explore their world around them. I am the visionary with a Nikon and I love capturing lifestyles of YOUR LIFE and YOUR WORLD.