03 Jun 2026 Artist of the Month: Jaison Sterling
By Mark Oliver
When Jaison Sterling steps behind the camera, something electric happens. Smoke swirls. Gels ignite the air with color. Athletes leap, sprint or shatter breakaway glass in a burst of motion that feels more like a movie scene than a photo shoot. For Sterling, co-founder of Rock Town Media and Sterling Imageworks Photography, the goal is never just to take a picture. It’s to create a moment that athletes and their families will treasure long after the season ends.
That philosophy has made him one of the most innovative sports photographers in Arkansas and beyond. It has also earned him a national spotlight, a thriving educational platform and a devoted following of athletes, families and fellow creatives.
Sterling’s journey to this moment began in a much simpler place: a college yearbook office at the University of Central Arkansas. He was a digital film major at UCA when he met his future wife, Callie, a broadcast journalism student. The yearbook staff was short-handed and needed photographers, so she asked him to help. What began as campus event coverage quickly grew into something bigger.
“We ended up making Sterling Imageworks LLC while still in college,” he said. “We photographed events on campus, then family pictures, then weddings.”
Sports photography entered the picture soon after, when a friend who coached at North Little Rock High School gave him a chance to experiment with their team’s media day. Sterling pitched ideas that were, at the time, far outside the norms of high school athletics photography.
has grown into a thriving business built on creativity, teamwork and community support.
“One of the first shoots we did, we threw baby powder behind the athlete instead of smoke,” he recalls. “We used speed lights I normally used for weddings. We shot at an elementary school while the high school was being renovated. That started everything.”
From the moment Sterling’s photos hit the scene, coaches noticed. Players noticed. Families noticed. What they saw was a style unlike anything else in Arkansas: dramatic lighting, bold color, dynamic movement and practical effects that felt more cinematic than traditional.
Shaped by his filmmaking background and a commitment to capturing as much as possible in camera, not in post-production, Sterling’s work quickly became the standard.
“The reactions are awesome and genuine,” he said. “I show the athletes the back of the camera, and they get so excited. Every smile and jaw-dropping expression reminds me why I picked up a camera to begin with.”
To Sterling, innovation isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about access.
“I wanted to give high school, middle school and Little League athletes the kind of media-day experience that big Division I schools get,” he explained. “They deserve images they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”
In 2021, Callie suggested he start a TikTok account to show the behind-the-scenes footage of his photo shoots. He resisted at first, but when the third video he posted hit more than 300,000 views, he knew she was on to something.
“It hooked me on social media content,” he said. “Now I record everything I do during shoots. The reactions are part of the experience.”
The viral momentum led to something unexpected: hundreds of photographers messaging him with questions. Why this light? Why this angle? What settings? While other photographers may be reluctant to share industry secrets, Sterling realized he had the potential to become not just a creator, but an educator. Once he embraced that role, the next step came naturally. He launched online tutorials, posing guides, presets and eventually a Patreon [photography class] with tiered learning options. Workshops followed, with photographers traveling from across the United States and as far as Canada, Mexico and Germany to learn from him.
“It didn’t matter where I was doing the workshops,” he said. “People would come to me.”
That demand led to the creation of Rock Town Studio in North Little Rock, a dedicated space designed for teaching and creative experimentation.
“I remember where I started and all the learning curves that came along with the process,” Sterling said. “From teaching other photographers where to place their lights or how to position their athletes and seeing that lightbulb turn on for them, I have really enjoyed helping other photographers make their businesses more successful.”
Then came the message that changed everything.
“I got a message on Instagram from ESPN,” Sterling said. “I thought it was spam. My hand was shaking.”
It wasn’t spam; it was real. ESPN wanted him to photograph the Women’s Final Four media day, bringing his signature smoke, gels and off-camera lighting to the biggest stage in college basketball, where he photographed superstars like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
Following a 13-hour drive to Cleveland, Ohio, and the opportunity of a lifetime, ESPN hired him again the next year.
The second Final Four shoot came together at lightning speed. The Sterlings packed their truck and drove through the night to Tampa, Fla. After the shoot, they had to turn around immediately to make it back to Arkansas for another job.
“Callie drove until around midnight so I could edit and get the images to ESPN,” he said. “She was the real MVP that trip.”
It’s a story that captures not just Sterling’s dedication, but the partnership at the core of his success. Never satisfied with the status quo, Sterling’s creativity is relentless. He’s used everything from lasers and sparks to Hollywood-grade breakaway glass, an idea he got from watching a Western.
“I saw someone break a glass over someone’s head and started researching what Hollywood uses,” he said. “I bought a couple hundred dollars’ worth just to try to get a cool photo.”
While Sterling’s work is visually explosive, the heart of his mission is deeply personal.
“I remember my own school photos,” he said. “Stand here, look at the camera, smile, next. Today’s athletes deserve more and I love creating genuine reactions from clients. Knowing they love the image and get to see the process in real time makes the entire experience really special for them.”
Today, Sterling balances two businesses, a booming social media presence and a growing educational platform. He and Callie are even considering starting a podcast and franchising Rock Town Media. The couple recently hired a part-time employee to help with editing and content, which he describes as a full-time job in itself.
Whatever comes next, one thing is clear: Sterling isn’t done innovating.
In a field where repetition is easy and tradition runs deep, he has carved out something entirely his own. From creating unforgettable images to teaching others and pushing the boundaries of what sports photography can be and who it can be for, he has built a community of learners, inspired thousands and given young athletes the chance to feel like stars.
Most importantly, he has captured moments that matter. And that is what makes him a true Man of the Moment.
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