Hey Everyone!

Had a blast at the last kids workshop, nice light, fun people, cool kids!!  So much fun, let's do it again!!  How about.... June 11?!  To register, go here - http://www.jayreillyworkshops.com

Also now offering a limited amount of family shooting - $250 session!  Buy the disc for $150. - email me to set it up!!  jay@jayreilly.com

Hi Everyone,

Always looking for a way to look professional yet not spend a fortune.  I started shipping my images in slim line DVD cases which i have seen online for as little as 19 cents each, when your buy about 100.  I then slide in my 5x7 promo cards.  As I mentioned before I do a variety of style of promo cards for each type of client.  So I just make them on the go as needed.  The promo cards where made at WHCC for smaller quantities or for larger, i have them done at Modern Postcard.  Quick, easy, cheap, and looks professional, I think!

Next to camera equipment, I tend to spend most of my money on books... and always photography books. Anything from the business, the art, the inspiration and instruction on photography. I have been amassing a collection and here are a few recent ones and some old ones I love. Just thought I would share! Pictured below and in the order a bit about them:

The Photo Book, Phaidon - A fantastic collection of any and all photographers that have made serious contributions to the art and evolution of photography. All in alphabetical order, not one more important than the other, but very insightful, inspiring and collective. These are photographs that matter. Anything from art, journalism, fashion, portrait... images that stop you in your tracks and you want to know more. The nice thing is there is some layman insight to the images included that does give you just enough to move on to the next one. But in many cases leaves you wanting to know more about the image and the photographer. At $9.99 from Urban Outfitters, I recommend it!

The Polaroid Book, Tashen - A collection of Polaroids that really makes me regret not shooting my 6x7 Polaroid back for the 10 years I owned it! Just a fantastic collection of art and day to day captures in all its Polaroid wonderful. Inspiring on the creative side, and informative on the history side of the format. This book is offered at a discounted rate celebrating 25 years of Taschen. I also found this one at Urban Outfitters.

Gilles Bensimon Photography, No Particular Order, Filipacchi - My favorite source of inspiration for fashion photography.  Some of the most wonderfully produced portraits and fashion images of some of the most beautiful people. Not a bad combination. But the subjects, fashions, light, color and contrast is timeless and will continue to be a go to book for inspiring images.

Metro, Larry Yust - Probably my favorite book I own. I have a signed first edition of this book and love it. Like the photographer, I feel in love with Paris and the Metro on my first visit. This book is a collection of stitched images of each metro stop and some information of each quarter of the stop. The images are gritty and contrasty and takes me back to Paris each time i look at it!

This will be on ongoing idea for the blog, so if you have a photo book, send it my way, email me for an address, thanks! Jay

Hey Guys - just for fun...was digging up some old film stuff and came across a bunch of really old images, here is the first concert I shot, way back when... Big Head Todd -- wish i knew what this was shot on, but have no idea, and do not have the negatives.  man i love digital! ;-)

Hi Everyone,  I write this from Puerta Vallarta after a few margaritas so please forgive any typos or slurring.  I always look forward to getting the Patagonia catalog for a few reasons.  I love the products, the imagery and design.  This month's is no exception.  Only its better!  Lots of peope in the world of photography are talking about the integration of photography into rich media and video formats.  This month's Patagonia integrates motion film into printed media, which  is very cool.  In 1968, a film entitled Mountains of Storm was shot and produced with featured Yvon Chionard, Patagonia's founder and creator and stills from the film were used in the layout, ina  graphically delight nature.  Plus there is no shortage of fantastic imagery and great products to spend your money on as well.

Did anyone else enjoy it as much as me, or am I just a bigger photo dork than all of you! ;-)

A you tube clip of Mounatains of Storms:

Some shots of the spreads from patagonia:

Met up with Billy Harris to shoot some nose riding at Cardiff this past weekend.  Light was great waves were not too fantastic, but it was fun.  Tested out my pen in the water with a new waterhousing.  Sort of a test session.  Wanted to see how the focus system would work for surfing and video.  Its a work in progress but its fun to play. I learned a bunch. Water was cold. Lots of leopard sharks swimming around me, cool people at cardiff, saw rasta tom.

Looking for local musicians to contribute music for future videos!  email me jay@jayreilly.com

So over the years in the photo world I have met and worked with some of the best photographers in the world.  I had the good fortune of crossing paths with Ian Shive at an Aurora Photos Agency meeting in Maine about 3 years ago.  I do not have to say much about how fantastic Ian is as a photographer, I will let his images say that... but I can tell you he is one of the nicest guys in the business.  Here is Ian talking about being a photographer and a few images from the book.

Being a photographer seems like a mighty glamorous job -- traveling to exotic places and enjoying dramatically beautiful landscapes and wild animals -- but as Shive explains, "there is a brutal side most people don't realize." Imagine 100mph winds, and temperatures 50-below zero, blizzards and your vehicle hitting a rock in the middle of nowhere when you have a flight to catch in the morning. Physical challenges aside, the ensuing images that come from Shive's travels clearly document his love for the natural world and his willingness to
work with nature to capture the unique images in The National Parks, which were shot digitally using Canon 5D cameras, and are not doctored. A purist at heart, Shive "believes in the utmost truth regarding the ethics of photography. No skies were added, no details removed in any of these photos except for the exorbitant amount of dust that manages to find itself stuck to my camera sensor. All images of wildlife were taken in the wild. All images were processed using Adobe Photoshop and some contrast and saturation was added, but nothing beyond what would have taken place if I had been shooting with Fuji Velvia film."

To buy the book, please visit here>

Hi Everyone

Inspired by my good friend Victor Sizemore, I made some new pricesheets to keep it very simple.  I think I learned something at my own workshop!  Thanks Victor.  These are 5x7 folded greeting cards, very simple, afforable way to print, ship, or email the PDF version of my wedding stuff.  The little space makes you whittle down to only the most important information, which is the way I prefer. 

Below is a stack of 5x7 cards and the printed version of the PDF.

Sometimes I just flat-out have tons of fun doing my job!  Whenever I can find a new way of doing something to keep it fresh or find a new take on an old task, i am happy.  As many of you know I am shooting a lot with the EP1 and i took it out to a wedding for Debora and David.  Groom David Lim is a fashion designer/entrepreneur with lots of photoshoot experience, i was wondering what he was wondering when I showed up to shoot the wedding with my pen.  He was either thinking this guys is really cool or am I wasting my money!  ha!!  Well that little camera just rocked it... fast focus, direct harsh flash, fast raw buffer, great color and tons of fun, and a bit of conversation piece.  But I think  people soon forgot I was the wedding photographer, but maybe just a guest!!   Exactly what I want!  Here are some pretty much right out of raw.