Josh Ryan of Josh Ryan Photo

FULL FEATURE - HERE

• A little Q & A with Josh
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• BACKGROUND
• Sacramento, CA now residing in Redondo Beach for 10 years, Age - a year over 34 , Experienced - shooting since 2003 professionally since 2005


• You grew up in Sacramento, California according to your FB. Nor*Cal represent! Have you permanently relocated? Do you still have family there? Anything you miss about the place?
• Born and raised in Sacramento, dont miss it a bit. I love LA, its suits me and my business very well. All of my family is still there and I visit a couple times a year. Only thing I miss is the lakes and motocross tracks in my backyard. And the house prices!


• What are things you enjoy doing in your free time? Favorite hobbies?
• I live at the beach so Im down there quite a bit running with the dogs and my girl or on one of my crazy custom beach cruisers. Not kidding I have 5! I love riding motorcycles too, Im a DUCATI freak so I try to ride atleast once a week! I also love Jet skiing in the summer. I have some ridiculously fast supercharged sea doos! But to be honest Im quite the homebody. I have 2 dogs and allot of computer work that keep me very busy. Usually when Im not on set Im at home working in my office editing. Oh yeah Im obsessed with mid century modern Architecture!


• I’ve seen you in some MMA gear, are you a fan of the sport? Got a favorite fighter?
• MMA gear???…. Not for me. I dont practice it or follow it. But Ill say Tito since Jenna and I are friends.


• Do you have a degree? Have you had professional training in photography prior to becoming a photographer?
• No Degree. Tried college out of high school, not my thing. I like to create and do my own thing to much. All I did was day dream. As for Photography Im 100% self taught.


• I’m guessing this is your primary job now, Josh. What were you doing before this became a full-time career?
• Yes this is my bread and butter so to speak. Before I was a photographer I had one of those terrible awful boring jobs…… I managed gentlemen’s clubs in Sacramento and Los Angeles for 7 years!


• How did you get your start?
• Well I always loved taking pictures but knew nothing about it. I was more of a graphic artist in my youth and teens. I was constantly drawing or painting. Years later and years ago I was married to a model and starting taking photos of her as a hobby. I would come to her shoots sometimes and write down the names of all the gear and lighting they had on set. I bought some equipment and did allot of experimenting. Before I know it I was getting asked by other models to shoot them. That eventually turned into me quitting my other job and focusing on shooting as a career. I guess Im lucky not having to come up in the trenches of assisting and gripping but thats not me. When I focus on something I doit big and move fast!


• Most people don’t dream of growing up to be photographers, what was your original dream as a kid?
• I wanted to design cars or be an actor.


• What is your most prized piece of equipment for photography?
• My Camera of course. Canon 5D Mark 2


• When setting up shoots for models, how much planning does this part take? Do you decide on the setting and clothing? Whether or not you do, how is that normally set up?
• It really depends on the project or the shoot. For the most part I coordinate and produce my own shoots 100%. I only trust myself to get it all together and right. If its for Playboy or a celeb then I go over looks with my Makeup artist and wardrobe stylist before the shoot. But yes I plan everything from travel, location, wardrobe, set decor, props down to image selection. Im kind of a control freak when it comes to my shoots.


• What is most painstaking about your job?
• Well a couple things. I used to say balancing the less desirable jobs to pay the bills over shooting the stuff you really want to shoot everyday of your life. But Im to the point now where I can pretty much pick and choose from a number of great job offers. I feel very fortunate for that but Ive worked my ass of for it! Another thing is not having a normal steady work schedule or income. But I love what I do so Im not complaining. Most people would kill to have my bad days. Once again Im very very lucky. I always say if you love what you do then its not work!


• Beyond being able to see things others with a point-and-shoot cannot and the editing, what other work don’t people realize goes into being a photographer?
• Well the funniest thing is that you dont have to be a great photographer to take a great photo. Lets face it, nowadays things are usually not what they seem with photoshop. In fact we have now developed photoshop artists with technology. In what I do I find that almost every photos needs tweaking in some way or another. Sad to say but I feel there is standard to live up to now. It may be as simple as color correcting or adding some contrast. My approach is to take the shot as close as you want it to look and retouch it as if it had never been touched. Most people would not even know see half the things I do to a photo in post. But this makes it all fun!


• What is the most daring or experimental shoot that you’ve ever done that turned out great in your eyes? (got a link?)
• Angel Wings in the desert. Did not know it would have ever looked like this. http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/6246981


• Who is the one model you enjoy working with most, and why? (be honest and choose only one)
• No question in my mind. Jenna Jameson. Ive said this before, she is probably one of the most dramatic models Ive ever seen. Every frame and every pose is different. She flips a switch when the lights turn on and there is so much emotion. We are just simply good together. Most of our shoots are quick too because we get the shot so fast. I cant say enough good about her. She was meant to be in front of the camera


• For most people, being a photographer affords you the opportunity to be very close to models, but have you had any encounters/experiences you mind sharing with us that would never have happened if not for this type of networking? (whatever you feel comfortable speaking about)
• There is no question that shooting beautiful women for a living is probably one of the best jobs in the world to have. Especially if youre a somewhat intelligent, decent looking, non douchey person! I have definitely had connections with my subjects before. Some wild, some intellectual, some out of the country, some that will probably last forever. I wont go into details but I definitely feel as if I have learned so much about people, especially women in doing what I do. There is definitely more opportunity for a photographer to connect with a model than if it was joe schmo off the street. The camera is the ultimate Ice Breaker!


• Does this line of work afford you the glamorous lifestyle you often depict?
• Well yes and no. I personally have always lived so called “fast life”. But adding the great connections and a healthy income does not hurt. So…. yes..absolutely! But personally I dont think of it being that glamorous because its become very normal and routine to me. But for a guy who works a 9-5 in an office looking in I can see how they would see it as glamorous. But, no matter what I will never forget where I come from and never forget where I started. Its important to keep a humble head on your shoulders in this business. Unfortunately, like in any field, there are there is allot of inflated egos and trash talking. I feel there is plenty of work for everyone and if you do good work it will speak for itself.


• What sort of doors has being such a sough-after photographer opened?
• Large iron gates with a Bunny head on them! LOL There are number opportunities; higher paying jobs, better models, and more creative control over my work. Which I feel is most important. There is definitely more pressure having creative control but the payoff is priceless! Oh yes one more. Powerfull and wealthy people want to be your friend! for some reason!


• Whose work do you enjoy most outside of your own? (doesn’t have to be model work, can be scenery or digital)
• There a number of great artists that come to mind but off the top of my head Klinko and Indriani, Sylvie Blum, and my mate Steve Shaw!


• Is there a style of work you’d like to do, that you haven’t already?
• More Studio work.


• Why should models choose you for a shoot?
• Well I believe in getting what u pay for. Im not cheap, so I really want my client to walk away from the shoot feeling excited and satisfied. And I believe I achieve that with all my clients. 80% of my clients rebook because of the experience that I give them. Its not only me but the great crew that I have and who I owe allot of credit to. Most importantly my main Makeup artist Joyce Bonelli. Not only is she amazing, her vibe, attitude and work ethic goes above and beyond and its unexplainable. I dont know anyone else who works harder than her. Ricardo Ferrise is another one of my artists who is very talented and has done so much good work with me. His hair skilz are like no other! Last but not least my assistant Phillip Faraone who brings allot of training and knowledge to set with his lighting expertise and the ability to get harassed by me 8 out of 10 hours a day and laugh about it.