Hey guys!  I am definitely looking forward to February 2019.  As the year continues forward, I am starting to plan some additional photo shoots with the first couple starting February.  I am hoping to conduct a few photo shoots per month, including some TFP shoots, and have an overall goal of completing at least 24 shoots this year.  Of course, I am planning on reaching out to some of the guys that I have photographed before to see if they are interested in another shoot, but I am looking forward to photographing some new guys.

If you're interested in my work, definitely check back for some new images of new guys.  I am definitely planning on making updates to the website on a routine basis.  

Emiliano 

Anyway, on to the reason you guys have stopped by – Emiliano.  After the first photo shoot, he reached out to me to see if I was looking for models. During the first photo shoot, I found myself being fascinated with his overall look and general moodiness as it translated into still images.  So yeah, I definitely jumped at the opportunity to set up a second photo shoot with him and was pleased with the final images.   

As usual, the following images are my favorites from the second photo shoot with Emiliano and some insight on why the image was chosen for the specific category.  

Street Clothing

As with every photo shoot, I photographed Emiliano in the clothes that he wore to the photo shoot.  In this instance, it was a black and white striped tank top, a pair of gray pants, and a baseball cap.  As I was reviewing the images, I kept coming back to the image below.  I love the relaxed, effortless pose and how it just seems like a capture of a random moment.  That feeling is further enhanced by the relaxed facial expression. Of course, there were times that I strove to get some facial expressions from Emiliano, but his relaxed facial expression works for me in this image.

As I mentioned, I also love the pose in the image. In particular, I love how his weight is resting more heavily on his left leg and how it introduces a curvature in the rest of his body.  I absolutely love how that curvature plays out down from his torso to his hips. More interestingly, I love how the black and white stripes create a prominent sense of separation between the fabric and his left arm, but also amplifies the curving line on his left side. I absolutely love how that shirt and the lines stand out in the black and white image.  It definitely made it easy for me to choose this image to highlight for this section.  

Emiliano 007Emiliano #007
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Portrait

As usual, I also ended up getting some portraits during the second photo shoot with Emiliano.  Like I said before, sometimes it was hard to get some facial expressions from him, but I also liked how his relaxed, if somewhat serious, expression came out in black and white.  As I was looking through the catalog of finished images, I ended up choosing the image below to highlight.  

For me, I ended up liking the image because of the position of his arms and how those lines ended up drawing more attention to his eyes. I also liked how his arms created a sense of positive and negative space, but still has a balanced feeling in the overall image.  But I mostly like the image because of the prominent catchlights in his eyes.  It just creates an intense look and I find myself captivated with the image.  So yeah, it was easy to select this image to highlight.  

Emiliano 085Emiliano #085
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Underwear

For the underwear portion, I had several options to highlight.  However, I ended up selecting the image below because of the overall look of the image and the pose.  Like in the image highlighted under the Street Clothing portion, I also like how his weight is resting more heavily on his right leg and introduces a curving line in his body.  This is further amplified with the slight twist of his shoulders and the positioning of his arms.  Yeah, I absolutely love the interplay of lines throughout the image.  

Additionally, I love the balance of color in the image. Sure, it’s a black and white image, but I love that there are two solid blocks of color with the white of the tank top and the black of the Andrew Christian briefs, hair, and baseball cap. While I do love capturing simple and intense patterns in black and white images, there’s also something to be said of the simplicity of solid blocks of colors.  I definitely think it work to strike a sense of balance as well as adding some visual weight towards the bottom of the image.  

I also like the overall sense of boredom that is displayed on his face.  Sure, it might have bothered me at other times, but I actually like the look in this image.  It creates a sense that Emiliano standing and being photographed in a pair of underwear is a not a big deal for this college student.  So yeah, I ended up liking the facial expression, especially the catchlights in his dark eyes, and made it easy to highlight the image when combined with my other reasons for liking it.  

Emiliano 033Emiliano #033
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Nude

As with my other shoots, I photographed Emiliano in the nude.  As I was going through the images to select one to highlight in this section, the image below jumped out at me.  One of the reasons that I like the image is because it is a full-body image.  Normally, I end up cropping the image, but the pose lent itself to be displayed as a full-body shot.  

Additionally, I love the details and positioning of his feet. Normally, I do not look at a model’s feet and completely ignore them during the editing process, but for some reason my eye was drawn to the curve of his toes on his left foot and the lines created from their positioning.  Yeah, I thought it was weird for that detail to capture my attention, but I find my eye being drawn to that small detail.  

Finally, I love the image because of the look on Emiliano’s face.  Sure, I may be reading too much into the look and the overall pose, but, for me, there is a sense of vulnerability.  It is helped by slight turn and downturn of his head as well as the positioning of his leg and arm.  Overall, I love the sense of vulnerability and softness that is present in the image. 

Emiliano 049Emiliano #049
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Overall Favorite Image From the Photo Shoot

The image below is my overall favorite image from the second photo shoot with Emiliano.  For me, I was drawn to the lines created by his body, such as the subtle curving outside line as his thighs lead into his hips and then torso. I also like the line that his created as his hip and how it leads to his arm before heading back up the image.  As you guys know, I am always interested in how the lines within the image can direct a viewer’s eye throughout the image. 

Additionally, I love the overall boldness of the image. It definitely takes someone comfortable with his body to create an image like this one.  However, there’s also a sense of modesty as Emiliano use his right hand to over himself, but he also uses his left hand to expose more of his torso. Yes, I am definitely in love with the dichotomy present within the image.

Finally, the image is my favorite because of the handling of the gray tones.  I love the interplay between the shadows, highlights, and mid-tones throughout the image. Yeah, when it’s all taken together, it was easy for me to select this image as my overall favorite image from the photo shoot.  

Emiliano 037Emiliano #037
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Closing

Overall, I liked working with Emiliano throughout the second photo shoot.  I am happy with how the images turned out, especially since they have a different feel to them as opposed to the images from the first photo shoot.  Because of that and the general easiness of working him, I ended up photographing Emiliano a third time before he moved out to the West Coast.  That gallery and blog entry will be forthcoming.  

Again, thanks for taking the time to check out the blog entry and the images from my second photo shoot with Emiliano.  I definitely appreciate it that you guys are taking the time to scope out my work!

If you are interested in setting up a shoot here in Austin, Texas, please email me at [email protected]!

Hey guys!  It’s been a while since I last posted an entry or gallery, but this past year has been crazy.  In June 2017, I decided to leave my job and focus on completing my master’s degree. Yep, I took a full year and just focused on school and just relaxing.  In the end, it was definitely worth it since I was able to graduate with an MBA in May 2018. 

Additionally, I started a new job in August 2018.  For the last couple of months, I have been focused on learning the ins and outs of the new job.  I am starting to feel comfortable in the position, but there are some changes happening around me.  It’s not too bad, but change can a little unsettling.  However, I am going to make the best of it and just focus on doing a good job.  

However, I have not been able to focus on photography as much as I would have loved to during this past year.  However, as I look towards the future, I do plan to ramp up my photography and starting hold shoots more often.  I am actually hoping to start hold photo shoots again starting in January or February 2019.  Here’s hoping it all goes well.  

For the time being, I am revisiting some of my old shoots and doing a second round of image editing.  It’s definitely been fascinating to see how the most recent edits differ from the initial set.  It definitely feels like I am growing as a photographer, but it may be that my “taste” has change over the years.  Either way, it’s still fascinating to see.  

Ryan

Anyway, on to the reason you guys have stopped by – Ryan.  Back in November 2014, I traveled down to San Antonio and reached out to Ryan to see if he would be interested in a shoot.  I liked Ryan’s overall look during the previous shoot and found him fun to work with during it.  When I reached out to him, he mentioned that he had been working out more often and I found myself interested in seeing his progress.  

Additionally, I was looking forward to photographing him at the same hotel since I knew the layout and the overall suite features.  However, the hotel underwent a remodeling effort.  However, I loved the brick wall and used it as a back drop for several images. The only thing that I did not like was the busy headboard, but I found a way to make it work.  Overall, I liked the changes to the hotel suite, especially how Ryan looked against the brick wall.  

As usual, the following images are my favorites from the second photo shoot with Ryan and some insight on why I chose the images to highlight in the blog.  

Street Clothing

Like usual, I photographed Ryan in the clothing that he wore to the photo shoot.  In this case, he wore a black t-shirt and some dark blue jeans. As I was looking through the image catalog, I narrowed my choice to the image below.  For the first part of the shoot, I wanted to capture some lifestyle shots.  I think the image below captures that lifestyle feeling given the relaxed pose and the incorporation of the furniture and background decor.  

As I studied the image, I found myself liking the framing and balance within the image.  For instance, I like how the bright yellow pillow in the foreground adds some visual weight on the lower left corner and counteracts the visual weight of the framed painting in the upper right corner. Additionally, I like how several of those lines are echoed in Ryan’s body language, such as the sloped of his relaxed pose as well as the line of his outstretched arm.  

Of course, I absolutely love Ryan’s pose.  I like the openness of the pose through his outstretched arms and his spread legs. Additionally, I like several of the intersecting lines, such as the connection between his outstretched left arm and his bent left leg.  I also like how his bent right arm juts out from the bright yellow pillow and directs the viewer’s eye directly to Ryan’s face.  Speaking of Ryan’s face, I like his serious expression.  

Between those elements, the lighting, and the overall color handling, it was easy for me to choose the image below as my favorite for this section.   

Ryan # 015Ryan # 015
Reyj Photography
San Antonio, Texas

Portrait

When I was reviewing the image catalog for the blog entry, I kept landing on this image for the portrait section.  I like the image because of Ryan’s pose and his gaze at something off-panel.  With the turn of his head, I like how the light creates various highlights, mid-tones, and shadows across his face. Additionally, I like the catchlights in his eyes.  

Finally, I like the visual balance in the image.  I like the heavy visual weight created by the dark colors in his jeans, t-shirt, and the couch.  It is also enhanced with the shadows on his face as well as his spikey black hair. In contrast, I like the stark whiteness of walls and how it makes the top half of the image feel lighter. Additionally, I like how Ryan’s head and face standout from those white walls.  

So yeah, it was easy to select the image below as my favorite portrait from photo shoot.  

Ryan # 018Ryan # 018
Reyj Photography
San Antonio, Texas

Underwear

Like my previous photo shoots, I photographed Ryan in a variety of underwear.  Prior to the trip, I had looked at the images of the hotel suite and determined that I would photograph Ryan against the brick wall within the suite.  I am glad that I made that decision because I like made the images stand out from my previous images.  

In the image, I like how the solid black 2(X)IST briefs stand out from the various grays in the image. I definitely like how the intensity of the black is echoed in the shadows around his head and in the darkness of his hair.  It almost creates a sense of balance between the top and bottom halves of the images. Anyway, it was definitely an aspect that caught my attention as flicked through the image catalog.  

I also love the pose. It is a simple pose that I have seen countless of times, but I still loved the fact that I was able to capture it for myself.  For the pose, I had Ryan lean back against the brick wall and then prop his left foot against it.  I like the sense of depth that is present in his left thigh as well as in his shoulders and head.  Finally, I like the positioning of his hands to draw attention to his face and to those black 2(X)IST briefs.  

Finally, I love the lighting.  Since I was traveling, I only took one light and soft box with me.  With the single light, I like how the light plays across his body – particularly across his face.  Additionally, I love the shadow that his body casted against the brick wall. 

Yeah, when all of the elements are combined together, it was easy for me to select this image as my favorite for this section.

Ryan # 139Ryan # 139
Reyj Photography
San Antonio, Texas

Nude

Of course, I photographed Ryan in the nude.  As I was going through the image catalog, I found myself stopping and staring at it countless times.  Of course, I like the pose and the emphasis on the contours of his butt.  More importantly, I like lighting in the image. As in the previous image, I love how Ryan’s body casts a shadow against the brick wall.  Additionally, I like how the front of his body is shrouded in the shadows but catches a sliver of light to create a line of separation from the wall. 

So yeah, I felt like I needed to highlight this image under this section.  

Ryan # 082Ryan # 082
Reyj Photography
San Antonio, Texas

Overall Favorite from the Photo Shoot

When I looked through the image catalog, I found myself loving the image below because of the emotion captured on Ryan’s face.  I am not sure what I had said to make Ryan smile or laugh, but I liked that I was able to put a smile on his face and capture a natural emotion.  Additionally, I like how Ryan is not looking at the camera, which adds to the unguarded moment feel.  Because of that unscripted mirth, it was definitely easy to select this image as my overall favorite image from the photo shoot.    

Ryan # 012Ryan # 012
Reyj Photography
San Antonio, Texas

Closing

Overall, I liked working with Ryan throughout the second photo shoot.  I am happy with how the images turned out, especially since they have a different feel to them as opposed to the images from the first photo shoot.  Recently, Ryan reached out to me and indicated that he would be up for another shoot.  I am definitely planning on scheduling a third shoot with him fairly soon. 

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to check out the blog entry and the images from my second photo shoot with Ryan.  I definitely appreciate it that you guys are taking the time to scope out my work!

If you are interested in setting up a shoot here in Austin, Texas, please email me at [email protected]!

Hey guys!  It’s been a while since I last posted an entry or gallery, but work has been eating up my time again.  Like usual, work has been crazy since my team has been helping to roll out a new system. However, my team pulled together and accomplished our part in the rollout, even with limited staffing resources.  So yeah, it felt like a great achievement, even if it ate up my free time. 

On top of that, I’ve had some opportunities to travel for work.  In February, I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend a management development summit.  It was enlightening and provided me with some additional tools to help me in my role as a manager.  More importantly, I spent some time wandering around the city after the training ended and saw the Atlantic Ocean (okay, it was just a bay) for the first time. 

In addition to the trip to Charleston, I also attended a three-day management development course in Houston.  I’ll make a note here that all the managers in my Unit are being asked to take the training based on our leadership’s decision.  However, I will say that I found this training to be the most useful.  I particularly liked the communication and personality portions as it gave examples on how to work with a variety of personalities.  Overall, I found the training to be helpful. 

So yeah, I’ve been spending some of my time in management development programs as well as traveling.  Of course, I’m not done traveling yet.  In a couple of weeks, I’m going to be traveling to Corpus Christi for a meeting.  However, I should have some free time to wander around the city and the beach.  I’m hoping to get some good images from my time there. 

In terms of photography, it’s definitely been a good month.  I worked through a couple of backlog sessions and finalize those images.  Of course, I still have three and half sessions to work through, but I’m looking forward to working through those images. 

On top of that, I added to my backlog.  Yeah, I held great two photo shoots during April.  So yeah, I now have five and a half sessions to work through.  I’m definitely excited about it, especially once I’m finished with the editing process and can share the images with all of you. 

I’m also excited about the fact that I’m going to be hold a few photo shoots in May as well.  I’m hoping to have them scheduled on the books shortly.  I’m excited about them because all the upcoming models have different looks and will add to my portfolio.  I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them over the upcoming few weeks.  Plus, I’m going to be adding to my backlog of images to work on, which means that I’ll be sharing the images with all of you at some point this year. 

Finally, I’m attempting to plan a road trip through the central part of the United States.  If all goes well, I’ll be driving and photographing in the following states: West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle.  Yeah, it’s going to be a pretty epic road trip, especially since I plan on photographing the Badlands.  I’m going to be focusing on architecture and landscape photography during the trip, but I’m also looking to work with male models in each state that I visit.  If you are interested in modeling for me, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].  Either way, I’m hoping the trip will be amazing! 

Lawrence

Anyway, on to the reason you guys have stopped by – Lawrence.  I absolutely loved working with Lawrence.  When he came in for the shoot, Lawrence was completing his final year at the local university.  It was interesting to listen to him talk about his course work, especially since it was so different from my coursework in history and politics.  However, I did find that his practical experience in his coursework helped as he understood what I was attempting to accomplish with various lighting techniques and placement.  

As we talked about different lighting techniques, we eventually shifted to iconic scenes in movies that stood out for each of us and why it made an impact.  We talked about The Godfather, Kill Bill, Hero, The Lord of The Rings, and variety of other movies that had amazing images that left an impression on us.  It was refreshing to talk about a completely new topic with such insightful points. 

Throughout the shoot, Lawrence was professional and took direction very well.  I will say that I found him interesting to work with because of his stoic personality.  He was engaging (laughing and smiling) and easy to talk to during clicks, but I wasn’t able to capture a lot of emotion in his images. 

However, I think that I was able to capture several great images throughout the shoot.  As usual, the following images are my favorites from the photo shoot with Lawrence and some insight on why the image was chosen for the specific category. 

Street Clothing

As usual, I started the photo shoot by photographing Lawrence in the clothing that he wore to the photo shoot, which was a pair of jean shorts and a heather gray t-shirt.  I liked the simplicity of clothing choices, which seems typical for the guys attending the local university.  Nonetheless, I started the shoot by photographing Lawrence in this clothing.

I ended up choosing the image below to highlight for this section.  Of course, it displays Lawrence shirtless and posing in just his jean shorts.  However, as I was looking through the images, it proved easy to select the image below for a variety of reasons.

One of the things that draws me to the image is Lawrence’s pose.  I like the twist of his shoulders and the diagonal created by his flexed arms.  Furthermore, the viewer’s eye is drawn through his flexed arms back to his face.  I also like how the pose, in combination with the lighting, draws attention to his abs and the lines of his hips.  Yeah, it was definitely easy to select the image below as my favorite for this section. 

Lawrence 028Lawrence #028
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Portrait

The image below instantly caught my attention as I was going through the images.  To be honest, I was instantly drawn to Lawrence's eyes and the catchlights found there.  However, I love the lighting in the image.  I like how the lighting cascades across his face. flexed arm, and chest.  I like the soft transitions between the highlights, midtones, and shadows.  Yeah, it's definitely one of my favorite portraits from my catalog. 

Lawrence 032Lawrence #032
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Underwear

As with my other photo shoots, I photographed Lawrence in a variety of underwear.  In the gallery dedicated to Lawrence, there are several images of Lawrence modeling a variety of briefs, boxers, and even jockstraps.  However, I ended chasing the image below as the image to highlight for this section.  If you guys have visited my website before, then you probably noticed that I have photographed several models posing in the same briefs that Lawrence is wearing in the image.

I will say that I love Lawrence's pose in the image.  I like how he has the majority of his weight resting on one of his legs, which in turn creates some visual interest around his waist and lower abs.  I also like how the light helps to accentuate the muscle definition in his chest and abs, but I am fascinated with the lines at his hips and how they lead down into the briefs.  Finally, I love the position of his head and how it directs the viewer's eye to his left arm, which further leads it down towards the briefs.   It was easy to choose the image below as the one to highlight for this section.  

Lawrence 140Lawrence #140
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Nude

Like with my other photo shoots, I photographed Lawrence in the nude.  As I was looking through the images, I instantly knew that I would be highlighting this image for this section.  The primary reason that I ended up choosing the image below is the pose.  As I was working with him, I knew that I wanted to capture him in some classic poses that teased the audience.  I love the placement of his thighs, in order to provide some modesty, and how his arms serve to direct the viewer's eye across his body.  Finally, I love how the light falls across his body.  So yeah, it was definitely easy for me to select the image below for this section.  

Lawrence 068Lawrence #068
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Favorite Image From the Shoot

As I was taking the image below, I absolutely knew that it would be my favorite image from the shoot.  It was further reinforced when I was editing the image.  As usual, I love the pose in the image.  Starting off with a nice profile shot, I tweaked it with a subtle turn of his hips and his head.  The reasoning was to highlight the nice curves of gluten as well as ability to see his left eye.  Additionally, I strategically placed the fabric to further accentuate his curves as well as giving him something to hold.  Overall, I love how the image turned out and easily became my favorite from the photo shoot.  

Lawrence 131Lawrence #131
Reyj Photography
Austin, Texas

Closing

I absolutely loved working with Lawrence throughout the shoot.  I loved listening to him talk about his education and take on the film industry. 

More importantly, Lawrence took direction very well and was willing to try poses that would highlight his body. I'm very happy with the images that came from the photo shoot and several of them have become my favorites from my entire catalog.  You can see of my work with Lawrence at http://www.reyjphotography.com/lawrence. 

Again, thanks for taking the time to check out the blog entry and the images from my photo shoot with Lawrence.  I definitely appreciate it that you guys are taking the time to scope out my work!

If you guys want, you can also check out my Instagram account at http://www.instagram.com/reyj.photography.  I tend to post images daily! 

If you are interested in setting up a shoot here in Austin, Texas, or during my epic road trip, please email me at [email protected]!