Jay Riv

Jay Riv Los Angeles based Photographer

Pose for mePoses help introduce new elements to a composition when you're shooting. It's important to understand the bod...
07/15/2026

Pose for me

Poses help introduce new elements to a composition when you're shooting. It's important to understand the body and how it can be positioned on a backdrop — not just where the arms and legs go, but what that positioning is actually saying. For me, a body is a way to show character. An emotion. A side of someone that sometimes they didn't even know they had. That's why I always say actors make better models than models do — you can get them in character, and once someone's in character, the pose stops being a pose and starts being a person....

Poses help introduce new elements to a composition when you’re shooting. It’s important to understand the body and how it can be positioned on a backdrop — not just where the arms and l…

Pixel Stitch Is a Filter. This Is a Shutter Speed."Motion blur isn't a filter setting. It's a decision you make with you...
07/15/2026

Pixel Stitch Is a Filter. This Is a Shutter Speed.

"Motion blur isn't a filter setting. It's a decision you make with your shutter speed before you ever press the trigger." Everyone's seen the "pixel stitch" style filters that photoshop this look after the fact. This isn't that. This is the actual in-camera technique — three practical pieces that have to work together, or the whole effect falls apart. 1. Choose your anchor point Long exposure blurs whatever moves during the shutter's open window and keeps sharp whatever doesn't. For a portrait, that means deciding — before you shoot — what stays still while the rest of the body is free to move....

“Motion blur isn’t a filter setting. It’s a decision you make with your shutter speed before you ever press the trigger.” Everyone’s seen the “pixel stitch& #8221…

Color Theory on a Rust Door: Building a Palette from the LocationSome shoots start with a mood board. This one started w...
07/14/2026

Color Theory on a Rust Door: Building a Palette from the Location

Some shoots start with a mood board. This one started with a door. A weathered, oxidized wood panel — streaked with rust-browns, faded grays, the occasional warm gold where light hit the grain just right. No plan yet for wardrobe, no styling pulled. Just a wall with a color story already built into it, waiting for someone to notice. "A location isn't a backdrop until you've decided to ignore it. Before that, it's a palette someone already mixed for you." Reading the wall before pulling wardrobe The door had three things going for it: warmth, texture, and restraint....

Some shoots start with a mood board. This one started with a door. A weathered, oxidized wood panel — streaked with rust-browns, faded grays, the occasional warm gold where light hit the grain just…

Cueva del Esplendor (Cave of Splendor)The Long Way to Splendor: Hiking to Colombia's Cave Waterfall Some destinations re...
07/11/2026

Cueva del Esplendor (Cave of Splendor)

The Long Way to Splendor: Hiking to Colombia's Cave Waterfall Some destinations reward you the moment you arrive. Others make the journey part of the story. Cueva del Esplendor — the Cave of Splendor — is firmly the second kind. Tucked into the cloud forest near Jardín, in Colombia's Antioquia region, this hike starts long before the cave comes into view. The trail winds through dense, moss-draped jungle, crossing streams that cut through rock and undergrowth in a way that feels almost prehistoric. Shooting all of this on the Leica SL2 with a 35mm rangefinder lens at f/1.4, I leaned into black and white to strip the scene down to what mattered most: light, water, and texture....

The Long Way to Splendor: Hiking to Colombia’s Cave Waterfall Some destinations reward you the moment you arrive. Others make the journey part of the story. Cueva del Esplendor — the Cave of …

Same Face, New Person: A Study in Wigs"Three characters, one afternoon, one person underneath it all." Same Model, Three...
07/10/2026

Same Face, New Person: A Study in Wigs

"Three characters, one afternoon, one person underneath it all." Same Model, Three Women: The Power of a Wig Change There's a trick every experienced photographer and stylist knows but rarely gets talked about: you don't need three models to tell three stories. Sometimes all you need is one model, three wigs, and the right locations to match. This series was shot across Echo Park and Chinatown, all on 35mm film with the Leica M6 — a fully manual, rangefinder experience that forces you to slow down and commit to each frame....

“Three characters, one afternoon, one person underneath it all.” Same Model, Three Women: The Power of a Wig Change There’s a trick every experienced photographer and stylist know…

30 Minutes at the Bonaventure: Shooting Fast in LA’s Most Cinematic Hotel"The best shot of the day was the one we almost...
07/09/2026

30 Minutes at the Bonaventure: Shooting Fast in LA’s Most Cinematic Hotel

"The best shot of the day was the one we almost didn't have time for." Some shoots are planned down to the minute. This one was planned down to the only thirty minutes we had before security caught on. The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites is one of LA's most photographed buildings for a reason — that spiraling, brutalist concrete architecture with the circular balconies and burgundy leather booths feels like it was built for a camera, not a hotel stay. It's been the backdrop for sci-fi films and fashion editorials alike, and once you're inside those curved atriums, it's easy to see why....

“The best shot of the day was the one we almost didn’t have time for.” Some shoots are planned down to the minute. This one was planned down to the only thirty minutes w…

One Backdrop, Four Worlds: How Color Grading and Glass Change Everything"The backdrop never moved. Everything else did."...
07/08/2026

One Backdrop, Four Worlds: How Color Grading and Glass Change Everything

"The backdrop never moved. Everything else did." There's a trick photographers love and audiences rarely notice: the simplest set can hold the most variety, if you know how to change what's around it instead of in it. For this shoot, the backdrop never moved — a clean white seamless, lit consistently from start to finish. What changed was everything else: the lens on the camera, the color grade in post, and the energy of the wardrobe itself....

“The backdrop never moved. Everything else did.” There’s a trick photographers love and audiences rarely notice: the simplest set can hold the most variety, if you know how to cha…

How to Tell a Story With PantsYou don't have to move to say something. Sometimes the stillest moment on a porch says mor...
07/08/2026

How to Tell a Story With Pants

You don't have to move to say something. Sometimes the stillest moment on a porch says more than a strut ever could. On a hot LA afternoon, we shot Asaali's embroidered denim on a porch that's seen decades of sun — direct light, a 6x6 scrim for bounce, and a stoic subject who barely moved. No action, no rush. Just architecture, patina, and pants detailed enough to carry the whole frame. This is what it looks like when the clothes do the storytelling. Every direction given was in service of ...

You don’t have to move to say something. Sometimes the stillest moment on a porch says more than a strut ever could. On a hot LA afternoon, we shot Asaali’s embroidered denim on a porch…

Nia PiedraStudio Session 001 Shot against a dark backdrop, this studio session was all about contrast — white satin, cur...
06/22/2026

Nia Piedra

Studio Session 001 Shot against a dark backdrop, this studio session was all about contrast — white satin, curly texture, and movement. No concept, no clutter. Just light, shape, and a subject who knew exactly how to fill a frame. Every pose felt earned. This is the kind of work that reminds me why I love being in the studio.

Studio Session 001 Shot against a dark backdrop, this studio session was all about contrast — white satin, curly texture, and movement. No concept, no clutter. Just light, shape, and a subject who …

Behind the Shot: Turning a Neighborhood Beauty Salon into a World Cup EditorialSome of my favorite images come from the ...
06/22/2026

Behind the Shot: Turning a Neighborhood Beauty Salon into a World Cup Editorial

Some of my favorite images come from the simplest setups. For this shoot, we transformed the exterior of a local beauty salon into a vibrant editorial set inspired by culture, community, and the energy surrounding international football. Looking at the final images, you'd think we had a large crew and a truck full of gear. In reality, the lighting setup was intentionally minimal. The Location The first thing that caught my eye was the bright yellow wall. It immediately became the foundation of the color palette. The yellow exterior paired perfectly with the green Mexico jersey, while the blue jersey created a complementary contrast that made both subjects stand out....

Some of my favorite images come from the simplest setups. For this shoot, we transformed the exterior of a local beauty salon into a vibrant editorial set inspired by culture, community, and the en…

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