Veteran Industry Photographer J.R. Reynolds Passes Away

LOS ANGELES—J.R. Reynolds, an adult industry photographer for more than three decades, has passed away, his close friend Bruce Dobos confirmed to AVN. He was 80. Reynolds died on December 5 at a hospital in Orange County from complications of Covid-19. But he had been seriously ill before that diagnosis in November, suffering from emphysema and overcoming kidney failure and double pneumonia in recent months, according to Dobos. “He was probably the most recognizable man at the adult shows—all the actors and actresses knew him,” Dobos said. “He was easy to get along with, very down to earth. I think everybody felt better when they saw him and could pose for him. “…It’s sad. It’s not going to be the same without him around.” Reynolds’s images of adult stars were published in Hustler, Adam Film World, Cheri, Club and other men’s sophisticates. He was a fixture on the show floor at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo every January in Las Vegas—as well as the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) convention in the 2000s. He also would photograph the Nudes-A-Poppin competition in Indiana and captured stills on porn sets for about seven years, according to Dobos. “His stills would end up on the box covers,” he said. In addition, Reynolds sometimes would appear as an extra in adult movies just for fun. When he wasn’t shooting, Reynolds worked as a substitute teacher in the San Gabriel Valley school district—primarily at the high school level—for 35 years. After being laid off by the school district, Reynolds drove for Uber and Lyft in order to make ends meet. Born in Pomona, Calif., he attended Pomona High School, and then Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif., where he graduated. He then studied at Cal State - Long Beach and eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. “And he went from there into teaching,” Dobos said. “He was a drummer in the band at Cal State - Long Beach and Northern Arizona.” Jack Richard Reynolds, who never married, is survived by his older sister Donna, who lives in Missouri. Dobos said in recent years he also would photograph industry events along with Reynolds—they would switch off taking video and stills. A former model from El Segundo, Dobos met Reynolds in the early 80s at a photo day. “Amateur photographers would go to these organized shoots at parks and take pictures of models in various wardrobe. I used to go to those,” Dobos explained. “He took some pictures of me and we became friends. “And he kept telling me about this adult event that’s happening at the CES show in Vegas. I had never heard of it. Finally after a couple years I went with him and we had been going to the adult events ever since. He would take pictures of the models that were singing autographs at their booths and he would do the same thing at the VSDA Show. “We had the same interests. We liked baseball—the Angels—and college football. And we’d go to ballgames together and talk and laugh and tell stories.” Reynolds and Dobos would attend minor league baseball games in Rancho Cucamonga and Lake Elsinore, and watch college hoops games at Long Beach State. “We’d go there towards Christmas time,” Dobos said. “He was a good old friend.” In January 2013 during a Legends of Erotica ceremony at Raymond Pistol’s Showgirl Video in Las Vegas, presided over by late industry historian Bill Margold, Reynolds received the Carnal Medal of Honor. Reynolds humbly called the honor “a surprise.” “He was somebody that everybody got along with,” Dobos said. “They knew he would be OK to work with and let him shoot because more than likely the shots he took would show up somewhere and be good publicity. He was trustworthy.” Dobos added, “If you could not get along with J.R. Reynolds, you could not get along with anyone. I truly loved that man.” J.R. at 2018 Urban X Awards J.R. and Bruce at a Rancho Cucamonga Quakes game in 2010. Rebecca Bardoux and Alexandra Silk with J.R. at the 2013 Legends of Erotica ceremony.