Ivana Reay-Jones

Ivana Reay-Jones story by Emily Stewart Artist It’s easy to wander down the rabbit hole of Ivana Reay-Jones’ Instagram page and find yourself enthralled in the images she captures. Simple, yet dramatic; colorful, yet muted; candid, yet staged. One thing is for sure, every image has a story to tell and we are eager to hear it. Especially the story behind the photograph she entered in Lake City’s ArtFields competition, titled Stayat-Home Haircut.

Ivana grew up surrounded by family members who worked in various media outlets (television, magazine, and photography), so her passion for storytelling began at an early age. “I carried this passion through college and graduate school where I earned degrees in journalism and photojournalism,” she explains. “Once I realized my passion also lies in education, I have always found ways to combine the two through my teaching and photography careers.” Originally from Europe, Ivana moved to Florence in 2006. She and her husband have one son who is the focal point of much of her photography. “Over the past year, I realized the importance of documenting our experiences as a family through the pandemic. It was not always easy to pick up the camera and the inspiration was not always there, but I tried to document as much of our day-to-day as possible. The piece that is in ArtFields is one of those experiences. It shows my husband giving our son a haircut, something we had not done before. It is an ordinary moment but, for us, it paints a larger picture – learning, trusting each other, and doing/seeing things from another perspective.” Ivana enjoys creating memories and telling stories through photography for families and businesses. Along with the photograph hung in Jones-Carter Gallery, you can find her art by visiting her website, www. irjphoto.com. Ivana also has a new product launching soon, something you don’t want to miss! Follow her on Instagram @ivanareayjonesphotographyllc to be the first to know!