Jimmy ienner, Jr. (pronounced EYE-ner) has spent over three decades catching the moment between the pose and the person—that unguarded instant when an artist's true self emerges. It's become his signature.
As Chief Photographer and Video Director at Sony Music Entertainment Inc. for nearly two decades, Jimmy worked with hundreds of the artists who shaped popular music, becoming one of the most published photographers in the entertainment industry. His work has graced dozens of CD and DVD covers, publicity campaigns, tour merchandise, major feature films, and music videos. His style revealed his subjects' vulnerability as readily as their persona—a rare thing in an industry built on image.
He has photographed and directed some of the defining names of the era: Roger Waters, Michael Jackson, and Mariah Carey; actors including Peter Boyle and Kevin Bacon; and Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Vice President Al Gore, and First Lady Laura Bush, all sitting at the time. He has also directed and executive produced music videos, EPKs, rockumentaries, and long-form interviews—Roger Waters, Jennifer Lopez, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick, Jr., Chris Botti, Bruce Hornsby, and Sarah Jessica Parker among them.
At twenty-seven, Jimmy became one of the youngest photographers to earn professional endorsements from Leica and Fujifilm. His roster of brand partnerships has since grown to include Sony, Apple, Filson, Holdfast, Saddleback Leather, and Lift Safety.
The Wider Lens
After documenting decades of musical history, Jimmy felt a natural pull to pass that knowledge forward. From 2007 to 2008, he designed and taught a graduate-level class on Entertainment Marketing at Fordham University's Graduate School of Business. From 2010 to 2012, he served as co-chair of the Visual Arts Committee of The Recording Academy NARAS (GRAMMYs) for Video Direction.
For just over a decade, Apple Inc. employed Jimmy as a mentor, public speaker, and facilitator, teaching employees and the public in photography, videography, and personal technology.
A fly fisherman and fly tyer, Jimmy has spent years photographing and filming the legends of the sport—Poul Jorgensen, Joan Wulff, Mary Dette Clark, and Al Caucci—along with the guides who read a river at a glance and the rodmakers who still build by hand. The patience required to read water, the stillness needed to observe without disturbing, the intuition for when to act—these are the same qualities that define his approach behind the lens. His expertise has earned him endorsements from Orvis, Sage, Thomas & Thomas, and ExOfficio, and he has served several terms on the Board of Directors of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum.
His magazine work includes a run as full-time staff photographer for Old Mill Road Media, shooting for Vermont, Berkshire, Stratton, and Manchester Life magazines. Today, Jimmy combines the freedom of freelancing with his instinct for visual storytelling. He takes on hand-selected projects throughout New England, New York, and Pennsylvania—shooting for magazines and websites, for nonprofits including Americares, and lending his eye to small businesses looking to grow.
What drives Jimmy now isn't just capturing the image—it's capturing the truth within it. Whether he's documenting a rock star, a Fortune 500 CEO, or a fly-fishing guide on the Beaverkill River, he's searching for that authentic moment when someone forgets the camera is there and simply exists. That's where the real story lives, and that's where Jimmy does his best work.
Professional Affiliations
The Recording Academy NARAS (GRAMMYs); New York, NY · New York City International Film Festival · FamilyCook Productions; New York, NY · The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP); Washington, DC · The Institute for American Indian Studies; Washington, CT · Rhode Island Woodland Operators Association; Providence, RI · WWOOF-USA (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) · Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum; Livingston Manor, NY · Catskill Fly Tyers Guild; Roscoe, NY · Loft Artists Association; Stamford, CT · WaterFire Providence; Providence, RI · Americares; Stamford, CT
PHOTOGRAPHER
EDITORIAL · PORTRAIT · MUSIC · FOOD
Jimmy has been an amazing partner and mentor. For me, this is a rare opportunity to work with someone of Jimmy's caliber. He is a force multiplier—he has raised the quality of my work and opened up my thinking to what's possible: technologically, visually, and editorially.
Mark Arnold—Publisher, Milford City Lifestyle Magazine
Jimmy was just born with a keen eye. He can turn the unseen subtleties of the sublime into the most fascinating element in the frame.
Michael Borofsky—Owner, Reverse Angle Productions
I first hired Jimmy in 2009 to direct, film, and edit a documentary—a project that was challenging technically, and whose subject matter demanded great sensitivity. Jimmy's skill set, both technical and creative, met every challenge we faced in shooting and later cutting the film, and the results far exceeded my expectations.
Lynn Fredericks—Founder & President, FamilyCook Productions
I've known Jimmy for more than 20 years, and his creative vision is only matched by his passion for capturing images. I've been lucky to work with him my entire career at Sony Music—whether shooting Mariah Carey at the Tokyo Dome, filming an EPK to launch an unknown artist, or trudging through the snow in Vermont for that elusive shot. He brings the same subtle, powerful eye to a music artist or to nature in its purest form.
Dave Santaniello—Brand Partnership Executive, Sony Music
Jimmy covered my music career in a photo essay, and we so quickly shared a vision that I ended up assisting—growing into assistant producer and director on projects since. His ability to engage a subject with respect and lead them to a comfortable place, with no intimidation, always brings out the finest results.
Lucinda Rowe—National Recording Artist