Vernon C. Ray Is highly sought after celebrity portrait & event photographer / videographer rooted and raised in the city of Philadelphia. Vernon is a product of the Philadelphia school system and formerly incarcerated advocate for recidivism and youth intervention.. Vernon's career highlights include directing photography for the acclaimed film "Money Lovers," streamed by millions on platforms like Amazon Prime and TUBI. His Emmy-nominated documentary on the youth trade program at Randolph High School underscored his talent and commitment to storytelling.

 

At MyNEWPhilly, Vernon served as Director of Education, pioneering initiatives like the MyNEWPhilly talent incubator and producing impactful shows such as "The Help Show" and behind-the-scenes features for the Philadelphia Soul sports organization. Joining the Philadelphia Soul team as lead photographer and the first official Photographer for Philadelphia Real Producers Magazine in 2018 further solidified Vernon's influence in the media landscape. His work at Philadelphia's iconic Diner En Blanc remains highly sought after. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Vernon is a dedicated educator and mentor. He trains aspiring photographers and provides guidance to formerly incarcerated and directly impacted youth and adults through his "Shoot Cameras Not Guns Campaign." This initiative offers Philadelphia's young people alternative career paths in photography and videography. In recent years, Vernon's work has extended internationally, filming a documentary series in Ghana and collaborating on national campaigns like H&M's “Buy From A Black Woman” initiative supporting Black women entrepreneurs.

 

Known for his charismatic personality and unwavering professionalism, Vernon maintains a stellar reputation with a verified 575 five-star Google rating to date, and a client base that spans hundreds, cementing his role as an inspiration in the photography community and beyond.