LOS ANGELES—Veteran glamour photographer John Chennavasin, a familiar face at adult industry events for more than 20 years and regular AVN contributor, has passed away.
Chennavasin died unexpectedly on Nov. 27 while he was on his evening jog near his home in Irvine, Calif., his younger brother Tipatat confirmed. He was 53.
Chennavasin managed his own site, FOBPro.com, which showcased his photography from various expos and conventions, for more than 25 years. A highly respected shooter who was a fixture on the red carpet at industry parties and awards shows, John became a contributing photographer for AVN in the spring of 2024. Most recently, he shot the 2026 AVN Awards Nominations Party on Nov. 20. His images also have been featured on EMMReport.com, among other sites over the years.
“He was shooting events for most of his adult life,” Tipatat Chennavasin said Sunday. “He was doing a lot of amateur glamour photography. He would go to a lot of meet-and-greets, import car shows and events like AVN for decades. He had hard drives filled with pictures.”
Tipatat noted that one of John’s red-carpet photos of Stormy Daniels went viral during her legal battles with President Trump.
“That was a personal point of pride and joy for him,” Tipatat said. “He always got a kick out of that. He was a lifelong fan of the industry and he enjoyed getting more and more involved.”
Born in Baltimore and raised mostly in the Tustin area of Orange County, Calif., Chennavasin worked as a full stack web developer for different tech firms for more than 25 years. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in business administration.
Tipatat recalled how John owned “a pretty epic Playboy collection” that used to be the envy of all his friends back in the day.
“But he appreciated it more than the average person because he was really studying the craft of photography as well. You could see as it grew from an interest to a hobby to an amateur career kind of thing,” his brother continued.
“He was gentle and kind and honestly, I don’t think I have one unhappy memory with him. We never fought. He was the nicest guy, always down for whatever, just happy go lucky and very content. He had so much joy and passion for his hobbies. He really loved to laugh.”
Tipatat added, “I know he had no regrets. There was nothing unresolved. He was on good terms with everyone. I don’t think anyone would have anything bad to say about him. I think it meant a lot to him to work officially for [AVN]. He loved being in the industry. … He loved heavy metal, Pokémon, cars.
“He loved driving and taking road trips.”
Recently, he and Tipatat traveled to Bangkok—where their mother lives—to play Pokémon Go.
“And I’m so thankful I did,” Tipatat said.
John also is survived by a second younger brother and a significant other.
