A Good Way To Start Monday
A good way to start a Monday. With Ashley Owens Gulina and Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle. I stayed out of the water, not good for the cameras!
Lots Of Flying
Plenty of excitement at the Palm Springs Air Museum on Saturday. A flight demonstration with the Museum’s 1944 World War II C-47 Skytrain cargo plane. Along with people doing Biplane rides in this U.S. Army Stearman. The C-47 did passes about as low as possible without having to lower the landing gear and driving down the runway. You could get a ride in the C-47 too! What great fun and a living history lesson everyday!
1944 United States Army Air Force C-47 Skytrain Cargo Aircraft
Takeoff in a U.S. Army Biplane out of the Palm Springs Air Museum
The C-47 “What’s Up Doc?” does a low flyby with a U.S. Army Stearman on the ground out of the Palm Springs Air Museum
Voyage To Vietnam
Imagine laying in your bunk, not much to do, mind wandering, thinking about what is ahead of you, the unknown and the fear. On board your troopship, you just draw on the bottom of the bunk just inches above you. “Marking Time: Voyage To Vietnam” an exhibit at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Just one of the reasons to get over there today. Including the exhibit “Salute To WWII Flying Tigers in China” and a presentation “France 1940: The Invasion That Shook The World” followed by a flight demonstration with the Museum’s C-47. Be there, I will!
Never Enough
I can never get enough of photographs with Maria Bertrand. So I thought I would try four of this one!
Model Maria Bertrand. Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle. Photography by Ian L. Sitren.
She Sprinted To The Top!
I have to say Thank You and also post another photograph from one of my shoots with Randalene Sergent. Her photograph on my Blog here yesterday became the top viewed post upsetting another that has been the top viewed post for a year! And that other post is a series of nudes of someone else entirely. Super Duper!
Model Randalene Sergent. Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle.
Not Much To Say
The photographs of Randalene Sergent from our photo shoots are just fine without saying much about them. What do you think?
Randalene Sergent with Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle. Photography by Ian L. Sitren.
Photo Excursion Vehicle
People have been asking me about me getting a new vehicle for photo excursions. This looks like it can handle dirt roads and most weather conditions. The models might have to limit the amount of wardrobe they can bring along. I think that might work out.
Man ‘O’ War P-51 Mustang
Man ‘O’ War at the Palm Springs Air Museum. A P-51D Mustang WWII fighter plane. Courtesy of the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. Truly amazing and exciting to see legendary airplanes like this flying close up.
Los Angeles Coming Up
The FitExpo is coming up in Los Angeles on the 23rd & 24th… I will be there and also at Photo L.A. that week. So if you would like to meet and discuss photo shoot for your magazine, advertising, or for yourself, please let me know ASAP. Send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com. Thanks!
This photo is from an event I was at some time back, “Shoot L.A” sponsored by Hasselblad and Bron Imaging Group at Smashbox Studios. It was very cool! Somewhat part of the reason I now shot with Hasselblad medium format digital and Bron lighting.
An Office Day For Me
One of my typical days in the office. Here with bodybuilders Grant Pieterse, Jake Sawyer and Xavisus Gayden. I wonder how many times and for how long I made them hold that bicep curl.
Bodybuilders Grant Pieterse, Jake Sawyer and Xavisus Gayden at Power of Fitness.
Forget The Rain!
Nothing better than Randalene Sergent in front of my cameras from one of our photo shoots to make me forget the rain from the last two days. You can be in front of my cameras too. I am also available for all types of photo shoots for magazines and advertising from fitness to fashion, bodybuilding to travel and more. By the way, I will be in Los Angeles for a few days this month for the FitExpo. Send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com and we can chat. Thanks!
Randalene Sergent in our photo shoot. Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle.
Her Inner Warrior
Excitement, beauty and power. Description that fits my photo shoot with Stacey Naito. Always more on my Website at SecondFocus.com.
Stacey Naito featured on my website. Makeup and Hairstyling by Blanche LeBeau.
The Palm Springs Air Museum Gala
“The Palm Spings Air Museum Gala is coming. 2/12/16 we are honoring 8 Green Berets that held off a reinforced NVA regiment (2,000+ men) at the Battle of Ton Le Chong (8/67). Ken MIles revcieved his Silver Star for the action for airstrikes that saved the 8 Special Operations troops. We have reunited the “Mike A” team from all those years ago. I have attached the video promoting the event. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to honor these troops.” – Fred Bell, Palm Springs Air Museum Managing Director
Join me for this once in a lifetime opportunity, I will be there. Thank You! More info and tickets at http://palmspringsairmuseum.org/gala/
Never Got In The Way
I was just watching “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” on Friday thinking how amazing it was that I was the still photographer on one of his movies not that long ago. His last movie as it turns out, “Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks”. Then yesterday I read the news of the passing of Vilmos Zsigmond, one of the greatest cinematographers of all time.
Vilmos won an Oscar for Close Encounters and was nominated for “The Deer Hunter”, “The River” and “The Black Dahlia”. However you have seen his work in so much more such as “Deliverance”, “Blow Out”, “The Long Goodbye” and “McCabe and Mrs. Miller”.
During the seven weeks on set with Vilmos, I was astounded by his unending energy and drive. He was there before I showed up and was there after I left. And I was on set pretty much longer than anyone. Vilmos had an ease of professionalism and confidence that was so very apparent.
Throughout, more people asked for his autograph than anyone else. At our wrap party, after what was another long day ending at maybe midnight, Vilmos paid me what I was told was about the best compliment ever from him. He said “You can work on my sets anytime, you never got in the way”. Made me laugh then, makes me laugh now. Thanks Vilmos!
Camera in place for shooting in the ballroom on “Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks”
Also From A January 3rd
January 3, 2012… Starting out the New Year searching for words… “Magnificent Creature” crosses my mind! Ava Cowan from a photo shoot we did as she was first becoming known to everyone. Ava has gone on to be one of the most pre-eminent and respected women in the world of bodybuilding and fitness.
You see Ava in almost every magazine every month, she is hugely popular and deservedly so. Much more than just a great body built in the gym, she is a personality of tenaciousness that we can all admire. In only eight weeks from now you will next be seeing her on stage at the Arnold. Ava Cowan!
My Wall Friends Like Her Too!
Kind of sums it up! The person I photographed more than anyone else in 2015 is someone who never ceases to surprise me. How lucky am I to have as a buddy this amazing person Maria Yvonne Bertrand. And to get her in front of my cameras… WOW!
Let me tell you about her. Director of Content for the Fashion Platform Envy, she is also an accomplished writer for magazines and entertainment.
As a professional model, Maria has been seen for Guess, Versace, Gianfranco Ferre, La Vie en Rose, Dynamite, La Perla, Armani, Coca Cola, Le Grenier and more. She has been in and on covers for Vogue, W, Chatelaine, Elle, Sante, Living Fit, and Femme D’aujour’hui. Commercials for Audi, Miller, Bud Light, Baskin Robbins, Molson Dry, Coppertone, Pela Windows, Comcast, Michelob Ultra and Club Med. Then there are movies and television with some of the biggest names in the business.
There is much more, I am told her Mom keeps better track of all of it. But for now, me and my friends on the wall are just amazed that Maria puts up with me and my cameras! Looking to see what we do for 2016!
Photographed on Hasselblad. Only the best!
Flyover Muscle Beach
If you were on stage at Muscle Beach or just nearby on Memorial Day, this is one of the memories you are carrying in your mind from 2015. One you will not forget soon! The only bodybuilding and fitness show to open with the United States Air Force flying a C-17 overhead at roof top level. You saw it, you heard it and you could feel the excitement. Only at the real Muscle Beach shows! That is where you find me with my cameras for over a decade.
A Thousand Words
One of the reasons I love shooting photographs is because it is said “A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words”. For Kerstin Schulze in front of my cameras, just a thousand words would not be enough. The wonderful Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle.
Loading Unloading – An Environmental Tragedy
In the distance you see the Salton Sea from what is a boat launch ramp. Perhaps a 1/2mile away from where I am standing to shoot this photograph. The disappearing of the Salton Sea, if allowed to happen, could be one of the greatest environmental tragedies to take place in the United States. Water, air, food, commerce, economy, and health will be impacted like a tidal wave starting at it’s epicenter but unstoppable with it’s reach.
Interestingly enough, there is an identical tragedy that has occurred on the other side of globe, cause and effect almost identical. The crisis of the Aral Sea, called “One Of The Planet’s Worst Environmental Disasters“. There is now very little time left to Save the Salton Sea.
My Idea Of Festive
I was thinking the red tires are very Christmas looking. Maria Yvonne Bertrand is always very festive. And she is not guilty! Makeup and Hair Styling for our photo shoot by Santa’s first choice for helper, Natalie Lyle.
Hiking With A Challenge
Without 4 wheel drive, getting to the site of the abandoned Naval Base on the shore of Salton Sea was a little over 2 miles each way in soft sand and high winds. Well worth the effort to see and photograph a part of history.
The Salton Sea was also the location of testing of dropping the first Atomic Bomb. Crews from the Crews from Wendover Air Base made hundreds of practice runs near and over Salton Sea dropping 10,000 pound dummy bombs from B-29 bombers at 30,000 feet.
The base was turned over to the Atomic Energy Commission in 1946 through 1961. Abandoned it was subsequently used off and on by the military for live munitions training and Gulf War training maneuvers.
Starting The Look Back
Looking back is especially fun when you are watching Cara Basso look back. It is that time when I start looking back on the year and thinking about the upcoming year.
2016 will find me back at Muscle Beach and at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Photo shoots will find me on locations and in studios doing fitness, fashion, muscles, great faces and good looking bodies. I also expect to be going out on a motion picture or two somewhere around the country or abroad.
I do expect to explore some new shooting and concepts. So if you think you might like to chat about being in front of my camera, behind the scenes, or have me shoot your magazines features or advertising or some kind of project, please send me a note. My e-mail is SecondFocus@mac.com and it would be great to discuss your ideas and the New Year. Thank You!
High Speed Bearcat
A Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat coming down the runway at the Palm Springs Air Museum at somewhere around 275-300 mph. The last Bearcat was delivered in 1949 and is a 2100hp 425 mph beast of an airplane. An interesting fact is the outer 3 ft of wing was designed to break off under high stress saving the aircraft from catastrophic failure. You have to go visit the Palm Springs Air Museum! So very interesting and so very fun!
Photographed with FujiFilm X-Series cameras and lenses.
No! Wrong!
You can’t just take a work that has copyright protection and make a Christmas greeting out of it for your business. When it is done by a business that is in a business that services and depends on copyright creators, it is really wrong.
I received this as a holiday e-mail greeting yesterday. It is from a photography rental studio, one that services professional photographers. Obviously they do not own the copyright and I suspect they did not license the copyright to this image for the use. I did send them an inquiry asking about that but they did not reply.
My guess is that they used it without so much as a passing thought. Often the case when you have newer people in your business who just think anything online is “fair game” for use. I use that term because it has been repeated to me. Usually my explanation to them about my copyrights and my defending my work in Federal Court ends that.
Anyway people who are in the business of copyright creation must lead by example. Do not use other peoples work, images, art, music or whatever just because it is online. It is not yours to do so.
By the way, my using this example in this post falls under a “Fair Use” exclusion in copyright law.
One more of my pet peeves is photography industry magazines that use really bad photographs in their magazines. Posts about that another time.
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