My Secret To Working With Gorgeous Models
I am often asked by newer inexperienced photographers how to get the most out of models during photo shoots. It can also be especially intimidating for new photographers when working with tall, gorgeous professional models like Maria Bertrand. I will tell you my secret… Cookies and Milk. Yes that’s it! You can get the best photo shoots ever with a model if you give them Cookies and Milk.
Maybe Near You?
Have you been wanting to do a photo shoot with me but getting away to Palm Springs is really difficult. I will start letting you know my likely availability in other locations. So here we go…
I will have availability Saturday July 18th and Sunday July 19th in Los Angeles in the Venice Beach area. And again on Wednesday July 22nd. Other locations nearby would be considered.
August 22nd I will be at the Anaheim FitExpo and Iron Man Naturally. I will have availability to shoot in Orange County on Sunday August 23rd at a likely gym location. Other locations could also be considered.
Labor Day September 7th will find me at the bodybuilding and fitness competition at Muscle Beach Venice. I will again be doing competitor photo shoots of you on stage and backstage if you are doing the show. I will also be doing special individual photo shoots with you, even if you are not a competitor, on Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th. These shoots will be at Venice Beach or a beach in nearby Marina Del Rey. I price these photo shoots very reasonably because I can get a number of you in during the day. So you really want to take advantage of this pricing because I really can’t do it otherwise, not even close!
Most of those photo shoots that I do out of town are based on being less complicated and less time than I would usually be doing. So again they are very reasonably priced as compared to my usual shoots. You will still however get the great photographs I am known for creating! I really enjoy shooting with as many of you as as I can, so please try to take advantage of what can be as much as only 25% or less of what i would have to charge otherwise.
For those of you who would like to see me in an area near you, let me know. If you have a few others who would like to be in front of my cameras, we can bring your individual costs way down and make it work for me coming to you.
Please send me an e-mail with any of your questions or for more information. I am at SecondFocus@mac.com and Thank You!
By the way this is from a photo shoot I did in Marina Del Rey a few years back with one of the most popular and respected women in all of our world of fitness, Ava Cowan.
The July 4th Muscle Beach 2015 Over 50 Bodybuilding Champion
Billy Robinson became the Muscle Beach 2015 Masters Men Over 50 Champion this past weekend. When I saw him in the morning I knew he would be taking home a big trophy. It does take years of hard work to build thick mature muscle like that. Great job Billy and well deserved!
Not A Recent Photo
I did tell them that it was not a recent photo. If you are one of over 24,000 photographers who get Professional Photographer Magazine, there I am full page! For over 100 years with members in 54 countries, it is the official membership magazine of Professional Photographers of America. And no I am not still using that camera. Too Fun!
Everyday!
Might be a message there! What do you you think? Chris Jantz pumping up backstage in the workout Pit on July 4th at the real Muscle Beach/Venice. The big Summer bodybuilding and fitness competition saw Chris take home two first place trophies, one second place trophy and a big win as Overall Champion Novice. Everyday!
Travis Ely On His Way!
Travis Ely working it in the gym on his way to the NPC Universe National Bodybuilding Championships next week in New Jersey. This is a pivotal show for a bodybuilder because it is what is called an IFBB Pro Qualifier. Top placing competitors will earn the title of “Professional Bodybuilder” in the IFBB, the most prestigious bodybuilding federation on the planet. Travis has done a great job with 20 weeks of prep, making great gains in muscle thickness, symmetry and detail. I do not say this often, almost never actually, but I expect him to do good!
By the way from a photographers perspective… Photographed with my Hasselblad camera producing incredibly accurate skin tones, colors, contrast and detail. So very impressed with Hasselblad!
And a big Thank You to Palm Springs Fitness for always being a great place to work out and being with friends and for supporting Travis Ely! Travis is a personal trainer at Palm Springs Fitness, go see him!
A Couple Of Firsts
Behind the scenes in my photo shoot with Katie Madden just recently. A couple of firsts here; the first time Katie will be published in a magazine. And the first of my photo shoots to be published photographed with my Hasselblad camera! The superb Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle. Very Fun!
Hasselblad Reality
When I announced that I had added a Hasselblad digital medium format camera system to my equipment, it generated a lot of interest. I received lots of messages and have been asked about it personally from photographers, models and people generally.
My decision to go Hasselblad, after trying out pretty much every high end camera system, came back to this one photo I shot of bodybuilder Travis Elywhen I first tried it out on a real photo shoot. Click on it to really get a look. The completely real colors, skin tone and definition were exactly what I wanted. It is more than a photograph, seemingly a duplicate of reality.
There are other reasons I chose Hasselblad. It is a legendary manufacturer of cameras made famous when chosen by NASA in 1962 to be the cameras to go into outer space. And of course used by so many famous photographers in the past and today. So who is next in front of my Hasselblad?
Just Wonderful!
There are so many wonderful’s here in this photograph but I will start with Katie Madden. She is just incredibly gorgeous and has built herself a beautiful fit body. A health and fitness professional she actually started in fitness at the age of 42. I first photographed and interviewed her at the NPC Nationals competition in Miami 9 years ago. Now are you ready for this… Katie in my pool here in Palm Springs for this photo shoot on Monday at the age of 56!
The next wonderful is the Makeup and Hair Styling by my ever present Natalie Lyle. She never ceases to do wonderful work and brings a trusted professionalism to every one of our photo shoots!
And another wonderful is Hasselblad. A historic name in camera systems that has seen work in the finest fashion houses, in the hands of the most famous photographers and has even seen Outer Space and the Moon. Now in my hands producing a realism, perfect colors and skin tones and the definition that I have always wanted to see in my photographs. Don’t be fooled, lesser is not just as good.
Always So Many!
Only some of the many looks of Katie Madden from our photo shoot the other day. The hard part for me is always selecting the very best shots when all are so good! MakeUp and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle who makes it equally tough on me by doing such great work!
When It Is This Hot…
Behind the scenes from Monday with a totally captivating Katie Madden. Finished doing our studio shoot and with it being so very hot here in Palm Springs what better then to move the photo shoot to the pool! I must say that Katie did not do anything to lower the temperature!
Makeup and Hair Styling for the day by an also very hot Natalie Lyle. The hard work was down by my assistant Clyde Sawyer. And I got to use my new favorite Hasselblad camera. Outstanding!
A Real Time Saver
Very time efficient when you can get lots of services in one place. Actually a store front that caught the interest of my camera on a photo excursion the other day. This is in old downtown Indio California.
OK Smile!
Actually a small part of a building size mural in old downtown Indio California. Went on an excursion yesterday to photograph around old downtown Indio and Coachella and anything interesting along the way. There were many a great mural of incredible art. This one was especially extraordinary. I photographed with my Hasselblad medium format digital camera. The results are more astounding that I had imagined. The realism, color accuracy and sharpness create more of a duplicate of reality than just a photograph. Another photographer asked me if I had the clients who warranted such an expensive camera system. I said yes… Me! I expect the best photography I can do from me!
Maria And My Camera
Maria Bertrand in front of my camera. She is always just so beautiful and perfect. We had just finished shooting photographs for magazine features she is writing on Yoga. Maria slipped on a sweater and some heels, just her and myself and a camera among all of the other people at the beach. My favorite kind of photo shoot. Ok so who is next?
Yoga Photo Shoot Wrap Up
Finished up a photo shoot on the beach with Maria Bertrand for a series of magazine features on Yoga. This is her “I’m done now, let’s go get a drink” Yoga pose.
Wild Times In Seattle
I am here looking for some wild times in Seattle before I get to wild times at Muscle Beach/Venice on Sunday and Monday. I think Google got my request wrong. But this is fun too!
When She Crawls In To Bed
From my file of Photographer Best Hints. When your beautiful model crawls into bed, take a photo! From my photo shoot with Shawn Towne on Facebook at Shawn Towne Modeling. Makeup and Hair Styling by Christine Copeland. My assistant and posing and wardrobe coach for the day, Jennifer Chamberlin. — at Bellagio Las Vegas.
The Hottest Makeup Artist!
Looking incredible and having fun! Natalie Lyle started out as my Makeup Artist on my photo shoots. Along the way she became very studied and professional in front of the camera. And Natalie also became hard working in the gym. Now I have the most amazing looking Makeup Artist imaginable. You can meet Natalie at Muscle Beach/Venice on Monday as she helps me on my photo shoots for the day. At 6ft tall, you will not miss her!
Air Museum With The Hasselblad
Some random photographs today with a Hasselblad medium format digital camera. One of the things I like about the Hasselblad is the accurate color reproduction. It is called “The Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS)”. This is a real important issue with me especially when it comes to skin tones. Just take a more studied look at all the photographs you see of people, especially on Facebook, and you will see how so many photographers let skin tones go orange in color. Even with the tanning products that are used in bodybuilding and fitness, people should not look orange in photographs, they should look tan. Skin tones and colors in general are more accurate in medium format digital and known to be very accurate in Hasselblad.
Using the Hasselblad at the Palm Springs Air Museum
A Hasselblad Photographer
Very fun to be registered Hasselblad photographer! I have always been fascinated wit the history of Hasselblad and the incredible quality of their camera systems. How many of you remember that it was Hasselblad cameras that first went into Space and to the Moon!
I Am A Shawn Fan!
I am a fan! Shawn Towne is a 48 year old Mom of three. I first saw her in photographs of billboards of her around Las Vegas as the model for Camille Flawless Haute Couture. And before too long, in front of my camera, I saw the incredible body she has built, but was hidden under those elegant dresses. Shawn had never been packing any muscle and was sixty pounds over weight at her first pregnancy. No More! Now I would call her role model. Go visit her Facebook page at Shawn Towne Modeling and just maybe we will be seeing more of her!
From our photo shoot at City Athletic Club in Las Vegas. Makeup and Hair Styling by Christine Copeland. My assistant and fashion and posing coach, Jennifer Chamberlin. Thank You!
Salton Sea To Sochi Russia
From one side of the globe to another. I just love this! Of course I just love my buddy Sasha Brown. One of the photographs from our photo shoot at Salton Sea announcing her Fit Camp in Sochi Russia, home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. She has always been an amazing globe trotter!
Not So Secret Admirer
Shawn Towne had a secret admirer at the gym. A professional model working in fitness, fashion and lifestyle, you can readily see that no matter what she is wearing, she keeps herself more than in shape. So why not surround yourself with in shape people and have good friends from the gym be your friends outside the gym as well. It is motivating! Her friend here is Chaun Williams, model good looking himself. Not so secret!
The superb Makeup and Hair Styling by Christine Copeland. Wardrobe and posing coaching by my assistant for the day, Jennifer Chamberlin. Thank You!
Photo shoot with model Shawn Towne. Additional model Chaun T. Williams.
Lauretta At Coda
Too fun and a big congratulations to a wonderful artist Lauretta Lowell. Her wonderful works will now be at the superb Coda Gallery, Palm Desert. We did photographs of Lauretta which you see here, which also appeared in a feature for the website of Palm Springs Life Magazine, Palm Springs California. The superb Makeup and Hair Styling was by Blanche LeBeau. Thanks!
SecondFocus Blog 