Vintage Muscle Beach
So excited to be a part of the new Muscle Beach Vintage Swimsuit competition coming up on Memorial Day! Along with show producer Joe Wheatley we are planning on re-creating timeless photographs like this. If you are doing the show, you just might be a part of it. And you can have your own moments in my photographs too. I am the Muscle Beach photographer. You can sign up for your photographs on stage, back stage in the famous “Pit” and your own personal mini photo shoot. Also available for couples. But please sign up ASAP, I will not have time for everyone, so do not wait. Thanks and click here for details… https://squareup.com/store/secondfocus/
Black Belt at Venice Beach
When Alex appeared on stage at Muscle Beach with his competition partner Maud, I had no idea what was next. But after the show for their photo shoot I found out how fun it was to be! Alexandre Michel Franchini exhibiting his black belt prowess all the way from Saint-Mihiel, France in front of my Hasselblad camera in the ocean waves at Venice Beach.
Sign up are now open for you in front of my camera at Muscle Beach and Venice Beach for the Memorial Day weekend. I will be shooting your photos if you are doing the show on stage and also backstage. You can also have your own mini photo shoot Saturday or Sunday before the show on Monday, Memorial Day. That is also for couples or even if you are not doing the show. It is only because I will be photographing a lot of people that weekend that I can make these prices so very low. But you must sign up ahead of time. I will not have the time to photograph everyone so please sign up as soon as possible. Here is the sign up page and Thanks… MuscleBeachPhoto.com
Flying In To Muscle Beach
Of course Lisa Marino Sanders would arrive in her United States Air Force F-16 for her photo shoot with me at Venice Beach.
The high flying Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle. Flight wear styling by April Ann Styles. And the real F-16 courtesy of the United States Air Force. Only at the real Muscle Beach for the real Muscle Beach/Venice bodybuilding and fitness shows.
The Fit Life Journey
More from our photo shoot with Chris Polityka. Photographs that show that you really can work out in the gym as part of your fitness journey and have fun through your whole life. I like this! Thanks to Power of Fitness gym in Palm Desert for sharing their great gym with us. Thanks to Hassleblad digital and broncolor lighting. Only the best!
Making The Pit Look So Good!
Just perfect! My best buddy Maria Bertrand making the “Pit” at Muscle Beach look so good!
Maria Bertrand In The Pit At Muscle Beach
Iron Man Naturally Championships Competitors
Some great competitors who crossed my lens on stage at the Iron Man Naturally Championships 2016 at the FitExpo Los Angeles last weekend.
Jim Clifford at the 2016 Iron Man Naturally Championships
Lene Alexandre at the 2016 Iron Man Naturally Championships
Derrick Cole at the 2016 Iron Man Naturally Championships
Alexis Donahoe at the 2016 Iron Man Naturally Championships
Grace Marlin at the 2016 Iron Man Naturally Championships
Johanna De La Vega at the 2016 Iron Man Naturally Championships
Charlisa Nicole Villar at the 2016 Iron Man Naturally Championships
That Was Me
Thank You to so very many for your kind words in the last few days about my bodybuilding and fitness show photography. Not a new thing for me to shoot shows.
Actually I am the photographer who was very first credentialed for Bodybuilding.com to shoot their very first Olympia coverage about a dozen years ago. That’s right! Before me Bodybuilding.com never was allowed a photo press credential for the Olympia.
I went on to shoot over 20 shows per year for them all around the country including the Arnold, other pro shows and the bigger amateur shows. Remember when you would get up in the morning and see the show photos from the night before on the Bodybuilding.com website. That was me shooting the show, staying up all night along with one person back at Bodybuilding.com headquarters getting that all online. We pioneered that along with many other show reporting innovations. I could tell you some great and fun stories for sure about those times.
Of course you have seen my show photos in the magazines and on the magazines covers along the way too. But my favorites have always been the advertising, both online and print ads for Bodybuilding.com. Even Jamie Eason was first seen for Bodybuilding.com when I photographed her for them for the very first time.
This is a computer wallpaper that was done back then. There was one of those done weekly and for a few years almost all from my photos. It was all great fun and I still love doing it! Thanks Again!
Bodybuilding Winner!
Bodybuilder Bada Lekan, originally from Nigeria, winning the 2016 Iron Man Naturally at the Los Angeles FitExpo this last weekend. A truly well deserved win!
Bodybuilder Bada Lekan Wins The Iron Man Naturally 2016
Winner!
My buddy Evina Del Pizzo Luna winning the Overall Bikini Championship at the Iron Man Naturally 2016 on Saturday. One of the top featured events at the Los Angeles FitExpo. I was there with 60,000 of my best friends. Were you there too?
Sci Fi Girl
I really like this girl! I am thinking photo shoot! Yesterday downtown Los Angeles near the L.A. Mart for Photo LA. Today you will find me at the FitExpo at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Photos Like This
Bodybuilder Dan Hill in front of my camera. I will be in Los Angeles this weekend, Friday through Sunday, for the FitExpo and Photo LA. Let’s meet and chat photography for your ads, magazines, features, portfolios, promotions. More to see on my website at SecondFocus.com. Send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com or text to 213-712-1929. Thanks!
FitExpo and Photo L.A.
Tomorrow, Friday through Sunday, find me in Los Angeles for Photo LA and the FitExpo Los Angeles. Time to just meet and/or talk about photography and my work in shooting magazine features, advertising, your portfolio and more. It would be great to meet you! Just send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com or text to my cellphone at 213-712-1929. And Thanks!
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.
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.
Two Guys And The Ferrigno
These two guys have been hitting the gym at Palm Springs Fitness and getting ready. Travis Ely has walked away with a few bodybuilding trophies now and on his way in his best shape ever. Aaron Cruz is doing his very first show in Physique and has come a real long way down almost sixty pounds and cut up! The Lou Ferrigno Legacy Competition this weekend in Palm Springs California.
Sadly Sean Jones…
As we grow older we are visited by the sadness of the passing of those who have touched our lives. Yesterday many of us learned of the passing of Sean Jones. It was few years ago, Sean took the stage at Muscle Beach and it was obvious that for everyone else that it would be a fight for 2nd place. Actually Sean that day set a standard that would be hard to beat for a superb aesthetic bodybuilding physique for anyone to have matched. Sean went on to become a much sought after and respected body paint model around the world. He touched many many lives. But this photo I shot of Sean, the day after that Muscle Beach show, is one of my all time favorites and has been on my website ever since. And it will remain so. It makes me smile as he did whenever I heard from him and followed his journey. Much better seen full screen for this big guy on my website at http://bit.ly/1LgKKrt
Ed Corney Inducted Into The Muscle Beach Hall of Fame
Legendary bodybuilder Ed Corney being inducted into the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame by bodybuilder Jerome Ferguson. Ed is considered one of the greatest bodybuilding posers of all time. He took many famous bodybuilding titles over the years including Mr. Universe in 1972 in competition held in Baghdad, Iraq.
Ed appeared in the movie and was on the poster for the movie “Pumping Iron” with Arnold and many well known bodybuilders. He was also featured on the cover of the book. To a person, everyone who has ever known Ed Corney speaks of him as one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. And that includes myself as well. Congratulations to Ed Corney! Well deserved!
At Muscle Beach Venice at the Muscle Beach Championship on Labor Day 2015. Photographed by me using only the best, Hasselblad cameras.
A Very Special “Muscle Beach Courage Award”!
The second photograph below is not some abstract work of art. It is the remains of the car driven by Bryan Ortiz. That is the “Before Photo” and also below here is the “After Photo” from Muscle Beach on July 4th. To quote from the presentation as Eryk Bui presented Bryan Ortiz with the Muscle Beach Courage Award…
“Four years ago on June 12, 2011, he was in a car accident, hit by a drunk driver, who was never caught. In the hospital for about a year and a half, the doctors found broken ribs, both lungs collapsed, internal bleeding, his heart moved to the middle of his chest, shattered legs and pelvis. There was the possibility that both legs would be amputated. In a coma for 3 months under respiratory support, he died 3 times. He had over 18 surgeries, 26 blood transfusions, skin graphs, ab muscles removed on his right side to restore his legs, and metal plates and rods from his waist down.”
“He competed on Memorial Day at the Muscle Beach International Classic and last Saturday at the Mr. & Ms. Muscle Beach. He plans to compete on Labor Day at the Muscle Beach Championship to complete the Summer trifecta. His story hopefully can inspire many who think that they can’t achieve the impossible. He’s living proof that anything IS possible. All it takes is hunger, drive, heart, dedication, discipline, and most important, FAITH. His message to everyone is NEVER GIVE UP!!!”
USAF Flyover At Muscle Beach!
A giant United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III does a flyover at Muscle Beach to open the big International Classic bodybuilding and fitness show for Memorial Day 2015. Really something to see and hear! And it only happens at the Memorial Day show at the real Muscle Beach/Venice! A big Thank You to Ken H. Goode Jr. and the great people at March Air Reserve Base for making this happen!
You, Me And My Camera….
Are you looking good? Are you looking this good? Maybe you need to be in front of my cameras. Jake Sawyer in just one of our photo shoots along the way, which has helped him find his way into many a magazine and more. Send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com and we can chat about it. Thanks!
It Says Champion Because…
It says Champion over his head because now he is one! Yesterday at the huge Los Angeles FitExpo, Travis Ely won the overall bodybuilding championship title! He worked hard, looked great, and did the homework! Good thing I brought a camera with me. Big shout out to Jake Sawyer who gave Ely that last week tune up! Outstanding!
Iron Man Magazine Naturally Determined
Travis Ely is determined coming into his second time at the NPC Iron Man Naturally bodybuilding competition this Saturday. In conjunction with the huge Los Angeles FitExpo this is great kickoff for his next year of competition and accomplishment. You can see Ely giving every inch of concentration as he listens to posing refinements from Jake Sawyer. Along with some last minute diet tweaks from Jake, between now and Saturday morning Ely will look ripped and refined when he steps on stage. So come on out and see the show, I will be there, camera in hand. And take in the FitExpo on Saturday and Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. One of the biggest fitness events in the country!
On His Way!
A huge congratulations to my good friend Xavisus Gayden. He has been invited to compete in at the very prestigious Arnold Sports Festival for 2015 in Columbus Ohio. The opportunity to show off that finely honed physique on that stage is truly special in the world of bodybuilding and fitness.
From his first magazine appearance, when I featured Xavisus in Iron Man Magazine as the BodySpace Physique of the Month for Bodybuilding.com, and along the way, he has been an exemplary individual and a credit to his continuing service as a United State Marine. Outstanding!
Get Your Dents Worked Out…
Stopping by for some auto repair? Maybe things running rough? Looks like he is not too busy but maybe not impressed with the idea of getting under the hood of your car. Knows his way around the garage. I’m thinking he does mostly bodywork. Ask him about getting your dents worked out. A much better idea! Jake Sawyer from our photo shoot.
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