Beauty Dish – A Photo Lesson
To the right is a beauty. To the left is a beauty dish. That works! The beautiful of Maria Bertrand in our photo shoot with the wonderful makeup and hair styling by the superb Blanche LeBeau. Lighting by Broncolor and photographed with a Hasselblad digital camera system. Only the best all the way around here!
Gabriella
When I saw this gorgeous woman at the Palm Springs Photo Festival late night event party there was no question in my mind that she was a professional model. The way she carried herself, her presence, dress and makeup and hair, tall and slender. When we did meet and she told me her name was Gabriella, I thought how perfect is that. Such a romantic name that takes one away to beautiful places in Europe that so very much fits her. Then much to my surprise, I find that she is an extraordinary photographer herself. I am wondering now if I should hang out with more photographers. Just kidding, they mostly all just look like me. But that is how I came to be graced with Gabriella Muttone in front of my camera.
Gabriella Muttone in our photo shoot at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Photographed by Ian L. Sitren. Hasselblad digital camera equipment and Broncolor lighting. Only the best.
Rise Above It
The inescapable presence of model Tiana Joy in our photo shoot. Made even more so by the just the right water level in the pool. Such a candid feeling and view that would not be the same with modesty. Such a wonderful model! Thank You Tiana!
Tiana Joy photographed in Palm Springs by Ian L. Sitren. Hasselblad digital camera equipment and Broncolor lighting. Only the best.
Fashion Model Flight Demo
During our photo shoot at the Palm Springs Air Museum, Gabriella Muttone did her best to do a flight demonstration. Limited by lack of flight clearance from the tower, she never the less looked really great in her liftoff.
I must tell you about Gabriella. Stunningly beautiful, a professional model who has worked around the world, been the face of Avon, and has graced such brands as American Express, Sony, CocaCola, Diet 7-UP, WonderBra, Sears, Faberge and Appolinaris. Gabriella is represented by the prestigious Spot 6 Management in Toronto, one of the most sought after modeling agencies in Canada.
There is yet more! Gabriella herself is a superb photographer. Incredibly talented and creative, you must check out her work at GabriellaMuttone.com. I truly admire what she does behind the camera!
How flattered am I to have this accomplished professional model and an extraordinary photographer stand in front of my camera. I would otherwise be without words but I had to say Thank You Gabriella Muttone. You are just wonderful!
I must also say that I am so happy I use the best gear possible, Hasselblad digital camera equipment and Broncolor lighting. Anything less would have been just that. Thanks!
So Much Joy!
The first joy being my model, Tiana Joy. What an incredible, gorgeous, fun model to work with! Tall, long legs, sexy turn to her and made my job so easy by being able to move and take direction. Had a hard time stopping and not going on for hours more. And wait until you see the photos to follow. I promise you will want to see them and much more of Joy! Just Wow!
The next joy is my pool construction is finished! Completely tore out the old pool and all the decks, patios. All that was left was the shell, dirt and rubble. Now all done and it is wonderful! What a great shoot location and it is in my backyard.
More joy from my great camera and lighting equipment. Over and over I am so impressed with my Hasselblad digital camera gear and Broncolor lighting. Each time I do a photo shoot I am so very happy with getting the results I really expect and that I expect to produce for my clients, whether it is magazines, advertisers or models of all genres looking to be a cut above. Only the best!
So please, keep watching here and coming back for more and Thanks!
Vintage Swimsuit Is Here!
The first retro Vintage Swimsuit competition has now happened! A look back in time to those healthy, carefree, and exciting times at Muscle Beach that the entire world imagines. Vividly in everyone’s mind is the picture of Southern California beaches, the sun, good looking guys and pretty girls. And the pretty girl here is picturesque herself, Hannah Gordon Etherson on stage at Muscle Beach!
Hannah Etherson competing in the revival of Vintage Swimsuit competition at Muscle Beach, Memorial Day 2016.
So Much Fun With Gabriella
Sharing a laugh with an incredibly beautiful, gorgeous, talented and fun Gabriella Muttone. Behind the scenes in our photo shoot at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Made all the better with my Hasselblad camera and Broncolor lighting. Thank You Gabriella! You are wonderful!
Hitchhiking to Muscle Beach
I imposed upon Maria Bertrand to demonstrate the proper form and universal sign for hitchhiking to Muscle Beach. We were on Mulholland Drive above Beverly Hills so the results for cars that stopped included 17 Ferraris, 14 Lamborghinis, 6 Bentley Coupes, 11 various Rolls Royces, 4 Lincoln Town Cars and one black Loach helicopter with no markings that dropped out of the sky. However last I saw of Maria for the day was as she rode off on the back of a bright red Vespa with a really cute blonde wearing a matching helmet who had really long legs. I went back to the hotel with my Hasselblad camera and my memories of the day, in my photographs. Sigh…
Everybody Makes Friends On My Shoots
One of the very fun things that happens on my photo shoots is that everybody makes friends with everyone else. Bella found a perfect companion! Photographed with my Hasselblad digital camera and Broncolor lighting. I love this gear!
Alternate Energy Sources
I was going to use this post to tell you about the difference between Windmills and Wind Turbines. But never mind. Instead just a breathtaking moment with Heidi Cannon in front of my camera.
A Guess First
It was July last year when a so very gorgeous Maria Bertrand was photographed by me in this beautiful dress by Marciano by Guess. It looks like Guess decided that it was so beautiful on Maria that they had to put it on Gigi Hadid for their billboards and magazine ads.
Maria Bertrand Photographed along Mulholland Drive by me with my Hasselblad. Gigi Hadid for Guess.
Bonnie Waiting
Bonnie waiting, but for who? Who is Bonnie? More of this story to come.
Emma Mesrobian is our Bonnie. Makeup and Hair Styling by Estee Lauder’s world traveling Blanche Le Beau. Broncolor lighting and Hasselblad digital cameras. At the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Thank You!
Your Photo Shoot At Venice Beach
Your photo shoot with me Memorial Day weekend. I will be at Venice Beach for the huge show at Muscle Beach on Memorial Day. So on Saturday or Sunday, May 28 and 29, you can have your own mini photo shoot with me. You do not have to be doing the Muscle Beach show. Fashion model or bodybuilder, bikini model or physique competitor and couples, all are welcome. Just like my wonderful beautiful friend Maria Bertrand from our shoot on the sand at Venice Beach.
Spend about an hour with me at Venice Beach, The Venice Beach Boardwalk or a nearby beach in Marina Del Rey. Because I am photographing so many people that weekend and at the Muscle Beach show, I do these photo shoots at hugely reduced rates just to make it available to as many people as possible. But please sign up immediately so we can get you in. And if you are doing the show, sign up for your photographs with me, both on stage and backstage in the famous workout Pit. Thanks and here is the link for sign up… MuscleBeachPhoto.com.
Fashion Styling
I often think I should use a fashion stylist on my photo shoots. But then again sometimes I get by. This is the “Papier Doux” look. Okay maybe not. What do you think?
Photo shoot with a Hasselblad digital camera and Broncolor lighting. Aristodeme, one of my very favorite models.
Revisited – The Intense Environment Of Salton Sea
I attended a really fun event on Saturday night, “Open Desert – Music and Photographic Arts Showcase“. At the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, photographs from the nearby desert areas such as Joshua Tree and the Salton Sea displayed big screen behind the live music from “Tribesmen“, “Caxton“, “Mike Pygmie Ensemble” and “Drum Hall“. I was asked why I did not submit photographs for the show. Well for one thing, they were all turned black and white. I like black and white for some photographs but I think the colors and the light in the desert should be seen as you might imagine it. And another reason, well my photographs do not tend to be the usual landscape type photographs.
“The environment of Salton Sea can be very intense. Harsh Sunlight, desolate spaces, an eeriness to the Sea itself. In places a post apocalyptic look that would be movie perfect. But I find it uniquely compelling and beautiful. A favorite location for my photo shoots. Model Bailey Daniels.” – from one of my prior Blog Posts.
Fine Art Nude?
A panel discussion at the Palm Springs Photo Festival last week raised the question of what is fine art photography. Personally I do not like definitions such as that. Is the difference between fine art and not fine art a really expensive frame perhaps. I guess this is my idea of a fine art nude. Aristodeme the model is nude and she is holding fine art. Photographed with a Hasselblad digital camera and Broncolor lighting. That equipment is fine art, and so is Aristodeme, of that I am sure!
Porno Chic
It is not just naked. It is called “Porno Chic”. A term created by New York Times art critic Hilton Kramer in the 1970s to describe the work of fashion photographers Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin and Chris von Wangenheim. Editorial and advertising photography that uses nudity, eroticism… sexual and sultry to be more than pornography. I also refer to it as “edgy lifestyle” and think it is great fun. That is why you see it in my photography. It is not just being naked.
If you follow my Blog you saw an earlier post I did jokingly talking about this series selling chairs or furniture. Actually this photograph does work. Does it not get your attention about the chair? You can see very well how it is made, the details of it, and the model makes it look really comfortable. It is helped out by having a great model. And also works because it is photographed with a Hasselblad digital camera and lighting by Broncolor. Only the best all the way around. Thanks!
Fashionable Undressing
My idea of evening cocktail attire might be different than for others. More of a fashion statement. One of my most favorite models, Aristodeme. The camera is Hasselblad digital. The lighting is Broncolor.
Lucky Tree
It crossed my mind to wonder what kind of tree it was that worked so perfectly for our photo shoot. Then I figured it out… a very lucky tree! Maria Bertrand, a very lucky tree, my Hasselblad camera and me. That is a good day in the park!
Sports Theme
I always admire my photographer friends who shoot sports. Some of them have shot the Olympics many times. They photograph at the Superbowl, the World Series, major sports league games and the biggest fights. So just to feel like I am part of things, I like to add a sports theme to my photo shoots now and then.
Photographed by me with a Hasselblad digital camera. Broncolor lighting with a Broncolor Para 133 reflector on a Scoro pack. I truly like the light out of that Para! Only the best!
Polaroid and Palm Springs
Something about the Palm Springs resort sunlight that makes instant photographs even better. Here with a vintage Polaroid SX-70 camera and Impossible Project film. Poolside in Palm Springs with Jamie.
The Tools Of My Work
I do get asked about my set ups for shooting, lighting and background and studio and such. Often it is somewhat simple. However I choose the tools for my work very carefully. Here you can see what has become my favorite lighting, the Broncolor Para 133. This photo shoot had it powered by a Broncolor Scoro E pack. The camera also my favorite, a Hasselblad digital. Yes my choice of gear is the very high end of equipment. But I think about the amazingly wonderful people who are in front of my cameras and in that lighting. Many prep for a very long time for these photo shoots and often it is their career. Thereby deserving of the best on my part. That is my commitment. If you have any questions or would be interested in shooting with me or have me photograph your advertising or features, please send me an e-mail to Ian@SecondFocus.com. I would be more than excited to chat with you. And Thanks!
The Sky Up There
Beautiful desert skies over the Salton Sea Airport. Scenery in our photo shoot provided by Bailey Daniels. Just the model, myself and my camera. So simple, my favorite way to shoot.
Blindfold & Shadow
If you are blindfolded and nude, is your shadow also blindfolded and nude?
Model Aristodeme in our photo shoot. Photographed with Hasselblad digital and Broncolor lighting. Only the best!
Aristodeme in Blindfold and Shadow. Photograph by Ian L. Sitren
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