Sexiest Summer FitBodies
Katie Madden featured as a Sexiest Summer FitBody for 2015 in the latest issue of Planet Muscle Magazine. And Katie is 56 years old! Is she just not too amazing for words! Good thing I shot the photographs. Makeup and Hair Styling by the ever wonderful Natalie Lyle. And yet another magazine feature photographed with my Hasselblad camera. Thanks!
My Mulholland Drive Tour Guide
My Mulholland Drive tour guide for the day. Maria Bertrand told me she had some good photo shoot locations in mind and wow was she right. And wow is she gorgeous! We did a few different looks for a few different themes to go with magazine feature stories and more. Here she is in a Guess by Marciano dress that was just made for her. Or maybe she was made for that dress! Just perfect! All photographed on Hasselblad which is why you are seeing so much detail in the fabric of that dress, the perfect colors and skin tones and the looks like you are there feel to the photograph. Also just perfect!
Girl Just Gotta Have Fun!
Behind the scenes, as Maria Bertrand and I went off to do a photo shoot along Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles last week. Maria is just too much fun! I am so lucky to have this woman who has been in the pages of Vogue and more in front of my Hasselblad camera! Keep watching here for a few photographs from this shoot. We did back up traffic along the highway for sure!
I Want It!
I don’t care what it is, if Ava Cowan is promoting it, I want it! Cell phones, posing suits, swimwear, hair style, supplements, whatever! When you look this gorgeous I am all in and there! A selfie from just the other day from one of the most respected and admired women in fitness, Ava Cowan. Go visit her website to get more of a look… AvaCowan.com
By the way, I Do Love Selfies! If you want to send me your selfie and a paragraph about you to be published across my social media and be seen by a huge audience, please do. I will try to publish as many of you as I can, but I do get quite a few, so I may have to stretch them out and pick and choose. But please do! Send them to my email at SecondFocus@mac.com and Thanks!
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.
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!
Her First!
You have seen her makeup and hair styling work in my photographs in magazines and online for some time now. Now you get to see Natalie Lyle herself in a magazine from one of our photo shoots. The latest edition of Planet Muscle Magazine. Yes this is the same Natalie who was helping me on my photo shoots all day at Muscle Beach on Memorial Day during the show. You will see her again with me on July 4th at Muscle Beach. So bring a copy with you and take a selfie with Natalie and the magazine and have her sign it. How Fun! And if you want to sign up for photo shoots at the show or that weekend, here is the link… https://squareup.com/market/secondfocus Thanks!
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!
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.
Secret Admirer
A fit and sexy Shawn Towne has a secret admirer. Not a surprise as this smoldering hot Mom showed us all that fitness is indeed the fountain of youth. Not only a Mom but also a busy model who has been seen on billboards around Las Vegas and fashion featured by haute couture designers. No wonder she easily caught the attention of Chaun Williams! You will be seeing more from this photo shoot!
From our photo shoot In Las Vegas at City Athletic Club and the Bellagio Las Vegas. With a wonderful day of Makeup and Hair Styling by Christine Copeland. Wardrobe styling assistance and posing coaching from my assistant for the day, Jennifer Chamberlin. Just a totally Wow photo shoot! Thanks!
No Tie Required
From now on all of my invitations are going to read “No Tie Required”! From my photo shoot with Randalene Sergent. The superb Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle.
“Legs Forever” – This Is Her!
You have heard the description “Legs Forever”. Well this is her, Natalie Lyle. More than just legs, she is also abs, arms, sexy and beautiful. Would you believe that when she first started working for me as my photo shoot Makeup Artist she had never even been in a gym in her entire life! I think all of the bodybuilding and fitness photography I do has rubbed off on her in a very good way. You can see Natalie on stage this Saturday at the NPC Grand Prix Bodybuilding, Figure, Physique and Bikini Championships in Los Angeles. Or you can just keep staring at this photograph from our photo shoot the other day. I won’t stop you, I am staring at her too!
Tonality As In Black And White
I keep seeing color digital camera photographs converted to black and white and wonder why I do not like them very much. I prefer the tonality created by actual black and white film and most of the black and white conversions I see miss the smoothness of the changes from the whites to the grays to the blacks. So I do prefer to shoot film for black and white or if I do a conversion from a digital created color photograph I try to create that tonality. And that is what I did here for example.
This is model Maria Rogers during an advertising photo shoot I did for Bodybuidling.com. Maria of course is nothing short of incredibly beautiful with a body that is just totally breathtaking. And a wonderful model that day for sure. This is actually an outtake but the ad itself ran in endless magazines for quite some time. I got a lot of e-mail from women who told me that they had torn this out and it was on their refrigerator for motivation. I also got a lot of e-mail from guys, sometimes the word motivation was in those too.
A side note you might find fun, Maria is wearing my underwear! Well not really mine and they were new. I try to carry extra new wardrobe pieces in a bag on all shoots. Odds and ends or some things I just happen to buy or that get sent to me by clothing and accessory companies. In this case we needed a matching thong. And I had one in just the right color. I would say it saved the day! What would you say?
Yes I Photograph Men…
Yesterday I got an e-mail that I do get every now and then… “Do you ever photograph men?”. Well yes! Actually, I have had more magazine covers and features with men than with women. The same might be the case for advertising. But I am working on more new magazine features with women recently. That is why you are seeing those photographs from me.
I am always happy to hear from new guys for photo shoots, so if you are interested send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com. And you do not have to be a bodybuilder like Jake Sawyer, not everyone is! Thanks!
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!
Bikini Weather
I saw a swimsuit ad yesterday about getting ready for bikini weather. It is always bikini weather for me and my cameras. Especially with Ashley Owens Gulina! Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle.
“For The Ladies”
Someone asked the other day if I ever photograph guys in the gym “for the ladies”. Well not with that thought specifically in mind. I do photograph a lot of guys in the gym for magazines, online features, advertising etc. Actually I am one of the most widely known photographers in the bodybuilding and fitness business. However in answer to the idea of “for the ladies”, will this photograph of Jake Sawyer in the gym do the job? 
Natalie Lyle By Natalie Lyle
Natalie Lyle has created herself in so many ways. She started with me when she graduated from makeup school with almost no experience. From then, right up to today, she has developed into one of the best makeup and hair stylists one could could ask for. As well as a styling and posing watchful eye. And as a consequence from watching me work with amateur inexperienced models or the most experienced professionals, she has become that posing competent model herself.
Natalie was new to the world of bodybuilding and fitness when she started with me as well. She had never seen the bodies like on the models I often photograph. So finally after spending so much time in this part of the fitness world she decided that a fit body and lifestyle was for her too. Now we have Natalie Lyle, the 6 foot tall gorgeous model with a fitness gym built body. Incredible in front of the camera as well as still behind the camera with me.
Behind The Scenes With You…
You could be looking at behind the scenes photographs of my photo shoot with you. These are from one of my shoots with the more than beautiful and wonderful Stacey Naito. This is the time that I am really giving a lot of thought to my planning for photo shoots for the coming year just around the corner. Of course I will continue to do my photography in bodybuilding and fitness whether in the gym, in the pool, or on location. I am also continuing to expand my shooting more directed to lifestyle features, edgy and nude fashion, editorial and advertising. And as I have always said, I reserve the right to photograph anything I find fun and interesting. So if you want to be a part of any of those concepts, genres and ideas or just want to get in on the fun and interesting, it is time to send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com with what you are thinking and let’s chat about it. Thanks! 
It Has Already Started…
I started thinking about my photo shoot plans for next year. That may include many of you. So if you have been thinking about shooting with me or planning your magazine editorials or advertising campaigns, let’s chat. Yes I will be doing my work in bodybuilding and fitness, but let’s make it really standout! I am also doing work in lifestyle including fashion, edgy and conceptual. As I often say, I reserve the right to photograph anything I find fun and interesting. But seriously, whatever your concept, let’s talk! We can make it worthwhile and fun! Send me a note to SecondFocus@mac.com.
Here is a look behind the scenes on my photo shoot in the desert and wind farms with Sergi Constance. Sergi has become enormously successful as a model and our photographs made their way to magazines and more around the world.
SecondFocus Blog 