Over 40 Fit & Healthy
Chris Polityka told me that he wanted people to see that with good nutrition and exercise that is just good fun, after 40, you can look good and live healthy. That’s his business at MacrosEdge and I would suggest you check it out. From what I can see from our all day photo shoot, Chris has succeeded!
Chris Polityka photographed by Ian L. Sitren on Hasselblad digital. Only the best!
Loving My New Biz Cards
I am really loving my new biz cards, big time! Any question about what I do lol? The camera is Hasselblad, only the best! The cards by Moo.com, triple thick with a red seam center around the edges. Designed entirely by my good buddy Dennis Johnson. I am going to say the best biz card I have ever had in my many years! If you want me to send you a couple, just send me a note with your address to SecondFocus@mac.com. They are really cool!
On The Go!
What better than to be on the go! Good that I can get my models to carry something to help out. Good that I carry the camera to capture the moment!
Model Aristodeme Photographed On Hasselblad. Only The Best!
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.
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!
A Flight Of Beer On A DC-3
Yesterday you could have gone back in a time machine and flown luxury class on The Flabob Express DC-3 while tasting craft beers at the Props & Hops Craft Beer Festival at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The plane was originally designated as a C-47B and built in 1945. Very Fun!
Photographed on Hasselblad. Only the best!
Dedication
It is dedication in all walks of life that makes us not just look good but to also be a better self. And in turn makes those better around us as well. Greg Tully from our photo shoot.
Photographed on Hasselblad. Only the best.
The Mask Behind The Shoes
The masked woman behind my photographs for Shoe Envy, Maria Bertrand. In front of one of the mesmerizing unique art works by Emma Ferreira. I love the Shoe Envy tag line… “Because Finding The Perfect Pair Should Be Easier Than Finding Your Perfect Date”. Shoe Envy from Envy Inc., “The Data Platform For The Fashion Industry”. The Booties and Poncho courtesy Skingraft. Art and Mask and Studio courtesy of Emma Ferreira. Thank You!
Photographed on Hasselblad digital and Broncolor lighting. My choice for superb detail and accurate colors. Only the best.
My Ride Is Here!
Overhead this morning, the C-47 Skytrain “Bunny” out of the Palm Springs Air Museum. It’s nose art is “What’s Up Doc”. In service for 58 years and here painted with 1944 D-Day Invasion stripes. Also known as “Gooney Bird” it can land almost anywhere even with no landing strip. As the DC-3 it was one of the earliest commercial passenger planes.
Legs, Shoes, And Envy
I love the photographs we did for Shoeenvy, so very fun! A few have been used so far and there are many more yet. These are the photographs used on the App. What does the App do? “We make shoe shopping convenient and even more fun.” And my favorite quote… “Shoeenvy – because finding the right pair of shoes should be easier than finding the right guy.” By the way, the parent company Envy creates “The Data Platform For The Fashion Industry”. Very cool and my photographs are on their website as well.
By the way, the photographs were shot on digital Hasselblad and the Move 1200L lighting system by broncolor. Nothing but the best producing the best possible details, accurate colors and skin tones.
Women Love Shoes!
Women love shoes and women love Shoeenvy! I do too now! One photograph from our shoe fashion photo shoot on Monday. Already used in multiple places on the company websites. I think we could say this is kind of fun, kind of sexy. Oh Yes! Go check out Shoeenvy!
Photographed with only the best equipment, Hasselblad camera and lenses and Broncolor lighting. Thanks!
I Am Down With Shoeenvy!
Getting down at shoe level for a shoe fashion photo shoot for Shoeenvy. I love the Shoeenvy statement on their Instagram page, “Because finding the right pair of shoes should be easier than finding the right guy.” Too fun! You have to check them out and download their App. You will be seeing some sexy and fun shoe fashion with some sexy legs in those shoes.
Yes this is me crawling around on the floor of an artist’s studio in Los Angeles, for the last of three parts of our photo shoot. The first of the day was around a pool in a garden setting. The second was in an upstairs crowded fun art deco looking apartment in the Melrose area.
Shooting Hasselblad and Broncolor was a huge advantage for a number of reasons. I was using the Broncolor Move 1200L lighting system which gave me a lot of portable power that could be moved around and the strobe actually being held by one person easily because it is so small and light. In the garden and by the pool it made it easy to move around quickly without being encumbered by power cables. In the other settings just one light stand made it simple and convenient.
The Hasselblad medium format digital camera was ideal for this shoot because I wanted to see the detail in the shoes. You see a lot of photos out there that are supposed to be fashion, but when you really look, you do not see any of the fabrics, stitching and so much that goes into it’s creation. Hasselblad and Hasselblad lenses gives you that detail. Adding in the color accuracy, real life skin tones, and exposure latitude combined with the very consistent Broncolor lighting and you have the right tools for a no compromise photo shoot. And I always want to give my clients and models and everyone involved a no compromise photo shoot on my part, no matter anything else.
So Thank You to everyone involved on this photo shoot! It was a lot of fun and the results are superb. And now go check out Shoeenvy and download their App. This is going to be the fun way you buy shoes! And there will be more real soon! But probably not a convenient way to get the right guy. Thanks!
Go Hasselblad
To all my photographer buddies. I know many of you have asked me about my decision to go with Hasselblad as my camera of choice. Here is an opportunity for you to get into Hasselblad yourself at a huge savings. Hasselblad has certified pre-owned cameras with a warranty at an additional 20% discount right now. Take a look, it is really a move up! Here is the link to what is available, take a look! http://www.hasselbladbron.com/cpo.pdf
I also just found out that if you go through my very good friend Bob Wilde from Samy’s Camera there is no CA Sales Tax through next week. Bob is the Pro rep from Samy’s Camera. You can reach him at bwilde@samys.com.
A Hugely Deserved Win For Sheena Epps At Muscle Beach!
Sheena Epps, totally gorgeous with an amazing well proportioned worked out body, won overall figure at the Muscle Beach Championship this past Labor Day. What a great pleasure to see her on that stage in that bright Venice Beach sunlight! The photograph captured on my Hasselblad camera, only the best!
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.
The Winner At The Muscle Beach Championship 2015!
Congratulations to Jose Velazquez for a well deserved overall bodybuilding win at The Muscle Beach Championship on Labor Day. He had fun and it showed along with a well worked out and prepped physique. Good going! Another day of photography for me at Muscle Beach on nothing but the best, Hasselblad cameras. Thanks!
My Choice Is Hasselblad… In Space
The history of Hasselblad cameras and the space program actually played a significant part of why I have made Hasselblad my own cameras of choice. I remember as a young student in school being so very fascinated with the beginnings of the first Mercury capsule with Alan Shephard and then John Glenn orbiting the Earth. Even from those years so long ago the name “Hasselblad” was imprinted in my mind. Here is one photo from a series on “Gear Patrol” “Hasselblad’s History In Space“. June, 1965: Ed White taking the first US spacewalk on Gemini 4…
“Free-Form 50’s Coffee Shop Architecture”
How many of you can reach back in your memory and see yourself sitting in a Bob’s Big Boy? I sure can. Such a memorable part of that 1950’s and 1960’s car culture so identified with Southern California. This Big Boy is in a storefront in the little community of Julian, California. One of many stops on a recent photo excursion. Photographed with my Hasselblad. Love that camera!
“Customers couldn’t get enough of Bob’s new creation. One fan in particular was a chubby six year old boy in droopy overalls. He would often help Bob sweep up in exchange for a free burger. In honor of his young friend, Wian decided to name the better burger the Big Boy. Another regular customer, a movie animator, sketched the now famous character on a napkin.” – http://www.bigboy.com/careers/story/
A Helping Hand
Photo shoots can be so busy that it is always good to have an extra hand. Especially when we could not let a totally gorgeous and very fit Katie Madden participate in getting us in trouble on Social Media. Makeup and Hair Styling by the Notorious Natalie Lyle. Photographed on a Hasselblad camera. Only the best!
Thank You Dennis!
“Special thanks to my good buddy and amazing photographer, Ian L. Sitren, for photographing my recent paintings. Incredible detail and accurate color taken with a Hasselblad H4D-40 camera. He’s a pro! Thank you Ian!” www.dennisjohnsondesign.com.
Only Made More Scenic
The scenic road along Mulholland Drive made much more scenic by Maria Bertrand. From our photo shoot. The dress, so very beautiful on Maria is Guess by Marciano. Photographed on Hasselblad.
Wanna Shoot With Me?
I bet you can guess that I shot this photograph of Chris Jantz over the July 4th weekend! It was the morning after Chris walked away with some great first place bodybuilding wins and trophies at Muscle Beach.
We are coming up on the last summer competition at the real Muscle Beach for this season on Labor Day. So if you are doing the show, it is time to sign up with me for photographing you on stage and even backstage in that world famous workout Pit.
Also on Sunday, the day before the show, you can shoot with me with your own mini photo shoot at locations at Venice Beach or Marina Del Rey. That is open to anyone even if you are not doing the show. You can even do a couples photo shoot.
Now is the time to make sure you get signed up to get your photographs if you are doing the show. And this will be the last time I will be doing mini photo shoots for this price this year. So click on the following link to get more information and to sign up. And if you have any questions, please send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com and Thank You! https://squareup.com/market/secondfocus
Photographed on Hasselblad. Only the best!
A Difference You Can See
A close up from the photograph in the corner of model Kristen Dugas. Photographed by me just recently with a Hasselblad H5D-50c camera and Broncolor lighting with the Broncolor Para 133 reflector. This was during the Hasselblad Bron ProSolutions Tour at Edge Studios in Los Angeles.
Now look at the details of her beautiful face. Look at the detail in just the pupil of her eye, the pure and perfect colors, the real life skin tone and hair color. Look at the color and detail of her lips. This is what a photograph looks like when it is shot right and especially with such amazing camera and lighting equipment.
So very many of you are showing photographs that are so terribly bad. I know you shot with a part time photographer who says he is a pro, but it is to your detriment. No matter how many “Likes” you might happen to get because the photographer had you bend over in some juvenile sexual imagination of a pose. It is just that nobody ever showed you what is good and what is not. It does not serve you well if you are a model or fitness model trying to build your career when you have these photographs with your completely flattened out skin that looks like plastic and more bright orange than anything else. It does not serve you well when the bikini you are wearing looks brown and your clothing sponsor sent you a green one. It does not serve you well when your white shirt looks like just a big bright white out area when here should be lace visible or fine fabric. It does not serve you well when you actually look at the photo and it is just plain out of focus! We see so much bad photography that it has become the normal.
I could go on and on but feel free to send me any questions or inquiries you might have to my e-mail at SecondFocus@mac.com. Whether you are a model or an advertiser or a magazine or otherwise depend on quality photography I just want to see you do better. And I can do that!
Wind and Hair And So Very Sexy
Sometimes the wind blows and hair gets messed up. I love those moments. Some are funny but some with the right look on the right model are so very sexy. And so this moment with Maria Bertrand. From our photo shoot the other day along Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles. Photographed on Hasselblad.
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