How many of you have driven past the off ramp Zzyzx on the 15 freeway on the way to Las Vegas. If you take the time and go be sure you remember where to park. Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa was originally Soda Springs. In 1860 established as an Army outpost to protect supplies from the Indians. Later operated as a somewhat scandalous health resort. Now the Cal State University Desert Studies Center and managed by the National Park Service. From my photo archives.
I have been having great fun with short videos and especially “behind the scenes” in my photo shoots. The idea for me comes from a series I had done for Bodybuilding.com for their ad campaigns promoting “BodySpace”. Then a new social media concept for fitness people that when I came into the picture had only 7,000 members and then grew to millions. That in turn helped grow the company to perhaps pushing towards a billion dollars of sales annually.
The videos were shot with a video crew and built around my photo shoots for the print and online advertising, features and content such as online wallpaper. The ads we produced are some of my all time favorites and appeared in magazines monthly for a long time. One of the print ads became a favorite for women, affixed to their refrigerator doors as fitness and workout motivation. I dare say the same ad was torn out and taped next to many a guy’s office wall or truck dashboard. So here is a favorite and watch for the “behind the scenes”.
That is what you call Joanna Johnson, a Gym Motivator! And not just my words, others around World Gym in Palm Desert yesterday, men and women, walked up and congratulated her on the way she has worked so hard to build her body. Joanna drives the goals and admiration of others to be a better self. Go visit her, Joanna is a trainer there and she can be your Gym Motivator too!
This photograph was just a quick example I picked out from our photo shoot because it is so fun. Joanna’s first professional photo shoot, she warmed up and gave me some of her own posing. Good job!
Photo shoot notes… Makeup and Hair Styling by another gym motivator herself, Natalie Lyle. Hasselblad digital camera system. Lighting by Broncolor with the Broncolor Para 133 reflector and Move 1200L pack. Only the best!
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!
I really have had the chance to photograph some of the most beautiful amazing women on the planet. Then Ashley Owens-Gulina showed up, oh my! It is said “a picture is worth a thousand words”. I have many pictures I have shot of Ashley and I remain without words. The wonderful Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle. Another beautiful woman in my life. Thank You to both of you!
You can have your chocolate and look great too! Katie Madden at 56 years old in my pool on front of my Hasselblad camera. She is a Fitness Professional, a Corrective Exercise Practitioner, and to top it off, a Chocolatier specializing in artisan white chocolates. She is just so incredible and oh so very sexy and gorgeous. I am sure happy I shot photographs because I really don’t know what more to say! The superb day of Makeup and Hair Styling by the equally superb Natalie Lyle. Thank You!
A basic safety rule to be followed at all times. Avoid looking at photographs of Sherry Goggin for more than 30 seconds or you may lose the ability to focus and concentrate on anything else for as long as 24 – 72 hours. There is no known cure at this time nor expected to be in the near future. From our photo shoot near the windmill farms and the bikini from her own Fit Girl Wear designs.
So much fun getting your attention with my photography for Bodybuilding.com. The Bodybuilding.com Mission:”To help our visitors reach their health, fitness and appearance goals through information, motivation and supplementation.” “The largest online sports nutrition company and recently ranked the No. 1 most visited bodybuilding and fitness website in the world!”
If you are going to be at Muscle Beach for the big Memorial Day weekend show, this is how you find me. Look for my 6ft tall gorgeous assistant Natalie Lyle. Most often on my photo shoots as Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist, she is very exceptional in front of the camera too. Natalie will be helping me keep track of the people who sign up for photo shoots. For signing up details, click here… http://squ.re/1Sl56iQ
I will be shooting everyone who signs up with me and I am the Muscle Beach photographer. Bikini class, Vintage Swimsuit, Bodybuilding, Physique, all of it, I am your photographer. It will be a really busy show and to be fair I will only be photographing the people who sign up for photographs. I just will not have enough time otherwise. At the show, you can have your photographs on stage and also you can select to add on backstage in the world famous Muscle Beach “Pit”.
You can also have your own mini photo shoot for just yourself or a couple. On the Saturday and Sunday before the show, I will be photographing right there at Venice Beach and nearby on the beach in Marina Del Rey. And you do not have to be doing the Muscle Beach show to sign up for a mini photo shoot.
If you have at all been wanting to shoot with me or wanting to have some great professional photographs, this is the chance at a really reduced cost. I make these prices available only for times like this when I can photograph a lot of people. I have really done this so it can be as inexpensive as possible for everyone. For the details, here is the link and Thank You! I really hope as many of you as possible get in front of my cameras! Click here and please sign up right away, only a few weeks left… http://squ.re/1Sl56iQ
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/
The beauty and fitness of Stacey Naito draped in a one of a kind Chainmaille masterpiece by artist Jerry L. Hanson. The magnificence of it all enhanced by the superb Makeup and Hair Styling by Blanche LeBeau. Thank You!
Still so very proud and excited to have shot this cover photograph of Doug Brignole for his book, co-authored with Adrian James Tan. Sure looking forward to doing the next one too! It was a photo I had in mind all along and it set up perfectly. It all worked from Doug looking great to following my directions and the lighting set up. Great fun! Check it out here at Cognella Publishing.
My favorite van wrapped with the most famous photograph I have ever shot! This photograph has been on maybe millions of flyers, brochures, magazine ads and more. Hugely successful. And the best Egg Whites ever and around longer and sold more than any other brand ever. That is that guy who started it all, Ray Mac McCabe. Egg Whites International.
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!
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!
I always try to make photo shoots something special. The locations here in Palm Springs sure help out. With Chris Polityka and my Hasselblad camera. Only the best! Thank You Chris, you looked outstanding!
That look you get when you tell them that you want 15 more reps at 405! Well not really but we had a photo shoot that was just superb. Chris Polityka could not have been better in front of the camera. He does make looking good in the gym work because he knows what he is doing. Check out his company MacrosEdge and you will understand why. https://macrosedge.com
Chris Polityka photographed in the gym with Broncolor lighting and a Hasselblad digital camera. Only the best! Photography by Ian L. Sitren
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
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.
This is where I try to get you to take advantage of me! On Memorial Day weekend I will be at Venice Beach for the huge bodybuilding and fitness competition at world famous Muscle Beach. Very simply, because I will be photographing so many people over that weekend and at the show, I go out of my way to make it as inexpensive as possible to shoot with me. You can have your own mini photo shoot at a cost I never can make possible otherwise. Check it out and please sign up as soon as possible so I can get you in. Any question please send me an e-mail to Ian@SecondFocus.com. And here is the link to SIGN UP! Thanks!
Jake Sawyer on the beach. Photography by Ian L. Sitren.
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!
The winners of the 2016 Iron Man Naturally Championships. From L-R… Takeshi Kanemoto, Corrina Bailey, Melyssa Wacker, Bada Lekan, Evina Luna, Anthony Kurup, Victoria Gusto