Take These Two Tablets
That day Ronnie and I each arrived by limousine at the Orleans Arena very early. I was the photographer for Bodybuilding.com so we knew each other. As we walked in I asked him what it really felt like being at another Olympia. Among the things he said was that this was what God had intended for him. Ronnie is known for being very religious and I could tell that he was not bragging but actually feeling humble about it. It was truly a really nice moment I have remembered from my times in the bodybuilding industry.
Watching Her
Olympia 3 Of The Best
Three of the best bodybuilders of all time; Dexter Jackson, Jay Cutler and Phil Heath. One of the many Mr. Olympia’s in Las Vegas I photographed for Bodybuilding.com and many of the bodybuilding and fitness magazines.
Fitness Marketing
We take it as common place seeing neck lanyards with company names at events and conventions etc. But that was certainly not the case 15 years ago at bodybuilding and fitness events. At one of the major amateur bodybuilding competitions, thousands of attendees, competitors and guests all had their passes on plain black lanyards. I said to Bodybuilding.com, let’s make lanyards and give them free to all of the bodybuilding and fitness event producers around the country, even around the world. Within the next few months and going forward, hundreds of thousands of people at these events became individual billboards for Bodybuilding.com.
You Know This Guy
Six times Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath. This photograph from his very first pro bodybuilding show win, the 2006 IFBB Colorado Pro. The photographer, me on assignment for Bodybuilding.com. If you have ever read a bodybuilding and fitness magazine, visited Bodybuilding.com, you have seen my photographs from shows, magazine features and advertising more than you would ever know. All around the world. Ready for me to shoot for you… send me a note to Ian@SecondFocus.com. Thanks!
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!
Sharing Is Good
Ava Cowan, one of the preeminent women in the world of fitness, shared a photograph on Facebook from one of our photo shoots. So I thought I would share it back. Because she is just too outstanding for words!
Ready And One Of My Favorites…
When IFBB Professional Bodybuilder Tina Chandler showed up for her photo shoot with me she was not only ready for the photo shoot but also Olympia ready. It was one of my most favorite and created the most memorable of photographs. Here is just one of them…
A Win From Venice Beach To Pittsburgh!
A few weeks ago she stood in front of my cameras at Venice Beach. Then on this last Saturday she stood on the bodybuilding stage in Pittsburgh and walked away with her IFBB Professional Bodybuilder Card! Congratulations to an astounding Lisa Marino Sanders! Just wonderful!
The Perfection Of The Lines Of Her Body
Look at the perfection of the lines of her body in that dress! Good thing I had a camera or I would have stared endlessly! Sasha Brown in our photo shoot at the Salton Sea.
Rockin’ Bombay Beach!
Build a fit rockin’ body in the gym and look good everywhere! The rockin’ body here built and belonging to the equally beautiful Sasha Brown. A woman who you now see from Southern California to the gyms in Eastern Europe and everywhere! A success story that Sasha has written herself! Outstanding!
Sending Some Love To Sasha!
Sending some LOVE to my good buddy Sasha Brown who is doing the IFBB Pro Figure Qualifier for the Olympia this weekend in Culver City California. We had the best time last week shooting photographs at Salton Sea here at Bombay Beach. I have known Sasha for a long time now and she just keeps getting more beautiful! Keep it going Sasha!
A Jessica Rabbit Who Found The Gym!
I showed you the teaser on the back of the camera last week. So I thought I better follow up with the actual photograph. Sasha Brown from our photo shoot last week at the Salton Sea. I imagined I was looking at a Jessica Rabbit who finally found the gym and built some muscle and definition!. Look at that tiny waist!
Sasha Brown Figure is one of the hardest working women in the sport of bodybuilding and fitness. An IFBB Figure Pro she has been traveling all over the world. She recently traveled throughout the Ukraine doing seminars and appearances. Sasha Brown is one of the most recognized people in fitness throughout Russia and Eastern Europe.
She Started An Earthquake In Her Photo Shoot!
The wonderful and popular Raechelle Chase from New Zealand in front of my cameras in Palm Springs. We had to put this iconic woman in an iconic setting! IFBB Figure Professional, writer, gym owner, trainer, entrepreneur, and Mom, Raechelle is one very special woman. Tough too, in our photo shoot she was buffeted by gale force winds and an earthquake. A lifetime memorable photo shoot was had by all!
Huge Congratulations To Ava Cowan!
A huge congratulations to my best buddy Ava Cowan. Ava Cowan just this weekend was on stage for the Figure International at the Arnold Sports Festival. But it was only a year ago when we didn’t know if she would ever be on stage again. Suffering an injury that put her out of the gym and into surgery, it was a long climb back. A climb that I know most would have found all but impossible. So go visit her Facebook pages to learn more about this extraordinary human being and how she did it. There is much to learn for all of us. And now she is off to do it again at the Arnold Australia! Outstanding! This photo from one of our past photo shoots in Marina Del Rey California. Thanks!
An Arnold Winner All The Way From Singapore!
A huge congratulations to my friend Joan Liew. She made her way all the way from Singapore to Columbus Ohio this weekend to win her class in the Arnold Amateur Physique Championships! Outstanding! A photograph from our photo shoot when she made her way all the way from Singapore to me in Palm Springs California. And Makeup and Hair Styling by Natalie Lyle!
Celebrating Bodybuilder Gunter Schlierkamp
Celebrating Gunter Schlierkamp my photographs of him are among those being featured on Stars of Bodybuilding this week. Check it out! This is one of my photographs from pre-judging at the 2006 Olympia in Las Vegas. Thanks!
Along His Journey…
Xavisus Gayden Ifbb Pro at the FitExpo this last weekend. It is fun to see him at the booth for his sponsor, handing out trophies at the competition and having so many fans say Hi. Fun because as we chatted and remembered how a few years ago I selected him, wrote the story and did the photo shoot for his feature in Iron Man Magazine as the Bodybuilding.com BodySpace Physique of the Month. And neither one of us at that time had any idea where his journey in this world of bodybuilding and fitness would lead him today. Very Cool!
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