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!
Air Museum With The Hasselblad
Some random photographs today with a Hasselblad medium format digital camera. One of the things I like about the Hasselblad is the accurate color reproduction. It is called “The Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS)”. This is a real important issue with me especially when it comes to skin tones. Just take a more studied look at all the photographs you see of people, especially on Facebook, and you will see how so many photographers let skin tones go orange in color. Even with the tanning products that are used in bodybuilding and fitness, people should not look orange in photographs, they should look tan. Skin tones and colors in general are more accurate in medium format digital and known to be very accurate in Hasselblad.
Using the Hasselblad at the Palm Springs Air Museum
A Hasselblad Photographer
Very fun to be registered Hasselblad photographer! I have always been fascinated wit the history of Hasselblad and the incredible quality of their camera systems. How many of you remember that it was Hasselblad cameras that first went into Space and to the Moon!
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.
Muscle Beach Flyover
Only at the real Muscle Beach/Venice, the show opens with a United States Air Force flyover! Yes I will be there with my cameras. If you are going to want stage photographs of yourself, or maybe backstage photographs as well, please send me a note ASAP. Also if you are going to want magazine or feature coverage, please contact me immediately as well. E-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com Thanks!
Lauretta At Coda
Too fun and a big congratulations to a wonderful artist Lauretta Lowell. Her wonderful works will now be at the superb Coda Gallery, Palm Desert. We did photographs of Lauretta which you see here, which also appeared in a feature for the website of Palm Springs Life Magazine, Palm Springs California. The superb Makeup and Hair Styling was by Blanche LeBeau. Thanks!
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!
A Little Inside News
For those of you shooting with me you can sometimes from now on expect this thing to be pointing at you.
Banner Banner At Muscle Beach!
You will be seeing my banners in the workout pit at world famous Muscle Beach/Venice for the big Memorial Day show. Everywhere around the globe people know “Muscle Beach” and I am proud to be a part of it! The beautiful woman in my photograph is Stephanie Lugo and you will see her photograph on the huge event banner as well. Thank You Joe Wheatley, the long time show producer and my good friend. And a very special Thank You to my good buddy Dennis Johnson who took the time from his real art work and graphic design work to create the design of this stunningly simple and beautiful banner. Perfect!
Muscle Beach banner designed by Dennis Johnson. Photograph of Stephanie Lugo.
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.
Tilt Up Studio
I have been getting a lot of photogrpahers asking for a closer look at my tilt up studio background system. Actually I think they wanted a closer look at Randalene Sergent. Perfectly reasonable! To the left is Natalie Lyle who does so much of the superb makeup and hair styling you see on my photo shoots. Although I have huge space inside to do photo shoots, this system allows me to create all kinds of spaces, paint schemes and more designs. I can also shift to do doing scenes by the pool or tress without moving all of the lighting equipment or very much additional work. Thanks!
Dark Corners In The Sunshine
Behind the scenes yesterday in my photo shoot with Randalene Sergent. I must tell you that Randalene is one of the most beautiful women I have ever photographed. Standing to the right is Natalie Lyle who did the most wonderful Makeup Styling on Randalene. It was perfect, exactly what I wanted and more! The heavy lifting and set up by my assistant Clyde Sawyer. From daylight poolside to dark corners we create it right here. Is that too fun!
I Am The Face!
Is this too fun! I am the featured face of the Professional Photographers of America. The world’s largest non-profit association for professional photographers, with more than 27,000 members.
Proper Lighting On A Bed
My photo shoot assistant for the day, Jennifer Chamberlin showing the proper use of the Sekonic light meter. It is not that easy to get the proper lighting on a bed at the Bellagio Las Vegas so Jennifer got right into the moment for me. Actually she was a superb assistant for a very long day, great posing coach and wardrobe stylist too! And if you don’t know, Jennifer has been featured as a model in many a fitness magazine and is a wonderful photographer herself.
Not About Me!
I know everyone is going to want to know where I buy my clothes and get my hair done. But this Behind The Scenes photo is not about me. Photographing a scene with the beautiful Shawn Towne and Chaun Williams as an extra. Although Shawn and my assistant Jennifer Chamberlin seemed to think he was a center of attention. Our Makeup and Hair Stylist Christine Copeland did keep a watchful and professional eye on Shawn but also seemed to catch an occasional cell phone pic of Chaun Williams as well. Well like I said, it is not about me.
On The Floor
What a wonderful and beautiful model! No not me! Shawn Towne behind the scenes in our photo shoot at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas the other day. Thank You to my assistant for the day, a superb photographer herself, Jennifer Chamberlin.
Behind The Scenes At City Athletic Club
Behind the scenes the other day on a photo shoot at City Athletic Club in Las Vegas. An incredibly gorgeous Shawn Towne complemented with Chaun Williams providing the right atmosphere in the gym. And a huge Thank You to Jennifer Chamberlin who was a wonderful photo assistant, modeling coach and wardrobe advisor. A really cool gym and a huge Thanks to everyone!
The Room View
The view from my room in Las Vegas earlier this week Such a unique place to say the least and I have been here endless numbers of times.
In Las Vegas With Film
Yes I still shoot some film. Here I am in Las Vegas earlier this week. Along with all my digital gear I brought along a film camera and some Kodak Professional film. I like the look!
“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!
As Perfect As It Gets
My day with Sasha Brown, photographing her around the Salton Sea, was as perfect as it gets. Beautiful weather and great scenery, even our Starbucks stops were fun. And as I looked at her through the camera and see the photographs today, I can say that Sasha is indeed as beautiful and scenic and perfect a woman as it gets as well.
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?
SecondFocus Blog 