So Much Joy!
The first joy being my model, Tiana Joy. What an incredible, gorgeous, fun model to work with! Tall, long legs, sexy turn to her and made my job so easy by being able to move and take direction. Had a hard time stopping and not going on for hours more. And wait until you see the photos to follow. I promise you will want to see them and much more of Joy! Just Wow!
The next joy is my pool construction is finished! Completely tore out the old pool and all the decks, patios. All that was left was the shell, dirt and rubble. Now all done and it is wonderful! What a great shoot location and it is in my backyard.
More joy from my great camera and lighting equipment. Over and over I am so impressed with my Hasselblad digital camera gear and Broncolor lighting. Each time I do a photo shoot I am so very happy with getting the results I really expect and that I expect to produce for my clients, whether it is magazines, advertisers or models of all genres looking to be a cut above. Only the best!
So please, keep watching here and coming back for more and Thanks!
Vintage Swimsuit Is Here!
The first retro Vintage Swimsuit competition has now happened! A look back in time to those healthy, carefree, and exciting times at Muscle Beach that the entire world imagines. Vividly in everyone’s mind is the picture of Southern California beaches, the sun, good looking guys and pretty girls. And the pretty girl here is picturesque herself, Hannah Gordon Etherson on stage at Muscle Beach!
Hannah Etherson competing in the revival of Vintage Swimsuit competition at Muscle Beach, Memorial Day 2016.
So Much Fun With Gabriella
Sharing a laugh with an incredibly beautiful, gorgeous, talented and fun Gabriella Muttone. Behind the scenes in our photo shoot at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Made all the better with my Hasselblad camera and Broncolor lighting. Thank You Gabriella! You are wonderful!
Hitchhiking to Muscle Beach
I imposed upon Maria Bertrand to demonstrate the proper form and universal sign for hitchhiking to Muscle Beach. We were on Mulholland Drive above Beverly Hills so the results for cars that stopped included 17 Ferraris, 14 Lamborghinis, 6 Bentley Coupes, 11 various Rolls Royces, 4 Lincoln Town Cars and one black Loach helicopter with no markings that dropped out of the sky. However last I saw of Maria for the day was as she rode off on the back of a bright red Vespa with a really cute blonde wearing a matching helmet who had really long legs. I went back to the hotel with my Hasselblad camera and my memories of the day, in my photographs. Sigh…
Everybody Makes Friends On My Shoots
One of the very fun things that happens on my photo shoots is that everybody makes friends with everyone else. Bella found a perfect companion! Photographed with my Hasselblad digital camera and Broncolor lighting. I love this gear!
Alternate Energy Sources
I was going to use this post to tell you about the difference between Windmills and Wind Turbines. But never mind. Instead just a breathtaking moment with Heidi Cannon in front of my camera.
A Guess First
It was July last year when a so very gorgeous Maria Bertrand was photographed by me in this beautiful dress by Marciano by Guess. It looks like Guess decided that it was so beautiful on Maria that they had to put it on Gigi Hadid for their billboards and magazine ads.
Maria Bertrand Photographed along Mulholland Drive by me with my Hasselblad. Gigi Hadid for Guess.
The Best Part Of Being A Photographer
The best part of being a photographer is getting to shoot photographs, especially with really great looking people. Like my good friend Daniel Hill here out in the desert right near Palm Springs. Thanks!
Bonnie Waiting
Bonnie waiting, but for who? Who is Bonnie? More of this story to come.
Emma Mesrobian is our Bonnie. Makeup and Hair Styling by Estee Lauder’s world traveling Blanche Le Beau. Broncolor lighting and Hasselblad digital cameras. At the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Thank You!
Train Robbery In Progress
Yesterday behind the scenes with Emma Mesrobian. Too much fun and photos soon! Makeup and Hair Styling by Blanche LeBeau. At the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Broncolor lighting and Hasselblad digital camera for the actual photo shoot.
Some history for now… This is a Union Pacific Steam Engine built in 1921. It saw service in Idaho and Utah puling freight and passenger cars and retired in 1955. It weighs 300,000 pounds and the driving wheels are 63″ in diameter. It is a 2-8-2 “Mikado” type locomotive. 2 small pilot wheels, 8 large driving wheels and 2 small trailing wheels. And yes it is really big!
Your Photo Shoot At Venice Beach
Your photo shoot with me Memorial Day weekend. I will be at Venice Beach for the huge show at Muscle Beach on Memorial Day. So on Saturday or Sunday, May 28 and 29, you can have your own mini photo shoot with me. You do not have to be doing the Muscle Beach show. Fashion model or bodybuilder, bikini model or physique competitor and couples, all are welcome. Just like my wonderful beautiful friend Maria Bertrand from our shoot on the sand at Venice Beach.
Spend about an hour with me at Venice Beach, The Venice Beach Boardwalk or a nearby beach in Marina Del Rey. Because I am photographing so many people that weekend and at the Muscle Beach show, I do these photo shoots at hugely reduced rates just to make it available to as many people as possible. But please sign up immediately so we can get you in. And if you are doing the show, sign up for your photographs with me, both on stage and backstage in the famous workout Pit. Thanks and here is the link for sign up… MuscleBeachPhoto.com.
And Then She Shows Up
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!
Look Into The Light
Never doubt for one moment the “Professional” part of “Professional Model”. One of the first things she said to me: “I love the fabulous lighting”. A Professional Model who has been photographed around the world, appeared on the most well known magazine covers and magazine features and is much in demand. The other comment she made to me during our photo shoot; “Is that a Hasselblad DIGITAL camera? Wow!” And yes the lighting is Broncolor with their Para 133 Reflector. And yes the camera is Hasselblad digital. Only the best!
Photographed on Hasselblad Digital. Lighting by Broncolor with a Broncolor Para 133 Reflector. Only the best.
No Special Reason Required
I have no special reason to post a photograph of Ashley Owens Gulina from one of our photo shoots other than she is one of the most stunningly beautiful women I have ever had in front of my cameras. The superb Makeup and Hair Styling by the wonderful Natalie Lyle.
Nobody Does It Like Me!
Nobody shoots photographs like I do in Palm Springs… Nobody! Not even close! Ok it does help that I have the likes of the gorgeous Sherry Goggin in front of my cameras. But you get the idea I am sure!
December is a great month for shooting out here, the weather is great. Although we do have something like 350 days of Sun during the year. So whether it is your magazine features, fashion stories, advertising or maybe your own portfolio. From shoe fashions on beautiful women to fast moving airplanes or even a travel story. Just send me a note to SecondFocus@mac.com and we can chat about it.
Note that I shoot nothing but the finest of equipment. Hasselblad medium format digital and Broncolor lighting. For more portability and faster action I am now shooting the superb FujiFilm X-Series cameras and lenses.
I also have the finest makeup artists available and all kinds of shoot locations from desert to gyms. Just let me know and we can talk about it. And again, my e-mail is SecondFocus@mac.com. Look forward to hearing from you soon! Thanks!
Again, Too Good Not Too!
Natalie Lyle says I had already posted this photograph on all of my social media. OK more later, but I think this is worth posting again! She is so gorgeous! By the way, Makeup and Hair Styling by her! And the wardrobe styling.
What Am I Doing?
Editing some photographs from one of my shoots with best buddy Natalie Lyle. This is one of the behind the scenes photos. Anyone want to see any more?
Muscle Beach Only Weeks Away!
July 4th at Muscle Beach had a very beautiful Stephanie C. Ramirez standing on the stage that the entire world thinks of as the place “Where Muscles Were Born”. Yes Stephanie went home with a well deserved trophy. She truly looks gorgeous and photographing her with a Hasselblad camera makes for those perfect skin tones, the wonderful colors and a radiance that is so much what you expect to see in that Southern California beach sunshine. Only the best!
The last Muscle Beach show of this Summer is coming up on Labor Day only a few weeks away! The Muscle Beach Championship will find me photographing bodybuilding and fitness competitors on stage and backstage in the world famous workout “Pit”.
But if you want me to photograph you, you need to sign up ahead of time so I can make sure I get you in front of my camera. I have made it very inexpensive so I can shoot photographs of as many of you as possible. Truly my purpose is to get great photographs for you who have worked so hard to stand on that stage and have come to Muscle Beach. Many of you from around the world! I do share in your enthusiasm and excitement.
I am also offering mini photo shoots the day before the show on Sunday, September 6th right there at Venice Beach or nearby on a beach in Marina Del Rey. Available to individuals and couples, you do not even need to be a competitor at the show the next day. Again I have made this very inexpensive so as many of you as possible can get some great photographs.
So please sign up now or as soon as you possibly can. Here is the link for online sign up, prices and more information. And Thank You! See you there at the real Muscle Beach! https://squareup.com/market/secondfocus
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.
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!
Another From The ProSolutions Tour
Another photograph from the Hasselblad Bron ProSolutions Tour at Edge Studios in Los Angeles the other day. Model Kristen Dugas looks incredible in this shot I did with a Hasselblad H5D-50c camera with a Hasselblad HC 100mm lens. The lighting was a Broncolor pack and head with the Broncolor Para 133 reflector. Truly amazing lighting and the skin tones and colors are perfect. Then there is the sharpness of details and an almost three dimensional feel to the photograph. I am very happy I am shooting Hasselblad and very impressed with Broncolor! 
Beautiful Model; I Say Use The Best Cameras And Lighting
Wonderful fun the other day at Edge Studios in Los Angeles, trying out and courtesy of, Broncolor lighting equipment and Hasselblad Cameras. Here I photographed our model for the day, Kristen Dugas with a Hasselblad H5D-50c camera and a Hasselblad HC 100mm lens. The lighting was a Broncolor pack with their very unique Para 133 Reflector. The photograph gives you an idea as to why lighting from equipment like Broncolor and the Para Reflectors is called light shaping. The dimension, detail and overall quality are equally only best interpreted by Hasselblad cameras. I am so very truly impressed with Broncolor and Hasselblad. Ok I am pretty impressed with Kristen Dugas too! Thanks!
Katana!
Had my martial arts instructor looked like Stacey Naito when he wielded a Katana, I dare say I would still be training with him. This woman is so gorgeous! From our photo shoot. With Makeup and Hair styling by the wonderful and very fun Blanche LeBeau.
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