I’ve been meaning to get to the west coast for a long time.  In 2012, I was fortunate enough to make the journey to Vancouver to shoot the CBBF National Championships and I very much fell in love with Canada’s west coast.  The trees, the mountains, the pacific; what’s not to love!?!?

I’ve gotten awfully close to the California coastline this past year also.  Last summer I ventured over the state line while shooting in both Nevada and Arizona, but it just wasn’t the same as being on the coast.

This weekend, I was fortunate enough to make the trip by way of another, yet shorter journey through Arizona.  What was once a pipe-dream, turned into reality when NPC bikini champ Jessica Maxon had me drop everything and fly to Phoenix to shoot with her in some of her latest designs (she runs Glam Girl Swimwear).

Now, if that weren’t great enough, Arnold Classic champion Ingrid Romero and husband Joe Discullo extended me a generous invitation to come to LA to shoot with a handful of their Team EDGE athletes!  I’m always humbled when I get an opportunity to shoot with world-class athletes, but when they place their trust in me to capture their clients, I am truly honoured.  Thanks Ingrid & Joe!

For my last session out here, I paired up with WBFF Pro Mandy White.  You might remember her from a session we worked on last year in the Nevada desert, and you might recall the absolutely stunning imagery we captured that day.  Well, we’ve done it yet again; this time from the shores of breathtaking Malibu.  A laptop edit won’t do this session justice, so you’ll have to be a little bit patient..  :)

I begin my trek home in the early morning, and have a PILE of editing to accomplish the moment I hit my desk, but I’ll be wearing a big smile while doing it.  Thanks to those mentioned, and those not, for making this a truly memorable trip!

I’m failing!

You may recall that about a month ago, I began a new training / nutrition program with Coach JVB.  Well, I’ve enjoyed some successes and suffered some failures.

Let me be straight; the plan is fantastic!  I’ve been prescribed some great food choices and my exercise regimen is perfect for my lifestyle and my goals.  The problem lies with the success I’ve seen so far in 2013.  My business is eating into so much of my free time, that I’m up at the crack of dawn and then going to bed well after midnight every single day.

I’ve reached the point where if I were a shopkeeper, selling candles and homemade soaps down on Queen St., I’d be hiring another employee to handle the traffic.  Thing is, I’m not a shopkeeper; I’m an artist, and my product is my images.  I can’t seem to warm up to the idea of “farming out” my post production or any other significant portion of my work.

This doesn’t have to affect my training or nutrition, but I’m allowing it to do so.  Yeah, I need to press forward and prioritize what I feel is most important, and yes, it’s my health.  I just haven’t done such a bang-up job so far, but this is all about falling down and learning how to stay on our feet, right?

The great news, is that despite not checking-in with my coach (I’m sorry!) regularly with the info she’s needing in order to fine-tune my program, I’ve been making great strides with myself.  To date, I’m down 10lbs now, and feeling really great!  I’m well on the other side of cravings, and find it extremely easy to make the better choices when I’m presented with both healthy and unhealthy (but easier) options.  Last week, I had a sip of soda, and it tasted soo packed with sugar, my mind pushed away from it, rather than being drawn to it.  Seriously folks, you simply need to get over that physiological “hump” with pretty much anything, and your body will adjust to the new norm and you’ll be well on your way with most change.

So on my to-do list, is to get my paperwork done and update my coach.  No excuses, right? My goals are in front of me, and if I don’t press forward with everything I have, I’m going to fall short.  I have enough friends and family around me in this lifestyle, and I’m soo grateful to see all the positive messages, recipes and encouragement every day.

“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..”

I’m a few days into the total immersion of my fitness and nutrition plan.

Mixed feelings.  First, the joy that I’m on the right track and the knowledge that this is going places.  Second, I’m seriously craving a donut, a can of soda, a slice of cheesecake, a large fries with gravy on the side (hell, put the gravy on the fries for all I care!), a box of chocolates, a danish and some green kool-aid.  Did I mention the fries?

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..

As I sit here at my desk and type up this blog post, my mind is a whirlwind.

Last month (February), I booked up a huge portion of my season.  Yep, in just one month.  Actually, most of the bookings occurred in the 2nd and 3rd week.  Social media, folks!  Yes, I’ve had Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for a while now and I’d post frequently, but I wasn’t properly leveraging those tools to generate new business.  I was fortunate enough to speak with a professional social media manager (I’ll expand on her in an upcoming post) and I was inspired.  The very next week after following some great advice, my viewership on Facebook doubled.  Since that time, I’ve been posting regularly, making new contacts and yes, generating that much-desired new business.

Social media isn’t the reason I’m posting right now; well, it’s part of it.  2013 has already been fantastic to me, but I’m looking down the barrel of a life-changing year.  I’ve made some promises to myself which I intend to keep.  I will double my business this year.  I will see more of my images published in the industry’s best publications.  And I will start living the lifestyle I am so fond of capturing.

Yep, I’m undergoing a transformation this year.  I’ve been working up to this point in time with little steps toward my goal but I actually really began this week.  I’m working with Jennifer Van Barneveld, also known as Coach JVB.  You might remember her from such photoshoots as “Best one ever”, “Hottest woman in the regional municipality of York” and “Don’t look now, but your HOT is showing”.  Actually, she was featured in one of the images I submitted to this year’s Inside Fitness Hot & Fit 100 issue.  She also penned a very informative article in that issue regarding allergies.

Jennifer is a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, diet coach, fitness & nutrition writer and a registered holistic nutritionist.  When she’s not working with clients across the globe, she’s consulting for some of the biggest sports nutrition and fitness companies in the industry.  She says “I teach my clients to get back to the basics with whole foods, calorie control and fitness. Everyone is unique and should be treated that way. While weight loss isn’t complicated, everyone has their own story and I create programs that support lifestyles from all backgrounds.”  She’s an inspiration to me and a joy to work with!  Interested?  You can check out her website at http://www.jvbonline.ca and her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CoachJVB

Now, I’m a realist.  I know all too well the ups and downs of going through this kind of change, and believe me, I’m already hating the world.  I just finished my breakfast meal and it’s not what I’ve grown accustomed to, but in the end, it’s worth it to me.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some positives too.  I’m looking forward to eating more fruit and vegetables, because I enjoy them and don’t eat them enough.  I’m also looking forward to saving quite a bit of cash due to my terminated relationship with the fast food industry.

If you wanted to hear me rant about the most difficult task in my new lifestyle, I’d tell you that it revolves around drinking water.  I’ve never, ever, been a water drinker.  I grew up on fruit juice and soda and have been reaching for those beverages all my life.  Looking back on my 38 years I can tell you with confidence that before this change, I might have consumed a total of no more than 100 glasses of water.  I’m talking just straight water.  It’s been difficult, but I’m getting through it.  I keep a 1.5L bottle with me and am always sipping it.  I leave it in my field of view and when my eyes happen across it, it’s time for a gulp!  It’s working.

Another big task ahead of me is organization.  I never really thought about how much work and effort it takes to organize all the supplements and food I’m needing to cram into this body on a weekly basis.  I swear, the rubbermaid company is making a killing off  us in the sales of plastic containers!  Here’s a little picture of what I brought home on the weekend:

I’ve also had to start rearranging my refrigerator, to keep my food and meals separate from those of the rest of the house.  And meal prep twice a week is nuts!  I’ve started an excel spreadsheet which outlines for me exactly what I need to prepare for each day, and what I need to shop for each week.  This will be a life-saver when it’s complete.

Finally, if you’re thinking that you might see me on stage, forget it.  I’m not a competitor; I have no desire to get up there whatsoever.  I love the friends I have in the industry and although they are a huge source of my inspiration, it’s just not my sport.  ;)

I know there is still another 2 weeks before we can turn the page from 2012 to 2013, but since my last 2012 session was over a week ago and I am in  the middle of a nice 4 week “holiday” from shooting, I thought I’d look back and reflect on my year.

When things are busy in this profession, it’s really hectic.  I mean, I’m looking after all these things at once:
- Scouting new talent
- Dreaming up session concepts & new ideas
- Scheduling / booking sessions
- Purchasing / renting equipment
- Booking travel arrangements
- Finance / Accounting
- Photoshoots
.. oh, and let’s not forget the most important and time consuming task in my business; photo editing / retouching.  This is something that some photographers will “farm out” because they don’t have the time or inclination to doing it, but for me, it’s what my clients pay for, and it’s important to me.  It’s my work, and my own stamp on an image is what makes it different from someone else’s.

Now I wanted to point out all these tasks that I’m constantly engaged with during a typical year, because you can see that with all this going on, it’s easy to miss the natural progression that an individual will go through during the course of a year, just like someone  might not see the progression of gaining or losing weight when they’re looking in the mirror every single day.  If you stop every now and then however and take a good look, you’ll see it.  Thinking of writing this entry, I just took a good look at the progression I’ve made during 2012.

The first thing I did was look at my sessions from each month and whoa; it’s startling!  At the beginning of 2012, I was shooting more often, and with many more “personal” consumer-type clients.  I was also shooting primarily in the studio, as I had done through most of 2011.  As the year progressed, there was a shift toward shooting less often, with professionals, often for publication, and outside of the studio.  I guess the year and a half in studio gave me a photographer’s version of cabin fever!

What does this mean in terms of the business?  Well, my vision has shifted.  It’s less about quantity and more about quality.  Let me illustrate it for you, using two images from this year:

The image on the left of Fiona Harris, was taken early in the year during the Arnold Sports Expo in Columbus, Ohio.  The image on the right of Mandy White, was taken late in the year during the Olympia Sports Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now, forget that Fiona is a Figure athlete in the IFBB and that Mandy is a Bikini athlete in the WBFF; they’re both extremely beautiful subjects but it’s the location which is important.  Well, important for me anyhow.  I found that my love for travel complimented perfectly my love for photography.  I’m the type of guy who gets caught up in the moment when I’m witnessing something unique and beautiful, and it’s not uncommon for me to just gaze upon a beautiful landscape for a long period of time.  I never had any desire to shoot landscapes, as I’m more of a “people” photographer, but heck, when I put them together, I felt a “click” as the pieces of the puzzle came together.

Here’s another 2 examples:

These images are both of Caitlyn Bellamy.  The image on the left was taken during the Arnold earlier in the year, and the image on the right was taken in Vancouver later in the summer.  On the left, Caitlyn is in contest form, and on the right she’s a little softer.  Can you guess which is my favorite?  Which is yours?

Moving into 2013, my focus is to create the most beautiful images I can.  With this new direction, you can rightly assume that there will be a lot of travel for me in the next year.  Again, my goal is to harvest the most beautiful images I can.  This means working with the most beautiful athletes / models, and photographing them in the most exotic locations available.

I will succeed in 2013!  I can’t wait..

After a 5:30AM flight home from Fredericton, NB this morning, I landed at my desk this very minute, and thought I’d get all this down in a post before my memory faded any.

Wow!  What a fantastic trip!  Many people think of the west coast when planning a trip to see a coastal region in Canada, and B.C. is certainly gorgeous, but Canada’s east coast is a beauty unmatched and can carry its own when put up against other landscapes in and around this great nation of ours.

Now, I should clarify; I was in Halifax last year, but I don’t really count that trip as it was for less than 24 hours and I had no time to myself in order to take in the experience.  This past weekend however, I fulfilled that wish.

I absolutely love how small the city actually is, compared with some of the other giants I normally travel to.  I’m from a small town originally, and despite its size, Halifax has that small town “feel” about it.  The second thing noticed is how absolutely polite and nice people are on this end of the country.  It’s hard to lay down examples, but people go out of their way to hold doors when you’re a lot further than the typical 6′ buffer zone from the door.  People slow down to a stop if you even look like you’re considering crossing the street.  Any sort of verbal interaction is an invite for a longer conversation about nothing in particular.  I almost half-expected to see name tags on everyone!  All joking aside, this is the society I want to live in!

The food was unbelievable.  Some great recommendations from friends and clients were heeded, and we weren’t disappointed.  I’d highly recommend the lobster chowder and nachos at the Red Stag, which is located down in the Alexander Keith’s building, which has a “distillery district” feel to it.  The few buildings surrounding have been converted into a pedestrian mall, and there is a small market which operates there and is a recommended stop for those who enjoy fresh baked goods and pastries.

I normally don’t do this, but I’m going to give some props to two great businesses in the area.  First up is Palooka’s Executive Fitness in Halifax.  This is a great training facility offering (among other things) TRX, Boxing and Zumba.  They were gracious hosts and if you’re looking for a great facility with an unbeatable view while you train, go see Shane Pottie and he’ll set you up!  +1 (902) 499-0662

Moksha Yoga just opened in Fredericton but is already doing so well they’ve had to import instructors in from other parts of Canada!  I’m not kidding, it’s great!  I don’t know a thing about Yoga, but know I need more flexibility and if I were going to start and I lived in the vicinity, I’d be taking regular classes with Kelly MacDonald and co.  An inviting atmosphere and down-t0-earth staff make this a great way to sweat the calories away!  +1 (506) 454-9642

Among things already mentioned, I also began this blog post with the intent of speaking a bit about a great athlete, but I’m finishing it instead by sending my thanks and admiration to a great human being.  Krissy Adams-Schofield humbles me each time I have the privilege of working with her.  She is a dedicated athlete and ambassador to the sport and works tirelessly for her clients and business partners.  It is thanks to her that my trip was so fruitful, and if given the opportunity to partner with her again, I would not hesitate.  Krissy, you are true beauty, inside and out.  Thank you for making this weekend such a great one for everyone involved.  We will be back in May 2013!

The always-smiling Krissy Adams, taking a moment out of shooting to share a laugh.

I don’t know how many of you get that feeling of accomplishment often, but I don’t.  I mean yes, I’ll get a great feeling after a good honest run, or feel proud of myself for outsmarting the lunker of a bass I’ll pull into the boat on a summer afternoon, but it’s not like I’m walking around feeling that if I got nailed by a bus today, I’d have accomplished all I’ve wanted to.

In the portion of my life that revolves around photography, I’ve taken my share of images I’m extremely proud of, and I certainly don’t wish to imply that every session I’ve worked on up to this point has been anything less fantastic than the one previous, but coming out of my recent session with fitness giant Heather Robertson left me with the feeling like I’ve accomplished one of the big goals I set out to conquer.

It’s a funny story, actually..
I’d had a busy month in October, and jammed right in the middle was a trip to Dallas and Houston, Texas.  I tend to shoot as much as I can, but I often leave myself a free day just before a trip to pack and chill out before spending a half-day in an airport.  So, I’m set to fly out of Toronto at 6AM the next morning, and out of the blue, I get an email from Ms. Robertson advising me that she’s in town, and would I be interested in shooting some covers.

Now, there was no question about it, I was totally in, but I did have a little freak-out in my mind about the lack of sleep this would give me, being that we’d be shooting from 6PM through approximately 10PM, and then I’d have to pack my gear, and sleep until approximately 2:30AM, when I’d have to be up in order to get my ass to the airport for 4AM.  I called my wife to ensure I wasn’t doing anything really stupid and she pretty much summed it up with the words “you need to do this”.  Ok, I’m in.

The session itself was a complete breeze.  Heather is the epitome of professional.  Direction was not really necessary, so I kept busy trying not to forget some small crucial detail, and kept on the shutter release button.  We covered what we aimed to accomplish in a short time, I think we wrapped a half hour earlier than we had hoped, and I wound up with more frames than I am accustomed to shooting.  Win-win!

The trip to Texas kept me from rolling up my sleeves with these images, and it’s been about 2 weeks since my trip, and I’ve just finished my first (but not last) edit.  Here’s a teeny tiny peek at what you can expect to see later..

Heather being worked on by the talented HMUA Sarah Smith.

I first spotted Melissa Leigh Morrison at an industry party last year.  I had known of her and had seen many pictures of her online, but seeing her enter the room took my breath away.  At that moment, Melissa claimed a spot on my “Top 5 people to work with” list.

Fast forward the better part of a year.  In that time I had sent a few messages introducing myself and expressing interest in working with Melissa, should she find herself again in Toronto at some point.  No real interest, not that I was surprised at all; she was already a very established figure in the industry and I was (and still am) clawing my way out of the trenches.

For the sake of doing so, and because it had  been more than a few months since my last attempt and I hadn’t really given up, I sent another message reminding Mel of my interest, since Mel is associated with the WBFF and their World Championships were (and are at the time of this writing) just around the corner.  Looking back, I’m pretty certain my reply came within 24 hours; “Yes”!

Now from the time I got an affirmative reply to the date we were to shoot, I hadn’t much time to style up a good session.  So we went upon instinct and shot outdoors on the waterfront.  Of all the images I recall seeing of Mel, the fewest that came to mind were of this type, so I was reasonably sure the concept would find a nice home in her portfolio, as well as mine.  After a few exchanges surrounding location and styling details, we were all set.

My wife will tell you that the time leading up to this session was wrought with tension and nervousness.  Seriously, it was like I was planning a first date!  I didn’t know what to expect and I pretty much went into some sort of robot mode sorting out details and making things happen for the session.  The day arrived and I don’t really remember much at all; it went by so fast!  I know we shot multiple looks at 2 locations and if it weren’t for Cherry Villanos and my wife Sarah shooting some behind the scenes images and video, the whole thing would still be a big blur..

I’m extremely humbled and grateful for the opportunity and hope that our paths cross again soon.  Enjoy the image; you’ll likely find more in other places soon enough..  ;)

Going to Vancouver BC to shoot with some of the best athletes Canada has to offer was like checking a number of items off the bucket list with one big stroke.  Among other things, it was my first trip to Canada’s west coast.

I actually wasn’t even considering travelling to B.C. until one of my previous subjects (and great friend) Caitlyn Bellamy suggested it.  I shouldn’t have to say that there was actually no convincing needed.  Working again with Caitlyn was fantastic!  The images we previously collaborated on in Columbus Ohio at the Arnold Sports Expo were already great, and these images we created this week were not only breathtaking, but a nice compliment to those.  And just like the previous experience, we had a ton of fun doing working together.  Thank you Caitlyn, for introducing me to this gorgeous province, and some very talented athletes!  I can’t wait to work with you again, whether it’s on your turf or on mine.

I have always wanted to work with Michelle Jeanpierre!  She’s one of the first athletes I saw in this genre and thought to myself “I hope to one day work with this type of talent and beauty.”.  In fact, one of the most iconic fitness images in my opinion, is one featuring her.  Now after having worked with her, I now feel an immense sense of pride in some of the pictures we captured, and I’m deeply humbled that she expressed the similar feelings.

I can’t leak much of what we captured on this session in Vancouver, but I’m positive you’ll stumble upon some of these soon enough.  Special thank you to Mandee G at Mishe Jewels for providing wardrobe and styling support on set!

Maee Kroft isn’t just another hair/makeup artist.  She’s also a senior editor at T&M Magazine, and a hell of a stylist.  I worked with her on a piece for Masque Magazine last fall, and her performance on both occasions was nothing short of fantastic.

Meeting new people and working with new young talent is always a great experience for me and I will often think back to this experience and smile.  I hope to work with this amazing bunch again soon, and I’ll be back in B.C. just as soon as I can.

It’s summertime!  You know, fresh air, birds singing, the warmth of the sun on your shoulders..  Seriously, who would want to be lined up against a wall and shot?

I’m referring to shooting studio, of course.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with capturing a great look against seamless white paper in the studio.  It’s a great way to focus all attention on the subject/model, and if that’s what the client wants, then by all means, deliver on that!

But it’s gorgeous outside, and if you have the means to get out and capture a beautiful subject against a background just as beautiful, the time this year in which to do so is slowly passing.  Personally, I spent too much time last summer shooting studio work, and then when fall/winter came along, I found myself going stir crazy.  I was sporting some serious cabin fever.  What made matters worse, was checking out all the posts online from my fellow photographers, showcasing all their spring and summer work.  ”Not this summer!” I thought.

I’ve been true to that pledge and have been watching dust accumulate on my studio floor, while my gear spends more time in the bags travelling from one sweet location to another.  Some of my best work has come out of my beach sessions this year.  Have a look and enjoy!