Photo Finish - Crystal Lowrey

This evening I shot with NPC San Diego overall winner and NPC LA short class winner, Crystal Lowrey. Crystal is a couple days out from the USAs, where she'll be stepping on a national stage for the first time. She's built up a good amount of momentum in Southern California, blowing away the competition in her class, so it will be interesting to see how she stacks up against a higher caliber of competitor in Las Vegas.

We shot at a somewhat secret spot I know of nearby, and although it was a little chilly and cloudy, I told Crystal to enjoy it while she could because the forecasts for Vegas this weekend is — no joke — 107 degrees with thunderstorms.

Which brings me to a personal conundrum. I have about 20 people that want to shoot with me during the USAs, but in those pore-melting conditions, there are really only two times I can shoot — sunrise and sunset. Anything else would be unbearable, for myself and the competitor. So it's established that my window to shoot is small, then let me also add that the only real day competitors can shoot is Sunday. So that means I have two 2-hour slots available for 20 people.

wtf..

Also, for the first time ever, I'm actually more looking forward to going on the trip to support a friend thats vying for a pro card, not really just to shoot. However, I almost feel like I'm obligated to drag all my equipment with me to shoot, just because I am who I am and I do what I do. And now I have to pick a handful of girls to shoot with, alienating all the others in the process because they "weren't good enough".

So, that being said, I still have no idea what I'm doing for the USAs. I'm gonna figure it out tomorrow though, because time is running out. I just hate saying "no" to people, and I know I'm going to have to do that to ALOT of folks for this competition. Maybe I'll just pick names out of a hat or something, I dunno. Ah well, you've gotta be the bad guy every once in awhile..

Photo Finish - Melissa Deal

Fresh off her overall figure win at the 2007 NPC LA competition last night, I thought it was only appropriate to post a photo of Melissa Deal, someone you've seen photos of before here on The Eye, but maybe not a photo like this.

This was taken on Thursday, just a couple days out from the show in Los Angeles.

Hopefully Melissa's success at the LAs is foreshadowing to even bigger things at the USAs. All I know is that I'm wearing my lucky shoes and jacket to the USAs to do my part. And yes, I know it'll probably be 120 degrees in Vegas, so I'll be the one collapsed outside the venue due to heat stroke, possibly twitching and foaming from the mouth.

Be sure to say hi.

Photo Finish - Christine Aguilar

Little did I know that my shoot with Olesya a few months ago would spark so many ideas and change the overall styling of my shoots to this day. First it was Gina, then MaryJo, and last night it was Arizona figure competitor Christine Aguilar.

Stating that she loved the styling of those past shoots, Christine put together a little (figuratively and literally) baseball inspired outfit. Lucky for me, I knew of a handful of diamonds nearby so we were able to match the look of the outfit with the look of the surroundings. A baseball themed outfit in a hotel hallway? Not so good. But a baseball themed outfit on an actual field? Mo-ney!

So I supplied the location (and the bat), Christine supplied the great themed outfit and awesome physique, and we went to work.

We also ended up shooting at the beach post-sunset and got some beautiful photos, but you've seen enough beach stuff from me (edit: ok, I lied, I'll post up one of those at the bottom). And of course EVERYTHING can't go perfect, and we found that out when the Parking Police decided to ticket Christine and her fiance, but not me, for staying in the lot for too long after sunset. I mean, I know I'm charming and all, but I didn't think *I* would be able to get out a parking ticket, and not Christine!

Photo Finish - Melissa Deal

First off, I want to apologize for the hiatus I took from blogging. Like my favorite TV show Lost, I had to take a little break, although my absence had nothing to do with hatches exploding or being captured by the Others. I've got lots of stuff on my plate, sort of like a Hungry Man dinner, and I needed to focus on some other important things (like the turkey and stuffing) before I could get back to The Eye of FitSights (the apple crumb desert).

Anyhow, you'd expect that over the past month I would've cranked through alot of shoots. I mean, this is the busy season for the sport, right? Well, I'm sorry to report that last night was my first shoot since the Cals. Yikes. However, this shoot was a long time in the making, and I'm glad we were able to put it off until last night because the conditions were perfect.

Calm winds. Moderate temperatures. Low foot traffic on the beach. Clear skies. Colorful sunset. And shooting with a good friend (and my trainer!), Melissa Deal.

We got alot of good shots, and although we were both annihilated by a rogue wave at the end of the shoot, things went great overall.

Photo Finish - Angela Terlesky

Today I had the opportunity to work with the ridiculously gorgeous Angela Terlesky. After turning pro at last years USAs, the Cal marked Angela's first time on the professional stage. Although things didn't go as best as they could have, she realizes what she needs to do to continue to improve as a pro and should climb the placings ladder and time goes on.

And frankly, I could care less what she places, because as a model she's out-of-this-world. First or last, I'd be happy to shoot with Angela again at any point in the future.

Photo Finish - Waleska Valle

Here's a quick sample from my shoot with Waleska Valle a couple of hours ago. She'll be stepping on stage at the Cals in a day or so, so as you can see, she's in pretty remarkable condition. Waleska's placings have steadily risen over her pro career, so lets see if she can't get herself a Top 5 finish at the Cal Pro.

Photo Finish - MaryJo Cooke, Part 2

Ok Mother Nature, we need to talk.

Did I say something to offend you? Is Father Time giving you drama at home and you're taking it out on me? Please, just let me know what I can do to fix whatever is wrong, because things between us.. they are just, I dunno, different than they used to be. I feel like.. I just feel like I don't even know you anymore.

Yeah, so as you can tell, Mother Nature and I have apparently had a falling out recently. That's the only explanation I have for all of the poor shooting conditions in my last couple months of shoots. Whether its ridiculous wind in Florida or cloudy, cold overcast skies here is SoCal, the weather just hasn't cooperated.

MaryJo Cooke and I decided to push the beach portion of our shoot to this evening, because on Sunday the weather was, well, not so pleasant. So despite today's forecast of AM Clouds/PM Sun, MaryJo and I were instead greeted with PM cloud engulfed skies. That's last time I listen to this guy for SoCal related forecasts.

But of course, I'm up for a challenge and was determined to get MJ some cool photos, especially since we had already delayed the shoot once. So considering all of that, I'm happy with the shots we got. Maybe one of these days we'll get to shoot in better conditions, but until Mrs. Nature and I have a little chat, I won't hold my breath.

Photo Finish - MaryJo Cooke

Finally!

My long awaited shoot with MaryJo Cooke was finally realized today, and even though our shoot was cut a bit short due to the weather and conditions, it was definitely worth the wait. MaryJo is a true professional in front of the camera, and it made the process a breeze. Also, she allowed me to do a little styling for this portion of the shoot (we were also supposed to shoot at the beach, but that didn't happen due to the aforementioned weather), and she wanted something similar to Olesya and Gina's photos that I took earlier in the year. But I wanted to take it a step further, and give that same sexy/sporty look and add a bit of an edge to it.. a little punk rock. And luckily we were able to find a location that had some "attitude" as well, so make the whole scene come together.

I'm pretty happy with the results. MaryJo looked amazing and is ready to rock the stage at the Cals, and we were able to pull off a pretty cool look for the shoot. Can't ask for much more than that.

Well, I guess I could have asked for a uncrowded beach, no overcast skies and a bit warmer weather for the second part of our shoot.. but I guess that's pushing it. And since this is the first shoot I've done since my equipment broke, I'll take what I can get — I don't want to anger the Photography Gods again!

Photo Finish - Irish Marie

Today I shot with a figure competitor wth one of the coolest names out there — Irish Marie. Of course, I had to bust out my Ireland shirt for the occasion, because everyone knows I like to coordinate my clothing with the names of the models I work with.

It seems like Mother Nature has a beef with me as of late, because I was once again greeted with cloudy skies, cool temps and a bit of a breeze coming off of the water. Not the best of conditions, but we made it work as best we could for the time we were out there.

Irish comes down to SD ever so often, so we pledged to give it a try at some other point during the figure season. But that doesn't mean we didn't get some cool shots today, and I liked the shadow-play on Irish's physique in the photo above.

Photo Finish - Amy Parks

The final photoshoot of my Florida trip almost ended up like my first day here, with darkened skies threatening rain and a cancelled shoot. Even though a few sprinkles fell, it wasn't enough to hamper my shoot with Amy Parks — although the wind is another story.

After 4 days being out and about at various South Florida beaches, I've come to this conclusion — its windy around here. Morning, night, afternoon.. it doesn't matter. The wind is always something to reckon with when your a photographer, and while it can provide a nice wind blown look to the hair, it can also provide a nice wind blown look to your equipment and bags, which can be a huge challenge.

Hey, no one said photography is easy. But working with models such as Amy Parks makes it a whole lot easier. Actually, I was lucky to work with alot of great models, and people in general, during my stay in Florida. Amy herself is a bit new as a model, even though she's going to be on the cover of Natural Bodybuilding magazine in the coming months. She took direction like a pro, and by the end of the shoot I let her freestyle a bit, and she showed that she was a quick study.

Hopefully one of these days I'll be able to come back to Florida and shoot with Amy and many of the other models in a bit calm and controlled conditions. But as I've learned, that may not be an easy thing to do in the wind-swept Sunshine State.

Photo Finish - Wendy Rider & Hayley Womack

Today I braved the stiff coastal winds of northern Miami on only 2 hours of sleep for a sunrise shoot with Wendy Rider (above), followed by Hayley Womack (below), at Haulover Beach. Although the wind did prove to be a problem with my shooting setup, it did provide a nice wind blown effect to the hair of both models. The only problem was that the wind was so steady that it forced the girls to point their faces into it, which can really dry up the eyes quick. But Wendy and Hayley were troopers and fought off Mother Nature and what she decided to toss at us today.

It seems like every day there is a new weather challenge to overcome, but its a fun challenge to always try to counter the punches that nature throws. Although I have to admit, there was no counter punching by yours truly during Thursday's hurricane-like conditions.. I just gave up and watched a MythBusters marathon in my hotel room instead.

Photo Finish - Casandra Madero

Tonight I had the pleasure of shooting with Casandra Madero, a relatively new but very talented fitness model from Miami. And when I refer to her "talent", I'm not just talking about her stunning good looks and great physique, because this girl is not only walking wikipedia, but she's also one of the funnier people I've ever been around. I haven't been around too many people that in one breath can tell me how mangrove trees help to sustain life in the Everglades, and then turn around and crack a joke about — well, I don't know if I can even repeat it on here. But trust me, this girl is funny, smart, and good looking. I'm pretty sure that's the best three traits a person can have.

Oh, but it doesn't stop there. Casandra also knows how to put together a hell of an outfit. Just look at the photo above — that bikini alone would be good enough for most people, but she was able to take it to another level with the green sash, the belt, the necklace and the bracelets. Plus she hired a MUA to come to the shoot to help her with her hair and makeup, which was a huge help as well. It's very cool to see someone go through so much effort to want to create the best photo possible, because it makes me want to work harder to make that happen.

We shot down in Key Biscayne, which is an odd little place with manatees swimming off the coast and iguanas running across the streets. Not the same kind of scene that I normally see in San Diego. And although I didn't get the ideal location I was looking for, we still were able to work the area pretty well and capture the light at key times. I liked how the photo above turned out because the background is split 50/50 with the sky and the earth, with the tops of the palm trees adding a spikey, abstract transition between the two.

Oh, and the fact that Casandra looks amazing helps the overall image as well.

Photo Finish - Crystal Fawn

Tonight's shoot with Crystal Fawn was unique for a couple of different reasons. First off, Crystal is the bass player in a group called Featured on Friday, so we got to infuse her instrument and Guitar Hero poses into alot of the shots we took. Also, I was lucky enough to shoot at numerous spots along South Beach in Miami and actually didn't get hassled, pestered, ticketed or kicked out of any location, which is a big change compared to some places I normally shoot in Southern California.

It was weird to not have to pick the best "safe" location, and instead have the freedom to just shoot wherever I wanted to. Of course, I'm always critical of my shots and never completely satisfied, so I wish I had a secondary light or reflector for some of the photos, but for a Meet n' Shoot on the road, I was happy with the varety of images Crystal and I were able to produce.

Photo Finish - Melissa Deal (again!)

Since our first shoot was hampered by the wind and cloudy skies, Melissa Deal and I decided to give it another shot on a nicer day. So yesterday greeted us with much nicer weather (although it was very hazy and bright, but I just like to complain), and we decided to shoot in a setting a bit foreign to me — the backyard. Luckily, this particular backyard was pretty spacious and offered a couple of different areas to shoot in, so it worked out well.

Like alot of newer models, the facial expression is one of the toughest thing to master, so Melissa and I worked hard on nailing down some different looks in that realm, and she made alot of great strides during the shoot. I always implore anyone thinking about shooting, with me or anyone else, to spend some quality time in front of a mirror — not only to practice posing your physique, but also your face. The more you practice, the easier it is to know what it feels like to hit that pose or expression once your at a shot. Its sort of like muscle memory on a whole other level.

Photo Finish - Melissa Deal

Ahhh.. Spring is in the air. Well, in theory it is, according to the calendar, but it sure didn't feel like it at my shoot with Melissa Deal this evening. Let me just put it this way, when all the tourists walking around are wearing coats, its not a good sign.. consider they are probably visiting from somewhere thats a whole lot colder most of the time. Nevertheless, Melissa was super cool to work with and pushed through the temperature obstacles, and held off an invasion of goosebumps for the majority of our shoot.

The sun peeked through at times, which made it difficult to maintain balance light-wise, but I think we both welcomed its arrival. Speaking of peeking, Melissa drew quite a crowd of onlookers and was greeted by a round of applause at the conclusion of our shoot. The funniest part was a helicopter who went WAY out of his way to swing by and hover over our shoot briefly to get a better look.

So as you can see, Melissa is a beautiful girl who has an equally fun and sweet personality. She hasn't done many shoots in the past, but I have a feeling that will change very shortly — because at the very least, I hope to shoot with her more (in a warmer setting, hopefully). Not only is she somewhat new to modeling, but she just made her debut on the figure stage was well, placing second in a very competitive tall class at the 2007 NPC San Diego. Keep an eye out for more from Melissa in both the fitness modeling world and the competitive scene.

NPC San Diego (formerly World Gym Classic) report

The full report for the 2007 NPC San Diego show is now up and ready for public consumption. So grab a spork and dig in. Click on the photo below to jump to the coverage.

Congrats to Crystal Lowrey, Nez Zamarano, Susana Genty and Olesya Novik for winning their respective classes in a surprisingly competitive show.

Photo Finish - Olesya Novik bodyscapes

For awhile now, I've been wanting to step out of my safety zone a bit and try some different style of photographs than what I'm used to. A few weeks ago I got the chance to stylize shoots with Olesya Novik and Gina Aliotti, which was definitely a fun experience. And more recently, I tried my hand at the abstract world of bodyscapes with one of my favorite guinea pigs models, Olesya.

Olesya is getting ready for her first competition and was two weeks out from stepping on stage. In the past, I had noticed the crazy amount of detail and definition in her back, so that was the main target for many of the shots. I'll be honest, it wasn't as easy venture. Between the trouble with sync cords and trying to adjust the lighting to get in just right, it was a challenge. But I welcome challenges and don't mind failing and stumbling as long as theres something to learn from it at the end.

And in the end, I think we got some interesting shots. About 90% of the interest is in the aforementioned detail of Olesya's back, but hey, I'll take that 10% worth of credit for splashing some light across it. Now that I have an idea of what to expect and what to do in the future, I look forward to trying out more bodyscape shots from here on out.

So who's next? The line forms to the right.

Photo Finish - Gina Aliotti

I've shot with Gina numerous times over the past few years — in studios, in gyms, at the beach, and everywhere in between. Although we've shot alot, it had been awhile since we had worked with each other in a planned, controlled setting, so I was looking forward to capturing some images with her so close to stepping on stage at the Arnold.

Gina really liked the styling that I came up with for Olesya's shoot, so we went that same route with some minor color and accessory tweaks. Both Gina and I are hoping for a duo shoot with Olesya and herself — both sporting their funky, sporty outfits — so with any luck that may happen very shortly.

The shoot itself went very quick and smoothly. I believe I was Gina's first shoot way back in the day (ok, maybe it was like a year ago), and she's progressed big time when it comes to posing. She's now in the category of models who can rattle off pose after pose after pose, which is a big help for me and anyone she shoots with.

Best of luck to Gina at the Arnold.. wish I could be there to see her shine on stage.

Photo Finish - Olesya Novik

Wow.

If I had to choose one word to sum up my shoot with newcomer Olesya Novik, that'd be the word. Wow.

Hard to believe that Olesya has never stepped on stage before, although she will in four weeks. It's also hard to believe that this was only her third shoot ever, with the other two taking place in the previous few weeks. Regardless of her sparse resume in the fitness industry, I have a feeling that it won't be long until photographers, sponsors and managers coming knocking at her door.

About the shoot.. I had the unique opportunity to play stylist before the actual photoshoot, as Olesya and I made a little shopping trip to pick up some cool clothes for the shoot. I had an idea of what kind of images and outfit I wanted, and it was so refreshing to work with someone totally open to new ideas and was basically along for the ride.

I busted out every item in my bag of tricks — I admit, its not that big, maybe more like a fanny pack of tricks — and overall I was pretty happy with the resulting images. And I don't like to play favorites, but, too bad.. even after just one shoot, Olesya is one of my all-time favorite people to work with.

So remember the name Olesya Novik. And most of all, remember this — wow.

Photo Finish - Ironman FitExpo

Here are some other images from the FitExpo. Actual booth-style expo shots will be added soon as well.. patience my child.

Ironman FitExpo recap

After two days up in Pasadena at the Ironman FitExpo, I have come to the realization of one fact:

I am not a good schmoozer.

I don't know what it is, but man, expos can be rough on a guy like me. If I run into someone I've shot in the past, we know each other's vibe and can communicate on a certain level. But as much as I love seeing the same folks at their respective booths once or twice a year, my schmoozing skills usually turn what should be a heartfelt reunion into an awkward few seconds filled with phrases like, "so, what are you up to these days" and plenty of inappropriate chuckling.

Maybe it's all in my head, but I don't know. I think I need to check and see if there are any schmoozing classes offered at the Learning Annex.

Anyhow, this was the first FitExpo I had ever attended, and the expo itself was entertaining, yet a bit on the wee size. There were always activites and demos going on at the stage in the expo, from Figure prejudging to bench press competitions to Fittest Couple showdowns. Due to the relative small size of the expo — compared to the Olympia and Arnold, at least — the aisle got a bit clogged during the more popular on-stage events, turning the walkways into impassable cul-de-sacs. I'm guessing that kind of turnout is a good thing, however, vouching for the popularity of the three-day event. Hopefully as the years go on, the FitExpo will continue to grow and join the Big Two as one of the premiere fitness events in the US.

While I was in Pasadena I clocked in my first on-the-road photoshoots of the year, which is always a fun yet challenging time. The challenge is always to make the photos look like they weren't taken a block from the host hotel, and to give all the people I shoot with a little variety so I don't exploit the same location over and over again. Although a couple shoots didn't materialize, I was able to bribe Tanji Johnson, Gina Aliotti, Vanessa Van Overmeer and Dawn Kirkham to shoot with me. The unfamiliar name in that roster is Dawn, who was a relative photoshoot newbie going into our shoot, but we still got some really cool shots, one being the photo you see on the right.

As far as the actual competition went, Monica Mark walked away with the overall title, beating out other respective class winners Dawn Kirkham and Danielle Edmonds. The placings were pretty consistent and the judging seemed on point, although the crowd tossed out some disapproving boos when Alecia Rankovic was called for second instead of winning the tall class. The Top 5 placings were:

Figure Class A
1. Monica Mark
2. Cindy Martinez
3. Debbie Bell
4. Kathryn Payton
5. Sirvan Ergili

Figure Class B
1. Dawn Kirkham
2. Michele Cogger
3. Dena Gunnoe
4. Vanessa Van Overmeer
5. Venus Ramos

Figure Class C
1. Danielle Edmonds
2. Alecia Rankovic
3. Soumaya Wilmore
4. Hilary Fonseca
5. Allyson Ellenson

All in all, it was a fun trip. I got to awkwardly reunite with old pals, I got complimented quite a bit on my choice of apparel, I scraped my car door in the parking gargage, I ended up getting a hotel room that went unused, I.. wait, it was supposed to be fun, right? Ah, but it was, I just kid. Stay classy Pasadena, I'll see you next year.

Champion's Gallery - Gina Camacho

Since its not that often that I get to shoot with the winner of an IFBB Pro competition, I figured I'd be generous and share with you some additional photos from the session. We got some great images, so I figure from now on it should be manditory that the winner shoot with me if I'm at the show. I'm just sayin..

Photo Finish - Sacramento

In past years I didn't really travel to shows outside of California in fears of setting up photoshoots and having mass cancellations (see NPC USAs 05), and in turn wasting alot of time and money. However, in 2006 I rolled the dice a bit, travelling to exotic locales like Sacramento and Bellevue, and I must admit, things have gone well. Just about every session has gone through and I've been lucky enough to find areas to shoot that capture the feel of the aforementioned exotic locales. So who knows, maybe next year you'll see me pop up at a show in Vermont or Wisconsin or Swaziland.. keep an eye out for future travel announcements.

Ok, on to the photos from the Sacramento Pro weekend (in 'chronological' order):

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My first shoot of the trip was MySpace pal and IFBB figure pro Arina Manta. Originally from Romania but now residing in Sydney, Australia, Arina is a definite photo shoot pro. She's one of those models that all I really have to do is sit back and click the camera, because she had a full arsenal of poses and expressions at her disposal. I actually got the opportunity to hang out with Arina a bit during the weekend, and it was interesting to hear an international athlete's view on competiting in the states. A really cool person in general, Arina is someone I hope to work with again in the near future.

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Wrapping up a short day of shoots on Friday was Nicole Pitcher, helping me quickly cover two continents-worth of competitors in just a few hours. I worked with Nicole during the summer months in Malibu, but this time the locale and weather conditions were decidedly different. Gone were the warm dusk temperatures and soft sandy beaches, and insert cloudy, foggy days with dirty river sand and a strange, indecipherable odor. Nevertheless, we had a good time shooting and made the best of the conditions. Personality-wise, shooting with Nicole is always a highlight of a trip.

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Saturday brought upon a photoshoot moritorium, so Sunday was the next chance to shoot the Sacramento competitors. With the recent time change, the window to shoot outdoors became increasingly narrower, so getting alot of shoots in required an earlier start time. Only thing is, early in November usually equals frigid, so finding someone.. uhm.. brave enough to conquer those temperatures might be tough. Thankfully, first time NPC competitor Erin Heath was up to the task.

A quick story regarding Erin.. we had corresponded just a bit before the show, and we agreed to shoot on Sunday morning. However I never saw her photo before heading out to Sacramento, so I wasn't exactly sure who I was shooting. At the night show, they announce each competitors name before they do their model turns at center stage, so I was doing my best to pay attention to the names so I could see who I was going to be shooting. Earlier at the prejudging, I was talking to über-photographer GeneX about some competitors — basic "do you know her name?" sort of things — and there was this one raven-haired competitor in the B-Class that I asked him about, but to no avail. So at the night show, I said that wouldn't it be funny if that competitor I had asked about was actually this mythical "Erin Heath" I was supposed to shoot. So the B-Class came around, and this particular competitor was next in line, when the emcee said..

"Next up... Er..Arianna.."

Doh! Got my hopes up with that first syllable, Mr. Emcee. So I wait for "Arianna" to take the stage.. but wait! Theres some confusion at the podium!

"Sorry about that, it appears Arianna isn't here. Next up.. Erin Heath."

Yes! I win! I win! What I won, I'm not sure, but that didn't stop me from high-fiving myself a couple times and giving myself (and Erin) a round of applause.

Ok, so that wasn't a quick story. Anyhow, Erin is a gorgeous competitor with a bright, bright future. The early morning fog provided a pretty dramatic background for some of the shots, looking like we were shooting at Sleepy Hollow rather than Sacramento. Cool stuff.

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Part two of my Saturday morning four-photoshoot marathon was Natalie Bastiao, one of my favorite people to work with. There are some models that I can just click with automatically personality-wise, and Natalie is one of those select few. We had a great shoot at a not-so-exotic locale the last time out (a hotel in Culver City), so the pressure was on to replicate that same success in Sacramento. The fog and cold didn't really help, but as things went along we were able to capture some great images. Natalie is thinking about doing the Excalibur in a couple of weeks, so we'll see if another photoshoot is in store in the near future.

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Like Erin, Carissa Duran was another first time competitor and first time model.. but it didn't take long for Carissa to gain a fan following during our photo shoot. The location of our shoot was at the bank of a river that is popular with local fisherman. Throughout the day, the fish really seemed to be biting where we were shooting, because throngs of boats would slowly cruise into the area and float off the shore. I think there must have been some rare birds in the trees behind us too, because alot of people had binoculars pointed our way.

Anyhow, one boat actually pulled up to the shore, and I could see a father and son begin to approach Carissa. Turns out the boy wanted a photo with Carissa, so dad obvously couldn't deny his son this wish, so I'm sure he begrudgingly agreed to take the photo. The kid really had to twist dads arm on that one.

Carissa plans on doing the Excalibur as well and hopes to bring in a leaner, tighter package to the stage now that her first show is in the books. Only 18, she has a plenty of time to make a name for herself in the sport.

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Last, but definitely not least, was Sacramento Pro figure champ Gina Camacho. Gina and I had talked off and on about shooting for years now, and it was definitely worth the wait. Now one of the top figure athletes in the world, Gina has a ridiculous physique (see first place finish at the show) and although she claims she's still a bit of a photoshoot newbie, she knows how to work the camera. After the usual photoshoot acclimation process that I go through with everyone (I learn how I can talk to them, how I can joke around with them, how open they are to instruction, etc), Gina and I were rolling along with great shot after great shot. I also have to give props to her husband who was a huge help during the shoot, and was equally cool.

My only hope is that now that I finally shot with Gina, I don't have to wait 3-4 years to shoot with her again. I don't want photoshoots with someone like that to come around as often as the Winter Olympics!

Olympia Expo photos

I remember back in the Golden Ages of the internet — oh, 3 or 4 years ago — FitSights was almost always the first site to post expo photos. But alas, it seems those days of yore are well upon us. Now there are live web feed whirlygigs, interweb radio doohickeys and people with their snazzy blueberry or huckleberry or crunchberry devices.

So here I am, with my camera and computer, getting beat to the punch by all these whippersnappers.

Regardless, if you enjoy photos that are aged to a perfection at 2 days old, please check out our collection of expo photos.

I'll return at a later date to post a recap of the weeked that will be totally outdated at the time of publishing.

Enjoy!

Photo Finish - Meriza Goncalves

It had been over a month since my last shoot, which probably isn't such a bad thing because I've been so slow process photos from 20 shoots in July. But today marked the first photoshoot of September; a shoot with local NPC competitor Meriza Goncalves. I'd seen Meriza on stage numerous times in the past, so she's always been someone I had wanted to shoot with, so it was nice to see it finally come to fruition. We shot at a local cove that I had avoided for the most part in the past, thinking it would be a place filled with tourists. Well, it sort of is, but surprisingly there are pockets of solititude among the masses. We had pretty decent weather, a nice sun and sky, and very little foot traffic.. can't ask for much more. Maybe a scalp massage and someone feeding me black concord grapes, but hey, beggers can't be choosers.

Photo Finish - USAs

• Tanji Johnson was in town supporting some athletes she works closely with in the Northwest. Tanji and I have "known" each other for awhile now, but rarely actually run into each other at shows. We had been talking about shooting for ages, and the stars finally aligned and the prophecy came to fruition. Tanji is a very talented athlete, but thats not the extent of her abilities. Look for alot more from Tanji in the coming year.

• Friday's only shoot was with Jacqui Skibba, who rolled into Vegas for the sole purpose of shooting with FitSights and her Performance Ready Team out of Colorado. I'm usually not a fan of indoor photoshoots, but due to the heat I decided that this year it would be a necessity. Although it was a little tough getting the right angles sometimes, the shoot went great. Jacqui has such a bubbly, upbeat personality that any bumps in the road were easily smoothed over.

• When I think of Josephine Dalton, I will always remember one thing — Popillia japonica. These lil buggers were buzzing around during our entire shoot, and despite Josephine's rough and tumble past (in the Navy, multiple rotator-cuff surgeries, dealing with a torn ligament for the past few months), if theres one that that really gets to her, its bugs. Especially big ol' shiny ones that like to cruise around people's craniums. But insects be damned, we powered through the early morning shoot anyways, and with the beautiful surroundings and Joey's posing skills, we were able to capture some great images.

• I had to wait until Sunday to shoot an actual USA competitor, but the flurry activity was a welcomed change. Michelle Welsh, who I had also shot with at the LAs, brings alot to her shoots. Great energy, fantastic posing, and — well — dope outfits. This oldschool Padres-colored getup worked well at the indoor location, and I think we captured some nice fitness/fashion images. And yep, thats really the Wynn in the top right corner.

• Like with Tanji, NPC bodybuilder Jodi Miller was another long awaited shoot. And yes, you heard me right; Jodi is moving from figure to bodybuilding this August at the Europa show. One of the best posers I've ever worked with, all I really had to do was point the camera in her general direction and open up the shutter — Jodi did the rest.

• Speaking of moving to bodybuilding, Diana Tinnelle did just that at the USAs, and was quite successful in her first outing, placing 3rd in the Light Heavyweight category. But enough about where Diana placed in the show, I want to talk about the shoot. Wow. This girl can pose like no other. And I'm not just talking about knowing how to position her body in front of the camera, Diana hits these poses in rapid succession with speed I had never witnessed before. At times, I felt like I was holding her up by taking the photos. Excellent physique and excellent poser. Wow.

• Not only did Diana bring her posing skills to the shoot, but she also brought members of her Diamond Girlz Physique Team. Among them were Julie Williams, a statuesque bodybuilder from Arizona who competed as a Middleweight at the USAs. A little shy at the start, Julie warmed up and the end and allowed us to capture some great images.

• Last, but definitely not least, is Melissa Alvarado, a Lightweight sparkplug with a very photogenic look. When I first saw her I didn't know if she was a muscular figure competitor or a bodybuilder, which is a unique look to have (a tweener). Depending on how she posed, Melissa was able to go back and forth between both 'soft' and 'hard' looks and offered a lot of variety. Like Julie, Melissa was a little shy and nervous in the beginning, but once I showed her the photos we were taking, it was smooth sailing from that point on.

Photo Finish - LA Shootapalooza

This past weekend, I decided to test my photographic dexterity and stamina by scheduling a number of shoot revolving around the 2006 NPC Los Angeles competition, mainly in preparation for the upcoming USAs. And, yikes, I'm gonna be in a whole world of hurt come this Sunday.. but it'll be worth it (hopefully).

Pictured above are Jennifer DeJoya, Michelle Welsh, Jennifer Pollard, Heathre Foster, Dana Jacober and Angie Salveo.

I don't know if I'm just lucky or what, but I continue to have great success in finding personable, entertaining, funny, patient, and beautiful models to shoot with. Whatever it is, I just hope the streak continues, because it makes my job a whole lot easier when the shooting environment is laid back and fun.

Photo Finish - Elise Penn

The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry. - Robert Burns

One thing I enjoy most as a photographer is problem solving; embracing the ominous Plan B. Its very rare that a shoot goes perfectly from start to finish. Whether its dealing with Mother Nature, location issues, equipment mishaps, sinking knee deep into mud and losing ones shoes and having to walk the rest of the time on very sharp rocks in your mud encrusted socks — oops, sorry, delving into the personal memory bank for that one. Anyhow, like I was saying.. as a photographer, you have to be very fluid with your plans and be able to adapt to your environment and your company.

Tonight, for instance.

Originally, the plan was to shoot with NPC figure competitor Elise Penn inside Worlds Gym, capturing some photos in a basic gym environment. One problem. Apparently, San Diegans love to work out at 8pm. Basically, the place was packed, and there was no real room for us to set up without totally interfering with the workout-happy patrons.

Problem.

So instead, we found a little nook in front of the gym with some discarded weight racks along a nice nuetral gray painted wall. All of a sudden, we had a makeshift studio space that still carried some visual elements of a gym.

Problem solved.

Photo Finish - Sonia Adcock

Probably ranking in the top 3 of my "photoshoot wish list", a shoot with Sonia Adcock has been a long time in the making. For those FitSights faithful, you'll know that Sonia and I shot two years ago, but Mother Nature threw us a curveball with some horrible weather, and I had to do something that I've only done once before — cancel a shoot while at the location.

Shortly after that incident, Sonia took a little hiatus from the figure scene, and I had always wondered if we'd get another chance to shoot. Heck, I even wondered if our photoshoot went so badly that I made her quit altogether. While at the Emerald Cup, I ran into a competitor that looked just like Sonia, but had the physique of a figure pro. Oops.. wait.. it was Sonia! Her hiatus wasn't spent resting on her laurels, she was making some serious progress in the gym, and eventually went on to win the overall at the Emerald Cup — no small feat unto itself.

Now preparing for her run at a pro card, I got the chance to shoot with Sonia once again, and things went a bit smoother this time around. I'm gonna throw two sample photos your way, just because I think we got a great variety of shots. One of those most photogenic models I've ever worked with, it was a pleasure shooting with Sonia — and hopefully I won't have to wait 2 years to do it again!

Photo Finish - Ana Tigre & Melissa Kelley

I just returned from a shoot this evening, and man, I got pretty scared at the beginning. I had planned to shoot at this cove along the beach, but when we got there, it was like a scene out of The Mummy — wind blowing at a gale force and sand kicking up into everyones faces. Needless to say, our skin was exfoliated nicely, but we definitely weren't going to be shooting there. Luckily, we stumbled upon an area that was a bit more protected from the wind, and all in all, I felt the shoot went pretty well considering what we were dealing with.

Here are a couple of photos from the shoot itself. Both Ana (top photo) and Melissa did great battling the elements, which can be tricky when you've got a steady wind blowing at your back. Not exactly hair's best friend.

Hope you like them.

Photo Finish - Cals

Just a quick sneak peek at some shoots that were done earlier today — Andrea Dumon, Natalie Bastiao and Sherilyn Roy. I've still got another one today, and possibly two more tomorrow.. but I don't want to jinx anything.

What, too late? Nooooooooooo....

Photo Finish - Emerald Cup

Although seven photoshoots during a major competition may not seem like alot, it currently ranks as an all-time high for FitSights. I'm sure you really don't want to read a detailed description of every shoot, so instead I'll just do a quick summary on the who/what/why (starting from the top left).

Amber Davenport - Quite possibly my most favorite model to work with, Amber hinted that this may be the last competition for her in the forseeable future. Say it ain't so, Amber.. say it ain't so. My camera and I shed a tear at that very notion. Although she may have not placed as high as she would have liked in the Emerald Cup, she's got the top spot in the ol' FitSights Cup.

Corinna Frikken - Corinna and I have missed each other at a couple of contests in the past, but luckily things went as planned this time around. A beautiful competitor with an equally stunning physique, Corinna was a pleasure to work with and came equipped with a photographers best friend — lots of clothing options and accessories!

Amanda Chapman - My Ironwoman award for the EC goes to Amanda, for braving frosty early morning temperatures in the backwoods of Bellevue. Despite the chills, Amanda kept a smile on her face — and on mine as well — because she definitely knows how to keep a loose shoot atmosphere.

Stacy Adams - The wild card of the weekend, Stacy was added into a vacated spot in my schedule a day before we were supposed to shoot, so we never really got to talk all that much beforehand. Despite that, Stacy and I clicked pretty quickly and we had a great shoot. Surprisingly, it was her first shoot ever, but I have a feeling it won't be her last — and hopefully won't be her last with FitSights either.

Allison Jones - As far as posing goes, AJ is one of the better models I've ever worked with. And as far as personality goes, she's also one of the funniest models I've ever worked with. Anyone who can reference Beavis & Butthead and the movie Tommy Boy in one day gets high marks in my book.

Kristine Large - Heading up to Bellevue for the Emerald Cup, the person I was looking forward to working with the most wasn't some big name national competitor who was using the EC as a tune-up for an eventual pro card run — it was Kristine. With shoulders that would rival an Olympic swimmer and great genetics, the 22-year old from Washington will be making some noise in the coming years. And then I can say that the person I'm looking forward to shooting IS a big name national competitor using the EC as a tune-up for an eventual pro card run.. who's name is Kristine.

Jackie Shanley - One of the best surprises of the trip was Jackie, who was preparing for her first figure competition the weekend after the Emerald Cup. Her innocent girl-next-door looks and athletic physique combined for a very unique — and photogenic — look. Like Stacy, this was her first photoshoot, but you'd never know it from looking at the photos we captured. And like Stacy.. it won't be her last.

Photo Finish

While March may have brought its traditional doldrums, April has been a pretty productive month for FitSights. With a couple of shoots under the belt already, some video projects underway, and an upcoming — and hopefully fruitful — trip to the Emerald Cup later this week, we're hoping to make up for the previous slow month.

After a weekend full of shoots, I figured it would only be right to share a few photos with everyone. The photo you see above is Gina Aliotti, whom you already know of if you've read this blog before. The reason I pimp Gina so much is because in the 8 years I've been working with competitors on websites, she has shown more effort and enthusiasm towards her site than just about anyone outside of the true Web Master — Heather Lee. And that's saying alot.

Below is a glimpse of a studio shoot I conducted, and yes, that's the star of MTV's Date My Mom — Vanessa van Overmeer. I've shot with Vanessa more than anyone on this planet, and it's been great to see her grow over the years, both in her modeling ability and her buffness. She's now the type of model that has a repertoire of poses she can hit and manipulate on a whim, which is a photographers dream.

What's a photographers nightmare? A model that starts off a shoot by standing there with a blank look on her face, saying, "well, what do I do?" So yeah.. try not to be that person.