SecondFocus Blog

It is that time again for another bodybuilding and figure competition at "Muscle Beach" at world famous Venice Beach California. July 4th is the Mr. and Ms. Muscle Beach show and it is always fun. So if you are around and want a lot of fun for the day, head out to Muscle Beach! And look for me, I will be there!

Even Arnold came riding through on his bicycle last year…

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Well this was also from a non bodybuilding type shoot but I thought I would share it with you anyway. The car is a Ferrari Dino…

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Well I have been busy photographing projects that were not bodybuilding and fitness; but at least included some nice bodies like my buddy Cara again.

Cara has graced the cover of Iron Man Magazine, been featured a number of times, she was the face and body on the banners on the front of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for the FitExpo a couple of years ago and has quite a few other credits to her name. Oh! Including a figure overall win at Muscle Beach Venice!

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I have always been fascinated by the iconic photographs that can come out of election campaigns. And I cannot let pass the 40 year anniversary of the assassination of Bobby Kennedy tomorrow which we remember from the amazing black and white image photographed by Bill Eppridge; the image of busboy Juan Romero holding the head of Kennedy as he lay on the floor of the Ambassador Hotel.

My own experience is only that of having the opportunity to photograph Arnold in his first run for governor against then California Governor Gray Davis. The one thing that really stands out to me from that time was the huge star drawing power of Arnold. Arnold always late, by hours and hours, crowds of thousands and thousands of people would not even remotely become weary of waiting but actually continue to swell in numbers and become more excited with his arrival. By comparison, Gray Davis drew crowds of a few hundred at best.

Anyway I thought it would be interesting to acknowledge the election year happenings of today, the history of the moment past and the best known bodybuilder in the world, with a photo.

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It was a lot of fun; 2 days with a fly over by a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster, bodybuilders, figure girls, guest posing by super heavyweight Brian Yersky, the always amazing 62 year old Bill Grant, a visit from Academy Award winner Angelica Huston and for the first time - amateur boxing at Muscle Beach…

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I have been so busy going from shoot to shoot but here is one from the Memorial Day weekend at Muscle Beach Venice.

That is Jake Sawyer at his very first competition. He had a lot of fun! I will get some more posted soon. Thanks and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

Well I was there, where were you? Yesterday was the grand opening of the Pit at Muscle Beach at world famous Venice Beach California. There are probably some photos out there already from the day but not like mine!

This is Cara Basso, winner of figure competitions at Muscle Beach and you have also seen her in Iron Man Magazine features and on the cover. She came on out to be a part of the day too. Anyway, I will post some photos of the festivities in the next day or so, but I wanted to give you something to look at.

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For taking good photos and to get something different, watch your backgrounds and where you are shooting.

And keep your eyes open for some action like in this photo of Marcus Haley. So like I said in the previous post, get your focus right, see if you are getting good exposure and white balance and then watch where you are framing your shot. Any questions, just send me a note to SecondFocus@mac.com.

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One of the questions I am asked often is how to get good photos at a bodybuilding show. Here is one from a Southern California NPC show last year that is a good example…

What makes this photo work are a few things. First, it is in focus and second, the exposure is correct. And for digital shooting there is the problem of white balance where the camera is recording the correct color temperature of the lighting on the stage. The white balance in this photo is correct. And photos like these are not shot with flash or strobes.

Now if you are shooting at a show with your point and shoot with the screen on the back, for the most part you are going to get what you get, that’s ok. But if you are taking your more advanced camera to photo your girlfriend, boyfriend or gym buddy, there are some things you can do to make your photos look better.

If you don’t know what I am talking about from here, you need to read your camera manual so you can catch up some. So first set your iso higher, maybe to around 800 so you can use an aperture of f/8 or more if possible and a higher shutter speed. This will give you more depth of field for focus and less camera shake and movement.

Next, when you point your camera at your subject, point it at a mid-tone area so you get a more correct exposure. If you point your focus area at a really dark area, your photo will be overexposed because the camera will compensate for the lack of light. The reverse with a really bright area will give you a dark photo.

And when you focus, let your camera focus on the face with the center focus point and then frame your shot.

White balance is tricky so you need to read up a little. But for the most part, your auto white balance settings will usually fail and give you odd looking colors, not realistic. In auditoriums like this, you can usually go with a setting for Tungsten and be much better off.

So now you are an expert! Go take photos and have fun. Any questions, send me an e-mail to SecondFocus@mac.com

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I just realized that I may have done the very last photo shoot at the old "Pit" at Muscle Beach, Venice California. If you hadn’t read the post below, the old equipment has been torn out to make room for the new equipment sponsored by BodyBuilding.com. Well just the week before I had the chance to do another photo shoot with the reigning Ms. Figure America, Ava Cowan, at the old “Pit”.

Ava looked great but as I looked around that day I could really see how badly the "Pit" was looking. The upgrade was really needed. I am looking forward to getting in there and doing a shoot with the new stuff!

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