SecondFocus Blog

It does get a little warm out here in Palm Springs in the Summer. But I do love it! Daily it is very sunny and typically 105+ so when you do photo shoots outside, you just have to adapt…

Here I was adapting with IFBB Pro, Larissa Reis from Brazil. As I go through her photos I will post a few more so you can see the hard work that goes in to doing a photo shoot in this hot weather

Thanks and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

Yesterday I was doing a photo shoot with my friend Eric at his gym, Anytime Fitness in Cathedral City, California. And then we decided to add his son, Austinn to a couple of photos. Families that lift together stay together, and maybe stay much healthier…

It reminded me that my father first took me to gym when I was about nine years old and I actually started lifting when I was around twelve. Somewhere along the way I think various medical groups and agencies decided that kids should not lift weights, that it would somehow do them harm. Probably the same folks who gave us those old food pyramids telling us about all the heavy carb and fruit intake we should have. Of course years later we found that diet was a not such good advice either.

In the latest issue of Iron Man Magazine, September 2009, there is a new report quoted from SportsHealthJournal.com that says "participating in even a short duration strength training program during childhood and especially during adolescence may not only improve one’s body composition, but also increase self-esteem and improve blood lipid profiles".

Right now we are facing a health crisis in the United States. I have read various reports in the last few days looking for the specific statistic but it seems to be that anywhere from 20% - 40% of the kids are now obese. It is truly a national crisis. So maybe a lot of us right here on BodySpace should lead the way and tell the story, take your kid to the gym. It’s fun. I liked it. And Austinn likes it too!

Thanks and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

Obviously here on BodyBuilding.com there is an emphasis on lifting weights and going to the gym. And that has always been a big part of my life. But so many of us do so very many other things that are sports and fitness related. For me, my past has included running, racquetball, Karate, and horse back riding. And all of it in some way is bodybuilding because we are building are bodies, our fitness. So what else do you do?

Yesterday I went hiking. I do live in Palm Springs and I am surrounded by great hiking but you have to be careful this time of year. The average day time temperature right now is around 110 degrees and hotter is often the case. I do love the hot weather, I really do! But hiking is pushing it right now. But 20 minutes away and I am at 9,000 feet in the mountains.

Right here a few minutes away I have the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which in 20 minutes takes you up Mt. San Jacinto to the top tram station at 8,500 feet. Forty degrees cooler it is a wooded State and National Park crossed with hiking trails. And the tram car rotates 360 degrees all the way up.

Mt. San Jacinto itself is almost 11,000 feet and the views from around the trails down to the desert floor are pretty amazing.

On this trip I did a pretty easy trail but was more challenging than the treadmill at the gym, especially at the altitude.

There were some good up hills to the trail too, that worked up a sweat!

And even compared to looking at great bodies at the gym, the scenery was very impressive…

The return does bring you back to the tram station with restaurants and even a bar, a lot of creature comforts, but the workout was great.

I have done this in the snow too, I photographed a travel feature for a magazine and carried around 40 pounds of camera gear. That was a real workout. But it was fun, I like pushing it!

So what do you do? Post some photos to your BodyBlogs about your other sports, your other fun things that you do. It is all bodybuilding! And let me know when you post something so I can take a look! I would love to see what else everyone does. And I promise that from now on I am going to go out photograph more physical fitness than just stuff at the gym and on the competition show stage. It will be fun! And I will post it here.

Thanks and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

Yesterday, July 4th, was the official 75th Anniversary of Muscle Beach Venice! And the place where muscles were born was alive with a bodybuilding, figure and bikini competition that brought over 80 people from around the world to the place where it all started. Muscle Beach today is becoming bigger and better all the time. But this day did not forget the Muscle Beach stars of years past and even the eclectic personalities that so very much make up Venice Beach. Here are some photos from July 4th at Muscle Beach 2009…

I hope you like these photos. If you can get to Muscle Beach for a visit this Summer, do it! It is lots of fun! And the next show there is Labor Day on September 7, 2009.

Thanks for visiting and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

Yesterday I was lucky enough to photograph the man who started it all, Joe Weider. Just as enthusiastic as you might want to experience, Joe Weider recounted his early days seeing Muscle Beach, bringing Arnold to the United States and so very much more. His excitement to this day about bodybuilding and weight lifting is as much as it was so many years ago. As a matter of fact, Mr. Weider was proud to tell us that he himself still lifts daily and curls 25 pound dumbbells.

This is a project that I can’t tell you much about right now. But I can tell you that it is a big one and if were not for BodyBuilding.com it would not be happening. It might be a while, maybe as much as a year or so. But this will be something very great. And I am so very proud to be a part of it. I will tell you more when I can, but I bet you will hear about it.

Thanks and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

So my last weekend was out of town shooting. I can’t tell you what it was for, too soon. But here are some behind the scenes photos. People you will recognize and be introduced to are Victor Martinez, Cathy LeFrancois, Jane Awad, Krissy Chin, Troy Johnson, Chris Tsugranes, Kris Murrell, Doug Brignole, Anthony Perez and Gustavo Ruiz. Busy weekend…

Thanks and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

As photographers there is perhaps nothing more than we appreciate more than a kind word about our work. BodySpace member "BodyAuditor” went beyond a kind word in his comment to one of my recent BodyBlog posts…

“You know what I think is so cool about your photo’s Ian? You go a step further than just showing off awesome muscles and well let’s be real here, hot chicks. Your shots cause us (me anyway) to ponder, to understand what may be going through a your subject’s mind, to feel the scene, dare I say, to feel a touch euphoric. The shot in this article of the bodybuilder going up the stairs watching the big screen is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. I can look at one of your shots one day and feel a certain way about it, then will look the next day and feel possibly the antithesis. Congrats on striving to be the best and for choosing to make a positive difference!”

This is the photo he was referring to specifically…

First, I cannot say Thank You enough! Then I will say that my own photograhpy endeavors are rooted in my own fascination with photographs of all kinds, from the earliest days of photography, to the famous fashion photographers like Helmut Newton and Richard Avedon and so much more. It is that fascination that makes me want to show more than just awesome muscles and hot chicks but the people themselves, what is behind their eyes, and sometimes to create my own art.

So BodyAuditor, THANK YOU THANK YOU!

And please keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

Not quite as glamorous as being interviewd on NBC Nightly News (actually I have done that), I was interviewed for the website of one of one of the top manufacturers of professional photography tripods and support equipment, Induro.

Although it is a little photography technical you will see some background photos and information behind some of the BodyBuilding.com photos of Jamie Eason and BodyBuilding.com magazine ads. So take a look right HERE! Let me know what you think!

Thanks and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

I thought some of you might find this interesting. Just recently on May 10th I did a BodyBlog post here about my photo shoot with Robert Hatch for one of the magazines. You can go back and take a look at those photos and see the originals that are now in this current issue of Planet Muscle and the cover…

So pick up a copy when you see it and take a look!

Thansk and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"

Summer kicks off officially here near the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles with two huge events.

First is the "CAL", the NPC California State Unlimited, Novice, Teens and Masters Bodybuilding Figure & Bikini Championships and the 2009 IFBB California State Pro Figure Championship all on Saturday at Veteran’s Auditorium in Culver City, California.

You can expect to see almost 200 great looking guys and girls on stage during the day and at the evening finals.

You can get all the information right here online about the show and to get tickets. Be there, lots of your favorite supplements companies including BodyBuilding.com will be there as well as you will see lots of your favorite pros hanging in the audience too!

Next up! Well it is not Summer withour MUSCLE BEACH! Three big days at the beach, at the “Pit”, the place where muscles were born. Saturday is Powerlifting, Sunday is Powerlifting and Muscle Beach Boxing, and Monday is the big show kicking off with an Air Force fly-over.

And at Muscle Beach at World Famous Venice Beach there is always a lot to see on stage and on the boardwalk and on the beach…

You can get all the information about the Muscle Beach shows right HERE! And the shows at Muscle Beach are all FREE!!

So make it a weekend of Muscles, Fitness and Beauty! And but the way, you can look for me at almost all of the events. Look for me and say Hi, hoep to see you there!

Thanks and keep coming back if you "Wanna See More…?"