orangenex » perspectives from a san francisco photographer

Well, due to a sync error on my iPhone I lost the actual photos of the receipt and burger but had posted this one shot to twitter before so this will be the ‘evidence’ of my 37th In-n-Out burger which was in Las Vegas.  Since it was just after prejudging at the 2010 NPC USAs, Gail Auerbach, a female bodybuilder that I know also made it over to this In-n-Out which was just a couple blocks away from the venue where the competition was happening.  This trip was also Steve Schibelli’s first trip to an In-n-Out and so it was Steve, myself, James Cook and Annie Rivieccio chomping on burgers.  Gail just came in and ordered and hung out with us while she ordered before she was on her way!

Usually at the bodybuilding shows I cover, I have to shoot a certain way which is my standard style but adapted to physique photography.  However, I’ve been wanting to do a little more when I have time to shoot something a bit more conceptual and since I’ve worked a lot with Lori we decided to try something a bit different.  I still was shooting with deadlines and time limitations but I wanted to have this sort of mysteriously muscular woman theme for this part of the shoot.  Not sure if it works, but I kinda like it…

I get asked a lot about the physique photography that I do and I decided to put together a slideshow of the recent work I’ve shot.  I’ll keep adding to it here so obviously it’s pretty long now, but if you are interested in my work please get in touch.  I am available for assignments, commercial work and have done numerous private shoots as well.  Rates vary so email me to find out more!  Most of my work is of female bodybuilders, fitness athletes and models and my style (which always evolves) is shown in the slideshow above.

From the 2009 NPC Jr Nationals outside Chicago, IL, USA

A quick pic from our shoot at the 2009 Arnold Classic… luckily we actually got good weather in Columbus, OH for a change!

Oh man, I am a bit afraid to listen in but I recently did a radio interview with Siouxcountry Radio about my physique photography that has been posted now online.  Here’s the link to the MP3 of the broadcast – time for me to check it out and cringe…

Check out the shots I took of Sherri Carnicle that are now posted on Zivity. Here’s one of the shots in the set:

So today I finally got to check out “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” which I’ve had an interest in since a few friends are in it and since I do a lot of work in the fitness and bodybuilding industry, is somewhat related to my work.  The documentary is really well done and gives a very balanced view on the issue of steroid use and especially why people may use them and the implications within America and the American way of life.

The first screen grab above is of my friend Brenda “B” Smith talking about gear and her daughter Aubrey is there too.   Some of the more interesting parts of the film included the screen grab below talking about the evolution of the action figure in America and how muscular the current ones are compared to those in the past.  I remember my first Han Solo was skinny and normal looking like the real Harrison Ford, but the new ones I saw were all buffed out – WTF?!

Another enlightening moment was related to the Olympics and specifically the 1988 Seoul Olympics and Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis.  Everyone knows or has probably heard about Johnson being stripped of his gold medal due to failing a doping test, but what I didn’t know was that Carl Lewis failed some USOC doping tests for banned substances and they show a letter he received from the USOC ejecting him from the Olympic Team for the 1988 Olympics.  Of course we all know he was there so you can take from that what you will.  I’m not surprised that our country would let him go, since we as a society seem to value winning more than ethics in so many parts of our culture. (more…)

Here’s rising bodybuilding star Miranda Rai with her state-of-the-art photography equipment. Luckily her physique outshines her gear…

Well, a good friend of mine who I originally met through the bodybuilding and fitness scene sent me this book after he had read it.  I hadn’t heard of Steroid Nation before, but of course the subject matter is quite familiar having worked in the industry so long.  The first thing I was struck by was the whole back story on Dan Duchaine.  I had met Dan through a friend and former Ms. Olympia , Andrulla Blanchette, and we would see each other at shows.

In one of my earlier reports he let me use some of his commentary (1996 NPC Nationals).  It was also Dan who first exposed me to GHB and I didn’t realize how much he was responsible for that drugs popularity.  I knew he was the ‘guru’ but he never treated me in a way that made me feel like he was someone important and he did impart one piece of advice I later used.

Having been in prison, he said: “You find out who your real friends are when you go to prison.”   I later recalled that advice when Dave Palumbo had to serve time.  I sent a few photos and reports on contests happening to Dave and got some letters back.  It’s kind of neat to get mail from prison I guess?

Anyhow the book overall is a good recap of what affect steroids have had in our society and when you are close to so much of it, it’s even more interesting.  The book might go into more detail than someone outside the industry would care for, but when you are inside, it’s nice to see how others perceive things.  It’s a quick read too although it looks like it’s longer since the last 40 or so pages are source notes and such.