Larissa Reis – a fitness model in London

The last time I worked with IFBB Figure athlete Larissa Reis was a day after she stepped off stage at Olympia 2009.  Of course she was ripped.  We shot at the dry lake bed just outside of Las Vegas.

For those of you who may not know, strange as it might seem with me living in the UK and generally being a bit of a lardarse,  I'm actually quite an established name in the fitness photography business in Canada and the USA.

I caught up with her again on her recent visit to London.  She was off-season, but still looking fabulous.

The shoot started well, but it didn't quite go according to plan.   We started in one of the only quiet areas overlooking the Thames and the O2 Arena that I know.  Things were going well until some uptight guy threatened to call the police.  Not because I was shooting Larissa - she was hidden in the car at the time changing, but because my friend and helper for the afternoon Jorge was taking a few photos of his son.

I don't do stress these days, so we decided to move on and try and find somewhere with Tower Bridge in the background.  That's when it all started to go a bit "tits up".  With the southbound Blackwall Tunnel closed the traffic going towards Tower Bridge was horrendous.   It must have taken us about 90 minutes to go little more than 2 miles.  In the end we gave up and restored to plan b.

Plan B was actually always going to happen - going back to Larissa's posh London hotel and to shoot in her room.  First though steak , chips and beer were calling!

Although I had my lights with me, I wanted to do the hotel shoot using just available light, which as it was now dark meant just the lights already in the hotel room.

I'm pleased with the results.  Hopefully some photos from this shoot will be gracing the pages of a fitness magazine in the near future.

Thank you Larissa.  Always a pleasure to work with you!

 

One for the ladies – male fitness shoot

When I scheduled the shoot I had no idea it was a Bank Holiday Monday.   I remember not so long ago when I was employed in a regular job that Bank Holidays and extra days off were really important to me, and I never didn't know when they all were.  Now Bank Holidays, and to some extent weekends are just another day in the week.

Anyway, I'm getting off subject.  So I pack up my portable studio and head off up the M3 to my clients apartment in Epsom.  He had cleared a space in his living room, so we had lots of room to set up in.  Helping me for the shoot was part time photographer and full time computer geek Peter Kent.

While he was booking me for the shoot my client mentioned saying "but having an active and regularly updated blog makes a huge difference. It gives the site a far more personal feel and is a great inspiration for me as I take baby steps towards my first DSLR purchase!"  I enjoy writing and updating my blog, and quite a few people have given me positive comments on it, but this is the first time that it's helped me secure business.  This is a good thing indeed.  :-)

The shoot went well, both client and myself were all very chilled.  Always the best way to be on a shoot.  My helper Peter described me as the most relaxed photographer he'd ever seen.  I'm taking that as a compliment!

My client had this to say about the shoot "'Having never been part of a photoshoot before I wasn't sure what to expect. I need not have worried though as Michael was a pleasure to work with and a great help. Plus the pictures look awesome. I'd recommend him to anyone without hesitation. Next stop Men's Health? That's the plan, we'll see what happens! '"

Shooting with the mini studio I have, just a background and a couple of lights, is always a little limiting, but I was really pleased with the end results, and thankfully so was my client.