50,000 Photographers And They Picked Me!

I am very proud to have been selected as a featured photographer on PhotoShelter, a community of approximately 50,000 photographers from part time semi-professional shooters to some of the most famous photographers in the world. And it was my Olympia photos this year that got the attention and specifically this one of Phil Heath on stage at the finals…


So when you get a chance go visit my PhotoShelter website and check out the photos and let me know what you think!



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Working Out With A Partner...

When you do a weightlifting photo shoot with me, we really do go into a gym and workout. Here bodybuilders Brian Yersky and Dan Decker pump some weights...


Brian Yersky & Dan Decker Working Out - Images by Ian Sitren

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Alicia Renee Harris... All Smiles!

Alicia Renee Harris is an IFBB Professional Figure competitor. Known for her vivacious personality and wonderful smile, we had the opportunity to shoot together just a few weeks prior to her appearance in the 2009 Olympia competition in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Alicia Renee Harris - Images by Ian Sitren

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Ms. Olympia 2009...

The Ms. Olympia Bodybuilding competition is perhaps the most coveted event in the sport for women.

Different than "Figure" competition, the women in this event seek the muscle definition and look of power seldom seen in the "fairer" sex.

Here are a few photos from the Pre-Judging stage.


Ms. Olympia 2009 Women's Bodybuilding - Images by Ian Sitren

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More Olympia Photos! The 202 Pre Judging…

I will be the first to tell you that I find photographing shows from front row center a little boring to do, and I think, a little boring to look at. So when I can, I try to get around and give you a different look.

So here is slideshow of my photos from the 2009 Olympia 202 class pre judging from around the stage...


Olympia 2009 202 Pre Judging - Images by Ian Sitren

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The Olympia 2009 - 202 Competition...

The Olympia Bodybuilding Competitions of 2009 was again held in Las Vegas. Perhaps the most prestigious event in bodybuilding, the Olympia launched the career of Arnold and other personalities like Lou Ferrigno, the "Incredible Hulk".

Here are the selected photographs from the finals of the 202 pound class event for the title 2009 Olympia 202.


Olympia 2009 - 202 Finals - Images by Ian Sitren

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The 2009 Mr. Olympia Finals...

This was a superb competition of the finest professional bodybuilders in the world. I hope you enjoy the photos...


Mr. Olympia 2009 Finals - Images by Ian Sitren

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The Mr. Olympia 2009...

This past weekend was the Olympia Bodybuilding Competitions of 2009 in Las Vegas. Perhaps the most prestigious event in bodybuilding, the Olympia launched the career of Arnold and other personalities like Lou Ferrigno, the "Incredible Hulk".

Here are a couple of photos from my photography from the finals of the main event for the title Mr. Olympia won this year by Jay Cutler...


And second place to Branch Warren, here posing in front of two big screens displaying him live on stage...


And the 2009 winner of the other major prestigious event in bodybuilding, the "Arnold", Kai Greene...


I will be posting more photos soon, so...

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Yes I Will Be At The Olympia...

Actually I was the very first photographer to be credentialed by the Olympia for BodyBuilding.com to shoot the Olympia just a few years ago. BodyBuilding.com since then has grown so fast and has done so very much for the industry in such a brief time that it is truly amazing. It is now without question the largest bodybuilding and fitness resource in the world.

Anyway one of my favorites was 2007, I really liked the photos that came out of that show…


Mr. Olympia 2007 Men's Finals - Images by Ian Sitren


Ms. Olympia 2007 Finals - Images by Ian Sitren

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Muscle Beach - Labor Day 2009

Muscle Beach where it is said where muscles were born is the home of bodybuilding and figure competitions over the Summer. These are photos from the show itself and photo shoots of top athletes; Dan Decker, Moji Oluwa, Justin Hunter and Victoria Kirsanova.


Muscle Beach - Labor Day 2009 - Images by Ian Sitren

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Sometimes Everything Is So Easy To Do...

And on this photo shoot I owe the ease of the day to fitness model Jessica Jacobsen...


We moved from scene to scene, wardrobe changes, makeup changes and Jessica was just fun to work with and looked great all day. More later.

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More Of One Of The Best Bodybuilders...

Dan Decker, one of the most photographed and published in the bodybuilding business...


Dan Decker Working Out - Hard Core! - Images by Ian Sitren

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One Of The Best Bodybuilders...

One of the best physiques and most photographed in the bodybuilding business is that belonging to Dan Decker. Described as a real "journeyman" by the publisher of one magazine, Dan appears in many of them all the time. Here are a few from a shoot we did, and we will be shooting again soon.


Bodybuilder Dan Decker Working Out - Images by Ian Sitren

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Trail Running On The Rocks...

Trail running and rock climbing for fun, health and fitness...


Trail Running On The Rocks - Images by Ian Sitren

Bodybuilder Jake Sawyer is also a personal fitness trainer and makes running a part of his regimen. He also takes clients on hikes and climbing. This scene is near Yucca Valley in California.

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Amateur Bodybuilders, Professional Bodybuilders...

Many of the people I photograph are bodybuilders and compared to the bodies that most people imagine, they are pretty big and very muscled. But actually many of them are classified as amateur bodybuilders or fitness models. So to give you an idea of professional bodybuilders as compared to amateur bodybuilders, here are some photographs I shot on assignment at the 2007 Mr. Olympia competition in Las Vegas Nevada.


Mr. Olympia 2007 Men's Finals - Images by Ian Sitren

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105 Degrees And Perfect For Photo Shoots!

Here in Palm Springs the average temperature over the Summer is daily in excess of 105 degrees and I love it! It does not dissuade me from doing photo shoots in mid-day against all the commonly accepted themes of the golden hours of early morning and late evening. You just adapt...


In this case I was adapting with Larissa Reis from Brazil who is a professional figure competitor and fitness model. We adapted all day and had a great time too...



Regardless of the weather or location or whatever else, you can always make it work and make it fun.



We also made a little time to get to the gym...



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Fun With Sasha...

Great body, just can't decide which I like best. But I do kind of like her hanging from the top!







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Muscle Beach 75th Anniversary!

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…





























Muscle Beach is a fun place. If you can get to visit there this Summer, do it!

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Joe Weider; The Man Who Invented Muscles And Arnold...

The other day I had the great honor of photographing a legend of bodybuilding and in the world of health and fitness. Simply stated Joe Weider is the man who really brought weight lifting to the World. Only two other men can claim to be so instrumental in the modern world of muscles, one being Joe's brother Ben and the most amazing Jack LaLanne.



But Joe Weider has another claim to fame that no other man in the World can claim; he brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to the United States and truly started him on the course that in many ways changed so very much. Indeed it is said that Arnold is the most recognized human being on the planet.

It was an amazing day with Mr. Weider and to hear him recount so much so enthusiastically. It was very special but made special by the man, Joe Weider.

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Boise, Old Cars and Kodak Film...

I was in Boise Idaho just this last week and happened upon a car show in the downtown streets. With me I had my Contax G1 rangefinder 35mm camera and rolls of Kodak 400VC. I had the 400 speed film with me because the day was very overcast with the sun sneaking out every now and then. But when the sun did come out it was very bright.

Anyway here are a couple. I am always amazed at how good film looks without all the work we sometimes we have to do with digital photography.





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Faces, Faces and Faces...

I do very much enjoy photographing faces! It may seem strange for me, a photographer who specializes in bodybuilding and fitness, to have my favorite body-part to be the face. So it is pretty much the case that on any assignment I will always get in some extra face shots.

This is Tiffany from an assignment where I was shooting her for a magazine feature. Tiffany has become somewhat of a star, having built a tremendously beautiful fit body from having been a overweight 235 pounds. But I just love her face and I hope you do too...



For you photography interested people, both photos of Tiffany were shot with the medium format, Mamiya 645AFDII camera, the 105-210 AFD lens, and on Kodak 160VC film. The first was shot in bright overhead sunlight. The second was photographed in bright full sun lit with a Profoto Acute 2400r pack with one head in a strip softbox. But big Thanks to Kodak, the photos required almost no post work at all to make them look so very good. Processed and scanned at The Icon in Los Angeles, I only needed to reduce them in size for online use.

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Me Featured On Induro...

This is very fun. I am featured on the Blog for Induro, manufacturer of professional photography tripods, monopods, heads and support accessories.



It is an interview with me by Rachel Hulin about how and why I shoot what I shoot and some specific examples from my ad shoots with some behind the scene photos.

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From Photo Shoot To Magazine Cover...

Just a few weeks ago I did a blog post here about my photo shoot with bodybuilder Robert Hatch. That became a front page feature on SportsShooter.com. But it was actually destined for Planet Muscle Magazine. It became a cover and multiple photos inside. So take a look for the current issue on the magazine stands or at Barnes and Noble or Borders bookstores...



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Photos From The "Cal" and "Muscle Beach"

Last weekend was great. I was actually shooting on four assignments so it took me a little while to be doing this blog post. It started with the West Los Angeles newspaper, the Argonaut running a full front page photo of mine from last year at Muscle Beach and a few more inside...


Then a few photos from the "Cal" BodyBuilding and Figure Competition in Culver City, California. I hope these give you kind of a different look at shows…






Then on to Muscle Beach on Sunday and Monday for PowerLifting, Boxing, the opening ceremnies for Memorial Day and some Figure and BodyBuilding…






That was a very busy and fun weekend! I hope you like the photos!

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The Gym Can Be Sexy...

People in the gym, all sweaty, breathing hard, getting hot... Stimulating!


So I decided to shoot this series with Eric and Jessica from Anytime Fitness in Cathedral City, California. It has a whole different workout feeling, don't you think?


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Me At Work With Bodybuilder, Robert Hatch...

I am the guy with the camera!


This was shot in the mirror at the Power of Fitness Gym in Palm Desert California. Gyms are full of mirrors, of course. The camera is a Mamiya 645AFDII shooting Tri-X 400 pushed 2 stops, for you photography interested folks.

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I Am Again Honored :)

SportsShooter is a respected community of photographers from around the world. Not just shooting sports but photographers covering wars, the White House or for that matter Little League, the Olympics and the SuperBowl. A diverse group from community newspaper photographers to people from Sports Illustrated and USA Today. As a member of SportsShooter I am very excited to have my coverage of the just prior posted workout series here on my Blog with Robert Hatch make the front page yesterday.


You can see the series on SportsShooter here.

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Workout Photo Shoot

Photography at bodybuilding competitions is what most people think of when they ask about what I shoot most of the time. And actually that is not the case.

I spend most of my time in the gym, photographing my subjects working out. My preference is real life gyms and real workouts as opposed to studio gyms and fake weights. Yes there really are fake weights.

Having spent many years myself lifting weights, studying the subject and working with others has given me the advantage of knowing how to really put people through a workout that is technically correct and photo friendly.

This is a series of photographs shot for one of the bodybuilding magazines with my friend Robert Hatch, a long time bodybuilder and just plain impressive human being at 6 ft tall and 258 pounds.


205 pound curls is not something I would have most people do in a photo shoot. But Robert Hatch is big enough to make it look good.


Robert Hatch doing dumbbell curls with 50's is heavier than I would do with most people. But Hatch is a big guy.


Regardless of how much weight you are lifting, a hard contraction at the top of the movement puts a real strain on the muscle. Rob really hits it with his arms.


I prefer incline dumbbell bench press. It is less dangerous with heavy weights, you can turn them out and have them not fall on you. Here Rob is putting up a pair of hundreds.


Shoulder shrugs build the traps, the muscles at the top leading from your shoulders to your neck. Rob grabbed a pair of 150's, big weight for a big guy


Taking a stop between exercises I shoot a few posed photographs. It also gives Rob a rest.


Taking a break from lifting for a moment, I shoot these posed shots around the equipment nearby.


Working through the photo shoot workout can be a lot of effort. With Rob I am shooting him with heavier weights to have it match his 6 ft 258 pound body. Here you can see he is wearing down a little while we do seated back rows.


We do get in a change of clothes, maybe a few times. And that requires going back and doing some more work. Rob did a few preacher bench curls and it looked good. But he was working hard.


A few body poses to show off the hard work Robert Hatch has done over the years.

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