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Check out the photographic coverage from the NPC JR USA on Bodybuilding.com. Those of you looking to purchase photos will find those available next week. Congrats to all the winners and those of you who accomplished your goals.
Check out the thousands of photos from the Europa Super Show on Bodybuilding.com. Ron Avidan and I shared the photographic duties through out the weekend. We got ya covered front stage, backstage, the expo and more.
Ms. Olympia Fitness Champ Adela Garcia still has to carry her own boxes.
What up with that?
Last night over 100 IFBB pros checked in for the Europa Supershow in Dallas. The prejudging begins at 2:00pm Central time today and it is going to be a monster show. The IFBB Bikini pros will start the show off, followed by the Men’s 202. The Fitness women will only be judged in their 2-piece swimsuit today and their routines tomorrow at the finals. I’ll be photographing the event and tweeting my thoughts and call-outs via follow @hardbodynews and @BBcomcontests. If you’re tweeting about the show use #EuropaTX as the hash tag.
Here are a couple photos from last night.
There are a number of nuns running around the host hotel for another event. It’s an interesting and amusing sight to say the least. The always entertaining Andy Haman was chatting it up with a couple of the lovely ladies and convinced them to hit a couple poses.
Andy & Michelle Haman hit a pose with the Catholic Nuns. Hilarious!
Alti is back on the fitness stage for the first time in 6 years.
Olympia Fitness Champ Adela Garcia representing Jug Nation!
I had a chance to shoot with Jessica Heidari in Dallas yesterday. She’ll be competing in the NPC Figure division this weekend at the Europa Super show. It was a million degrees outside but she did a great job. Thanks to Laurie St. Michael for the assist.
Jessica Heidari – Dallas, TX ©Liftstudios
The Jacksonville Pro/Am is in the books and I was there to photograph it all. Tracey Greenwood received a standing ovation after she announced her retirement and performed an impressive fitness routine. Dexter Jackson and Gale Elie promoted a first-class event and one that I’d recommend to all competitors. Bob Chic did a bang up job as the emcee and kept things moving along. Kai Greene gave fans a sneak peak at what he’s bringing to the Mr. Olympia contest next month.
Check out stage and candid photos on bodybuilding.com from the weekend.
Olympia bound Jessica Jessie at checkin.
Can Myriam “Mimi” Capes win the 2010 Europa Super Show Fitness? She’s steadily climbed the ranks in the fitness world and positioned herself as a top contender. She’ll have to get past the likes of Shannon Meteraud, Bethany Wagner and others to do so. Last year I caught up with Myriam the day after her second place finish for a photo shoot in Texas.
Hardbody Hot Shot – Myriam Capes
Follow the Europa Super Show action via twitter with #EuropaTX as the hash tag to see how Myriam fairs this weekend.
I had the chance to shoot with female bodybuilder, Sarah Hayes last summer at the Metro Flex Plano gym. She was competing the NPC Europa show there and had potential written all over her. She took home top honors at the 2010 NPC USAs and left an IFBB Pro. Sarah’s strengths are her back and arms. If she continues to improve her legs she’ll be a force in the pros. She’s one of the younger pros in the world of female bodybuilding… keep your eye on her in the years ahead.
Sarah Hayes showing the guns in Texas.
IFBB Figure Pro Kristal Richardson is currently preparing for the 2010 Figure Olympia. This photo was taken last month at a Cross-Fit competition. Look out ladies, Kristal is coming.
Kristal Richardson performing the Clean and Jerk.
Muscle & Fitness magazine continues to print some of the classiest images of IFBB competitors. This month’s issue features Nicole Wilkins-Lee and they are hot. Pick up the new issue to see the feature and visit MuscleandFitness.com for other images from the shoot.
Nicole Wilkins-Lee in the newest Muscle & Fitness magazine.
The 2010 IFBB Tampa Pro officially kicked off today with a media/press conference. The 202 men’s bodybuilding weighed in and the ladies got a little show with Jose Raymond having to strip down to make weight. It was probably the most exciting part of the entire event. If promoters want to create more interest in pro bodybuilding I think they should make the bodybuilders strip down and weigh in like they do in the UFC or boxing. The competitors would likely be against it because at that level their bodies change dramatically from one day to the next. Which is even more reason to do it… XYZ competitor make look flat as a pancake at weigh-ins and everyone rules him/her out. Come show time he or she is carbed up and water depleted, looking like a different person.
Cathy speaking at the media conference.
The female bodybuilders are representing in a big way here and it will be a very competitive show. Whoever lands in the top five here should be very proud. Cathy LeFrancois is looking for another win, while Nicole Ball is rock’n a new hair cut and a couple more pounds from last year. Dayna Cadeau said she teamed up with fellow IFBB Pro George Farah for her prep and is ready to shock some people. Tina Chandler said she would be around 8 pounds bigger than last year and was looking it but in a good way. We’ll find out who has done their homework tomorrow morning at the prejudging.
Nicole Nagrani joins jug nation. Hell ya!
The bikini competition is relatively small with only 10 competitors in it but the top 3 spots will be tough. I’m still going with the young jugger, Nicole Nagrani for the win but she has her work cut out for her. Dina Al-Sabah is back and will be a contender. Kat Holmes was looking leaner than usual at the press conference and Jaime Baird is hungry for her first win. The bikini prejudging takes place tomorrow morning as well.
Team Bombshell is in the house, representing 1/2 the bikini field.
Check out all the photos on Bodybuilding.com. Follow the coverage live on twitter.com/BBcomcontests throughout the weekend.
Bianca Binno is one of the newest IFBB Bikini Pros. She was the runner-up in the Bikini C class, losing out by only one point. I caught up with Bianca on Sunday for a shoot in New Jersey. Keep your eye on her as she has a great look. Many people asked what her ethnic background is… it’s Italian.
Bianca Binno the day after turning pro.
Jelena will be competing in the IFBB Figure event tomorrow night. She’s making the transition back to figure after trying her hand at bikini. Which division do you like to see her in or does it matter?
One thing is for certain… she’s a good model.
Jelena Abbou in New York.
Ron Avidan was in attendance for the 2010 NPC West Coast Classic over the weekend. He not only snapped several photos of each division on stage but also hundreds of candid/backstage shots. Check out all the photos and full contest results here.
Bikini Overall winner Khay Rosemond & Figure Overall winner Darice Castro.
The 2010 NPC Jr Nationals is in the books and it was another great display of hardbodies. I was front and center capturing all the action for NPC NEWS. I ended up with over 6,000 images featuring bikini, bodybuilding, figure,and fitness! If you’re interested in purchasing prints from the show, check them out here. Congrats to everyone who competed and achieved their goals.
Look for candids and behind-the-scenes photos from J.M. Manion in future issues of NPC NEWS magazine.
Shawn Hektor may have finished tied for 16th at last weekend’s NPC JR. Nationals but she is one to keep your eye on in the future. While photographing shows, I often look for “fresh faces” and women who might have modeling potential. I didn’t know who Shawn was before the show but her look caught my eye. We met up Sunday for a shoot and she was great.
Remember her name as she makes the switch to bikini. She’s one to watch.
Shawn Hektor in Chicago.
Over the weekend, I was front and center photographing the 2010 NPC Jr. Nationals. This show marked the first pro qualifier for the women of the NPC and it brought out over 270 women. Check out the hundreds of photos captured throughout the weekend.
I’ll be posting the photos for purchase as well. If you were a competitor and didn’t get the photo order form, email me to request one. Check back for more Jr Nationals’ updates throughout the day.
Last weekend in Charleston, South Carolina a former NPC bodybuilder David Griffin tested himself as an MMA Fighter. David, husband to IFBB Figure Pro Melissa Griff, went three rounds with former UFC bad ass Houston Alexander at the Clash of the Coliseum. Working the fight as ring girls were (from left to right) Cheryl Foster – NPC Bikini, Nikki Larson, Brittany Bowser -NPC Bikini, Kierstin Flores – NPC Bikini, Tessa Wood – IFBB Figure and Ashley King – NPC Figure.
Clash of the Coliseum Rings Girls.
Thanks to Shannon Meteraud for the photo assist.
Ashley will be in Chicago this weekend for the NPC Jr Nationals. The other Bikini girls will be making their national debuts at the NPC JR USA later this summer. National Debuts at Jr USAs. Look’n good ladies!
Here’s a sneak peak at the newest creative from Dymatize featuring top IFBB Figure Pro Erin Stern. Erin recently signed with Dymatize and will be featured in their upcoming marketing efforts.
Erin in front of Erin at a trade show in Florida.
Erin is also the newest cover girl for Oxygen magazine. You will see Erin at a number of events over the next few weeks but not on stage until the Olympia in September.
A nine-year-old dressing up and playing Lady Gaga for a Brazilian talent show. What do you think? No big deal or does it go too far?
Ron Avidan was in attendance at the 2010 California Pro Figure contest and captured all the action for IFBBpro.com and Bodybuilding.com. Check out the photos from this event where Heather Mae French notched another win to her growing competitive resume. Check out the photos here!
Adobe Photoshop, or simply Photoshop, is a graphics editor originally released in the late 80s and became the industry leader for image manipulation in the 90s. You’ll often hear people refer to photos being “photoshopped”. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad and often it’s just plain ugly. I’ve been using Photoshop since the mid-90s and the program has come a long ways since then. Photoshop users are able to do things that weren’t even thinkable in the beginning. The thing to remember is Photoshop is just a tool just like having an expensive camera or a fast computer.
Lately, more and more people are using Photoshop not as a tool to enhance images but rather alter them to a point that they are unrecognizable. Every photo in the magazines has some Photoshop work done to it, if it hasn’t it should. An image will need to have the colors slightly adjusted, the brightness/contrast altered or a stray hair removed. Someone who knows what they are doing will use Photoshop in a way that enhances the photo and doesn’t detract from it.
There’s a growing trend of photographs being manipulated in such a way that it’s not a true representation of what the person really looks like. That’s cool if you want to look like someone else and some of you might need it to ever get in a magazine. You may get the photo published and praised by your facebook “friends” but it’s not always a good thing. If you’re hired to do a modeling job and you look nothing like the images you sent, you’ll likely never get a call back from that company. There are some amazing photos floating around of models who are showcased in ads and magazine features but you have to do a triple take when you see that person in public. It may work for the short term but in the long run you’re not helping yourself to have any chance at a career.
When building a portfolio don’t rely solely on images that are photoshopped to a point where it’s not a true representation of how you look in person. If you have some that are high fashion or conceptually strong because of the manipulation then that’s cool. There are some photographers who do a great job with altering photos to the point where it enhances the image. The best example I’ve seen recently was an image of Erin Stern photoshopped to look like Wonder Woman by Scott Harben. Now THIS is a great example of how Photoshop is a good and done well. I could show you thousands of photos where Photoshop is bad and ugly but just visit any of the popular message boards and you’ll see more than enough.
Erin Stern as Wonder Woman. Photo by Scott Harben.
I spotted this image and it’s amusingly on point. It reads, “What’s the secret to my success? It’s Adobe Photoshop Day Cream”.
A number of women are entering online modeling contests like the one FLEXonline.com is currently running. Remember when entering contests like this if you win you’ll be competing in person for the top prize. If your skin is blemished, you’ve had your sleeved tattoos removed or your butt jiggles more than a bowl of Jello you won’t win.
Think about these things when selecting a photographer to work with, submitting to magazines, entering contests and building a portfolio.
Congratulations to Heather Dees and Alex Zerega on their overall wins at the 2010 NPC California. Expect to see Alex vying for her pro card at the NPC USAs and Heather Dees likely competing at the 2010 NPC JR USAs.
The second UFC Fan Expo is taking place this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. While I was making my through the thousands of fans, snapping photos and doing video interviews, I spotted four IFBB Bikini Pros who will be back in Vegas this September. Amanda Latona, Tianna Ta, Shelsea Montes and Sheryln Roy are all qualified for the first Bikini Olympia and were represent’n at the Fan Expo.
FLEXonline bikini finalist, Katie Chung-Hua & IFBB Bikini Pro
Amanda Latona put up their dukes.
IFBB Bikini Pro Tianna Ta & Katie pose with fans at the BSN booth.
IFBB Bikini Pros Shelsea Montes & Sherlyn Roy.
The newest issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine features IFBB Bikini Pro Nathalia Melo with five full page photos. The photos are very well done and some of the most impressive shots I’ve seen to date of the rising bikini star. Visit MuscleandFitness.com to see a few photos that didn’t make it into the mag and pick up the new issue to see the ones that did. Congrats Nathalia and props to Muscle & Fitness.
IFBB Bikini Pro Nathalia Melo
Some of you will know who she is immediately and others will be left wondering who the heck is that? Post who you think it is in the comments below.
You are what you eat, right? One place you visit on the regular is your refrigerator. What’s yours look like? Take a photo and email it to isaac@hardbody.com, add it to our facebook page or send a mention to twitter.com/hardbodynews.
Here’s a look at Canadian competitor, Isabelle Rochon’s fridge. Can’t tell she’s preparing for a show can ya?
The 2010 NPC Jr. National Championships is right around the corner and will officially kick off the National scene of the NPC. I’ll be in attendance and serving as the official NPC photographer. J.M. Manion will be shooting the overall winner’s on Sunday, the day after the event. The following information is related to the shoot with the overall winners. Please plan accordingly.
Information related to the NPC NEWS photo shoot with J.M. Manion:
The following Athlete’s are required to participate in The NPC NEWS Photo Shoot with J.M. Manion On Sunday, June 20 At The Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel From 8:30 a.m. to approximately 12 Noon:
• MEN’S OVERALL WINNER
• WOMEN’S OVERALL WINNER
• THE 3 FITNESS HEIGHT CLASS WINNERS
• THE 4 FIGURE HEIGHT CLASS WINNERS THAT QUALIFIED FOR THE IFBB
• THE 4 BIKINI HEIGHT CLASS WINNERS THAT QUALIFIED FOR THE IFBB
- Only The 5 Overall Winners Are To Bring Their Overall Trophies.
- The Men’s & Women’s Overall Winners Are To Bring Their Posing Suit & Posing Oil.
- The Bikini, Figure & Fitness Class Winners That Qualified For The IFBB Are To Bring Their 2-Piece Competition Suits Along With At Least 1 Other 2-Piece Bikini.
There Is Also An Opportunity To Do Individual Photo Shoots That Afternoon For The NPC News So The More Bikini’s Brought The Better.
Tentative Schedule As Follows;
8:30 a.m. – Photograph The NPC News Cover Featuring The 5 Overall Winners Only (Men’s & Women’s Bodybuilding; Bikini, Fitness & Figure)
Immediately Following Will Be Individual Photos Of The Men’s & Women’s Bodybuilding Overall Winners
10 a.m. – Arrival Of All Other Bikini, Fitness & Figure Class Winners That Qualified For The IFBB For Group Photos
* All Women Please Arrive With Hair & Make-up Done*
All Competitors Please Plan Accordingly With Your Travel Plans.
Top NPC Figure competitor Mandy Henderson attended a fundraiser last week and had a chance to meet Arnold.
Mandy with Arnold in California. Photo courtesy of Mandy Henderson.
Look for Mandy on stage at the 2010 NPC Jr. Nationals in Chicago. She’s consistently been in the top five and will look to snag the elusive pro card this year.
IFBB Pro Jelena Abbou is an accomplished fitness model with a number of covers, ads and features to her credit. I had a chance to find out why while in New York over the weekend. We met up on Sunday for the first time and despite the frigid weather that blew into the Big Apple we managed to have a successful shoot.
I was reminded of the value in a woman who knows her body and how to model. Jelena knows how to model and when dealing with crappy weather conditions it help speed things along and still capture a few hot shots. Here’s a peak…
Jelena Abbou rock’n the hardbody in New York.
