fitspiration

Fitness Shots

NYC Fitness Photographer Call or text 646-275-4750 or email nyphotony@gmail.com

Your Fitness Photos

Getting in shape is awesome but it can be tough!  If you’re a fitness competitor, bodybuilder, personal trainer, or just made an amazing change in your life it’s time for new fitness photos! I offer a variety of photo packages and will customize the shoot to your needs. I also offer video! And YES – these are photos I have taken for actual clients! (You’d be surprised at the amount I’m asked about that! All real!)

The Process

When you book your shoot please send samples of the shots you would like.I have a couple of great people who do hair and makeup and can also shoot on location if you have an idea of how you’d like your shoot to go!  I have done many personally tailored fitness shoots for a variety of folks including Muscle and Fitness magazine and many fitness competitors. 

Booking

Fill out the form below and let’s get rockin!!

Fit Photos

For booking contact me at 646 275 4750 or at nyphotony@gmail.com

Fitness Photography NYC

I love taking fitness photos. Why? Because it shows how much hard work and dedication someone can put into themselves to get the most out of a new lifestyle or change for the better. It’s inspiring to see my clients make huge life changes and want to document those changes for the world to see. I have shot personal trainers, models, actors, MMA fighters, boxers, and everyone in between. Wake up and get your fitness photography NYC! I cater to anyone who wants some high quality photos of the body that they are proud of. Nothing shows the world you’re ready or how committed you are to bettering yourself than images showcasing the physical and mental changes you have made. When you have your health you have the world at your fingertips. Small changes lead to big changes until you find that you’re the person you have always wanted to be. Fitness is a choice we all have and if you put your mind to it you can achieve great things and feel a million times better than you did when you started your uphill journey to being in command of your health.  I encourage everyone to quit smoking, hard boozing, and eating things that will slowly kill you. Start running, swimming, biking, and eating better. You’ll live longer and love how you feel.  I’ll be here when you want those new photos!

If you want to learn more about fitness photography packages including locations then fill out the contact form below and let’s work together to set up your shoot.

Contact

Let’s pay it forward folks. If you have someone in your life that you want to motivate; now is the time. Help them get to on the road to where they want to be and without judgement extend a hand to a better lifestyle.

You can find me on  Twitter, LinkedIN, and Instagram.

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Resolve To Evolve

The New Year effects folks in different ways. Some get excited to start over. Some get depressed because the past year has come to an end. Most people make resolutions that they end up breaking by…ohhhh Jan 8th? (I think that’s fair, right?) Mostly the New Year is a time for reflection of the good and bad over the past year. Although this could be dangerous I think it’s good to appreciate everything you’ve gone through in the past year. With this we can rebuild and reconstruct ourselves. I’m a firm believer in an onward and upward mentality.

At 34 years old I finally realize that those cliche New Years sayings and business sayings are all true. Now I don’t know if I’m getting sentimental as I get older (even though I’ve always been sentimental) or if I’m overcoming the affected cynicism of my twenties. I may also have a different attitude about work and life because I grew up in and still live in New York. I’ve always said this city could be a big balled fist of anger and anxiety one minute and then a paradise of awesome the next. I don’t have small town sensibilities – instead  just a get out of my way attitude that I share with my friends who also grew up here. Is it douchey? Maybe. But that’s all we know. It’s not a malicious thing but New Yorkers have an inherent “keep it moving, buddy” attitude. Combine that with being a freelancer and the anxiety that comes with it means the sentimentality and cliche sayings kind of go out the window and hit you at once when you finally get some time to breathe. Maybe not the best way to live but that’s all we know sometimes – especially as a freelancer. We are driven, go go go, and need to get from project to project to survive creatively and monetarily.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed toward the end of the year with project after project and some very extreme highs as well as some extreme lows. (You could associate being a creative freelancer with being a junkie. It’s feast or famine sometimes but we always want more and sometimes when things go wrong we take it personal and blame ourselves…big time.) However, I took the holiday break to consciously reflect on the past year and the things that went right and the things that went wrong. At first I was adamant about fixing mistakes going forward or not doing XYZ but doing ABC instead and it got to the point where my brain was eating itself because I didn’t have all the answers. I was creating unnecessary anxiety for myself and the New Year didn’t even begin! After a couple days of downtime and reading some excellent articles on wellness as a business owner/freelancer I decided to start from scratch as far as resolutions go and maybe throw them out the window. I decided to maybe try and adopt a different attitude toward things and think differently…maybe even think better.

Let Your Mind Go

Most of us unknowingly walk around thinking about the next thing and the thing after that with a furrowed brow deep in thought. If we let that tension and anxiety go it would lead to a clearer head and clearer thinking. It’s one thing to worry but it’s a completely poisonous thing to worry about the endless possibilities that could happen. Don’t sweat what you don’t have control over. Sometimes we need to surrender ourselves to the universe. That doesn’t mean to stop working and be a bum. It means just keep working hard at your thing, hone it, and know that good things will come your way.

No One Is Coming After You

We get so hung up on perceptions that it’s crazy. I think this is one major thing that separates leaders from the rest of the pack. They don’t worry what people think about them. As long as you’re not hurting anyone then who cares about thinking of the time you stumbled over your words at a meeting and causing yourself unnecessary anxiety. Own your self perceived flaws and move on. At the end of the day no one gives a shit and if they do then that means they’re a psychopath.

Mind Your Manners

You don’t have to engage with everything that upsets you. The best part of freewill is that you can just choose to go about your business without engaging anything! Instead of fueling your day with nonsensical anxiety and anger toward people or situations, why not just let it go and be as nice as possible. Genuinely killing people with kindness not only leads to soulful fulfillment but pretty much diffuses any situation. No one wants to be the one that yells at the nice guy.

Take Care Of Your Body

Work out a bit and stop eating like shit. You’ll feel better.

Work Harder, Smarter, Better

Sometimes we get comfortable and coast. Don’t do that. But don’t kill yourself either. Through experience you’ll find that the things you once did could be done a better more efficient way. If you really go through your routine you can fine tune things in a instant because you’ll be thinking about them for once instead of automatically doing them. Look at downtime as a blessing because you can take stock of what you’ve been doing and grow from that.

Remember The Love You Have

It’s not all about money. Money is nice. BUT money can’t replace your family, your spouse, your kids, or your roots. We get so stressed out during the day that we take that anger out on those closest to us. Instead we should find comfort in their proverbial arms while the outside world melts away. Chances are you wouldn’t be where you are without those people.

Be Firm But Don’t Be A Dick

All this talk of taking it easy and relaxing is fantastic but don’t let folks step on you. As a freelancer it can be hard to speak up sometimes. Lots of times clients or a client’s rep will speak to you as if they own your or as if they could do your job better than you can. Just firmly remind them why you were hired in the first place and if they persist then in a professional way just explain to them that their attitude leaves much to be desired. No harm no foul.

Be Who You Want To Be

What’s stopping you? Just the walls you put up yourself. Have confidence in the person you want to be or evolve into. All it takes is a bit of will power and good energy.

Send Positive Energy Outward

Take a deep breathe and exhale yourself into the universe. Just remember that you’re one being in an endless sea of space and time. You’re the only you. Spread joy, love, and positivity wherever you go. Folks will react in kind, situations will react in kind, and the universe will react in kind. Negativity and pessimism are the greatest anchors that we tow around. Let those anchors go and fly free.

Just chill out and everything is gonna be ok.

 

Anyway, that’s my two cents. Thanks for reading and have a happy new year guys!

 

(Book a shoot or two while you’re at it!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015 And Beyond.

This post may almost be two weeks late but that’s OK. That’s what the internet is for. 2014 was so far the best year I have had professionally. I’ve met tons of great people, worked with some amazing folks, had some fantastic opportunities, and became a better shooter. I also adopted a very die hard can do attitude and a more positive lifestyle (which my wife calls “fucking postile” (Thanks Pantera!)  – Aggressive positivity.) And yes I just used parenthesis within parenthesis (I’m the writer here and I make the rules!) I’ve also come to realize that as human beings we are nothing without each other and need to spread love and kindness whenever we can. Here are some things I learned in 2014 that I want to share with you guys that might help!

1) Positive thoughts lead to positive things.

It’s true. If you are constantly negative and cynical your life will reflect that. If you know your worth, know who you are, know why people like you, know what you’re good at then that’s what counts and concentrate on the good  things in your mind, which will eventually lead to better things in your life.

2) Abandon negative people. 

I cut ties with a few negative folks in my life and am all the more happier. It helps. Why be stagnant when we should be moving forward?

3) The harder you work at something the more you get out of it. 

That’s a simple truth.

4) Care about your health because you only have one body. 

I lost 50 pounds in 2014 due to a diabetes scare. It opened my eyes to a few very important things. We should all pay attention to our habits and stick to a goal. We should lose weight and exercise because we love our bodies not because we hate them.

5) Be yourself no matter what. 

I will admit to a sort of crisis of personality during a lot of 2014 between who I was, am, and want to be. I got lost in a bit of a formula and woke up one morning to abandon that mentality in order to inject myself more into everything I do.

6) It doesn’t hurt to be open, loving, and kind. Cherish the people in your life that matter. 

I wear my heart on my sleeve and tell people who matter that I love them whenever I feel like. Spread that around.

 

A badeep badeep badeep I guess that’s all folks. Those are my two cents and even if one person reading  this got something from it – I would be a very happy camper.

Live Long and Prosper.

 

Rich

 

 

Create Yourself. Create Health.

fitness, weight loss, fitspiration, body positive,

I was always a big guy. I was a big kid and I became a big adult. I was always very proud of being big. I never had any confidence issues or wished I looked a certain way. That being said in the back of my mind I thought a better lifestyle, routine fitness, and a slimmer body were not within my reach, which meant I didn’t care and I was happy to indulge in the things that packed weight on my body.

It wasn’t until June of this year when I realized how completely unaware I was about anything health related or fitness related. At 33 years old, 6’3″ and weighing a tad over 290 pounds I decided to get a check up. I haven’t been to the doctor in ages (ages means about eight years) and I figured what’s the harm? I’m healthy! I know my body! (and a slew of things that later on I would come to know as excuses) I got a call about a week later to come in and get my blood test results. How bad could it be? I was a rockin’ dude with a rockin’ attitude! Clearly I was delusional as my doctor rattled off cold facts about my body. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, was obese (what an ugly word) , and the nail in the coffin was when he sat me down and told me I had Type 2 Diabetes. That last part took me for a loop and rocked me out of my brain a bit. Type 2 Diabetes? I’m not THAT fat I thought. I took a minute to process the news and collected myself as opposed to yelling, getting mad, or killing the messenger so to speak. He did his job and told me that I had a disease. He gave me the option to either take a pill that would help with the condition (more of a band aid) or try and reverse it by losing at least 30 pounds. At that moment I sucked it up and opted for the latter. I asked him what could have caused it. Was it drinking? I didn’t really have a sweet tooth for cakes and pies. I was confused. I told my doctor I drink juice and eat fruit like they are going out of style and he pretty much said “No wonder you have diabetes.” He t old me to come back in three months for a followup and to try and lose as much weight as possible.

You can do this, Rich. I told myself. You can fuckin’ get off your ass and do this. Put in the work and get the results. After having a cry to my wife in the parking lot of Rite Aid over the phone while telling her the news (I felt awful in part about the state my body was in but the fact that I felt like I betrayed my wife by not being healthy made me pretty upset) She was my rock in that moment and assured me that together we can fix the diagnosis even though at that moment I wanted nothing more than to hit Burger King and get a double whopper (to be comforted and to go along with the attitude that got me there in the first place – fuck it – who cares – just eat it) I didn’t end up getting Burger King. Instead I went home, did my research, and came up with a game plan. For the next two weeks I started a diet and exercise program adhering to what were foods that diabetics can eat and should avoid. I cut out sugar and carbs completely along with fruit, juice, candy, chocolate bars, fast food, or anything processed. I became a calorie counter and label reader. I cut out coffee, vitamin waters, gatorade, or anything unnatural. My goal after three months was not only to lose 30 pounds but to walk into my doctor’s office with a 40 pound weight loss. I took up running pretty hardcore and would run by his office every single day (still do) and mentally say “I’ll show you!” (I cleaned up the language there) even though I knew it wasn’t his fault. I just needed something else to direct my emotions to. I would run every day and currently do between 3 and 4 miles a day. 5 Miles on a good day. I’m addicted to running and run around my neighborhood like a maniac every morning. My playlist is epic. It’s a combination of rockin’ metal tunes and more rockin’ metal tunes that are extremely positive and motivating (ask me about it)

Three months later I walked into my Doctor’s office 40 pounds lighter (fuck yea) and a whole lot peppier. He congratulated me on the weight loss and said the blood test will hopefully reflect the physical change. I knew I wasn’t out of the woods yet and had another week to go before the results were in. My blood pressure was perfect, which was a good sign. A week later I got the call that my levels looked good and that I was no longer in the diabetic realm. I had overcome my diagnosis from three months prior, lost a ton of weight, and had a better outlook on life. Suck it diabetes.

Now just imagine if I didn’t go to the doctor.

Through this process of getting healthy and staying healthy (the hardest part) I became an extremely positive guy. I was always positive and energetic but this experience took it to the next level. I have become irritating in my positivity and want everyone I know to become that version of themselves that they never knew existed. If I could do it so could anyone. All it took was will power and determination. Those are two things that are free and inside us all. We can do anything we set our minds to. We can beat diseases. We can become better. Even if you feel fine I encourage you to go to your doctor, get a check up, get a blood test. You could be living obliviously drinking lemonade by the gallon and not realize what you’re doing to yourself. Health matters. It matters to you and to the people around you. Be big. Be little. As long as you’re healthy and positive that’s really all that matters. I discovered things about myself, my psychology, and my physiology that I never knew about and that’s huge. This whole process gave me peace of mind and I will continue down a healthy path and help and support anyone who needs it. I’m not a certified personal trainer but I’m a good listener and motivator.

Unfortunately Type 2 Diabetes is the most common disease facing this country. The good news is that it’s reversible. Take the news of a diagnosis and turn it into a positive by creating a new life for yourself. Take the opportunity to unlock that healthy being inside you. You can do it! Realize your self worth and get out there for the better.

I’m still losing weight and wanted to write this post after losing 50 pounds (I’m about a pound shy but who cares?) Here is a before and after. The before is taken earlier this year (shot by Michael Benabib) where I was about 295 and a photo I took in my home studio at 241 (11/18). Help me spread love and positivity and encourage anyone you know to turn their life around and get healthy. Be body positive and health positive.

Much love,

Rich

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