Lifestyle
Womens Health
Over the summer I photographed a Weight Loss Success Story for Women’s Health Magazine in Tucson, Arizona. The article was recently published in the November edition of the magazine.
I wanted to show a sample of shots from the assignment that show a health/fitness feel to my portrait work, slightly different than some of the work that is currently on my site. Below are a few photos from the shoot and the article from the magazine.
Weight Loss Success Story, Slim-Down Strategies
At age 12, Loida Fraijo moved with her family from Hermosillo, Mexico, to Tucson, where she discovered fast food. “I supersized everything,” she says. “My sister and I would each eat a foot-long sub and then split a third one.” By the time she was 19, Loida was carrying 173 pounds on her 5’7″ frame. She dabbled in crash diets while attending Pima Community College in Tucson, but she could never commit. “I’d get upset and start eating again,” says the 30-year-old aesthetic laser technician.
THE CHANGE
Although Loida was a size 14, she squeezed into the short skirts and tight tank tops her thin friends wore. “I didn’t feel comfortable or pretty,” she says. Then, at a party in the summer of 2000, she overheard a guy announce that the “chunky girl”—Loida—was leaving. “When I realized that’s how people saw me, I knew I had to change,” she says. “I wanted to transform my life more than I wanted a hamburger.”
THE LIFESTYLE
Loida replaced fast food with fresh spinach salads, grilled fish, and chicken, and treated herself twice a month to veggie-loaded pizza or bunless burgers with a side salad. Setting foot in her college gym the first time, Loida says, “I felt like an alien.” She had to stop and throw up after 15 minutes of walking on the indoor track, but she managed 25 more minutes after the nausea passed. “I knew if I left then, I’d never come back,” she says. In three months, she was power-walking four days a week. As the pounds gradually peeled off, she busted plateaus by adding strength training and Zumba, cycling, or kickboxing classes to her routine twice a week. After five years of small changes, in August 2005, she was down to 125 pounds.
THE REWARD
Now a size 4, Loida is thrilled to wear the cute clothes that felt too tight in college, and she has more confidence too. “I love bikinis—and I look good in them!” she says. “With my body in better shape, I finally feel at peace with myself.”
LOIDA’S TIPS
Think (and cook) ahead. “If I know the next day is going to be hectic, I’ll prepare healthy meals the night before so my diet stays on track.” Surprise yourself. “I switch up my routine every few months by hiking, running, or climbing the bleachers at a nearby school. That way, my muscles never get in a rut.” Auto-tune your workout. “I listen to up-tempo music at the gym. When you move to the beat, your workout is easier and flies by.”
Wall Street Journal, Home Front: A New Addition
Here is some recently published work that I photographed for the Wall Street Journal’s Home Front section. I photographed husband-wife architect team Matthew and Maria Salenger at their Tempe, Arizona home and architectural studio.
The work was featured in the newspaper and an online gallery in September. Please view other work I have photographed for WSJ’s Home Front section here.
American Railway Explorer campaign
I am excited to present an advertising campaign that I recently photographed. The campaign is for American Railway Explorer, a company that offers luxury train excursions across the United States and Canada. The tour packages will be starting in summer 2011. The campaign just launched in website and brochure form with creative direction by Arizona based agency E.B. Lane.
The final images were shot in two parts: I photographed a number of different models in studio to compliment scenic shots sourced from stock. In addition to the creative work done by E.B. Lane, the post-production and retouching was orchestrated by Randy Geske. Below are a few shots of the brochure and the website is live… Check it out here.
Agency: E.B. Lane
Art Director: Dave Klein
Creative Director: Chad Martin
Photography: Mark Peterman
Retoucher: Randy Geske
Hair/Makeup: Laura Flagler
See the entire campaign in my archive: American Railway Explorer
New work, April 2010
Here is a series of shots from a recent test with David McCain from The Agency Arizona with HMU stylist Aeni Domme.
New work, March 2010
Here is a series of shots from the self promotion campaign I started in January. Again these shots are from the collaboration with stylist Laura Flagler and the talent is Daynalyn Wain from The Agency Arizona.
We shot a number of different looks and there are several more shots that will surface as I use them for promotional purposes.
Omni + campaign wins ADDY award
I just found out that the campaign I photographed for Omni + has won a Bronze Addy award. Now that the campaign is out, check the site and see the award details below…
Here are the details…
Bronze ADDY Award
SALES PROMOTION - Sales Kit
Agency: Fervor Creative
Advertiser: OmniMount
Title: Omni+
Contributors:
Jami Pomponi Alire, Art Director
Don Newlen, Art Director
Jeff McKee, Designer
Marilyn Rohn, Production Artist
Elliot Fuller, Production Artist
Mark Peterman, Photographer
Laura Flagler, Hair/makeup + wardrobe stylist
Lucas McClain, Prop Stylist
Photo Assistants: Alex Burdick, Erica Montgomery
See the entire campaign on my archive: Omni +
Omni + ad campaign featured on LA Times Blog
The ad campaign I photographed last year for OmniMount called Omni + is featured on the LA Times Blog. I love the reference to the Unhappy Hipsters site, not a dig at all but a huge compliment to me. Bring on the existential hipster jokes….
And one more shot from the campaign that is on the LA Times blog but not on my site… See the entire campaign on my archive: Omni + campaign
New work, February 2010
I am currently photographing work for a self promotion campaign. I photograph a lot of personally assigned work between paid assignments both to stay creative and also to use for promotional purposes. I started planning the project last fall and have collaborated with stylist Laura Flagler on all aspects of the project including: wardrobe, locations, props and styling.
So far in January we have already shot at a number of locations with several different models and things have started coming together. This shot is of Kelsee Wirtjes with The Agency Arizona. The project isn’t finished yet, but this is a sneak preview of what I am working on for epromos and print promos for 2010.
New work, Sarah Kirsch, part 1
These are a few shots from a recent test with Sarah Kirsch working with Michele Lee as the Hair/Makeup stylist. Love the hair in both shots…
