Here’s a look into on of my weeks:  4/15/2013 to 4/22/2013. Within these dates I produced 2 cover shoots between Malibu and downtown Los Angeles, a 12 page bikini feature, a separate 6 page feature, a product shoot with Matt Lingo, and a collab with Kenny Florian for his new, upcoming (and still top secret) blog. Each shoot comes with hours and hours of planning, coordinating with the team and utilizing stylists, locations scouts, photographers, graphic designers, photo assistants, videographers, managers and PR teams. It’s a lot, but documenting your life and career with photos and video, while working with some of the best athletes in the world is really a dream come true. That’s why I get up everyday and do my best. Livin’ the dream.

As much fun as it would be to post images the day after I shoot them, I can’t simply due to the fact that our publication needs to be on newsstands before I can post any behind the scenes, or extra content here. I really want you to pick up the digital subscription on iTunes or get the print subscription here I work with 3 very talented guys: Seth Kelly, Editor in Chief, Randy Laybourne: Art Director and Mike Calrson: Deputy Editor.

Take a look at some of the shots from the days and pick up the newest issue of UFC 360 Magazine

Shot with the Fuji X100S

Below are a few that I liked from the last couple rolls. Shots were taken in Venice, Malibu, San Diego and LA

#FILMNEVERDIE

#FILMNEVERDIE

#FILMNEVERDIE

The first time I met Chonan – I got to take his photo with Mayhem, Hans, and Joey Beltran.

One of the most star struck and surreal times i’ve ever experienced in the MMA/UFC game was when Ryan Loco and I met up with Chonan in San Diego during the Strikeforce fight where Shinya Aoki fought Lyle Beerbohn. Loco and I became friends with Chonan-san while he was training with Mayhem at Mark Munoz’ Reign training center in Southern California.

Somehow, around the same time that I was playing around with new studio techniques, we managed to get the legendary Aoki-san in the studio, to shoot him in the new Jaco technical training shorts, but to also auction off a signed 1 of 1 Jaco Japan hat. Loco had the idea to get them to sign the hat and he set up an auction to benefit the Tsunami Relief program after the big earthquake off the coast of Japan in 2010.

(Dean stands in for a light test)

After the shoot we got to hang out with Aoki, Chonan and Dean for a bit at the studio and then went back to the hotel – turns out it was the same night that I met Rich Chou who was matchmaking and doing various executive things with Strikeforce. Anyway – after Loco and I said our good-byes, not 10 minutes after we left Aoki tweeted us…. and Loco and I both immediately saved that tweet in our twitter favorites. Aoki was a really quiet guy, but very cool and welcoming to us.

We later auctioned off the hat for about 560$ and sent it off. Not really a lot to contribute, but happy that we got the MMA community involved. Big up to Loco for getting that auction going.

Naturally, after the shoot wrapped up – knowing that Aoki was the biggest star that I got to shoot in a studio setting at the time. I hit up my very good bud Jeff Stevens, who makes movie posters for big Hollywood flicks. He put a great finish on the Aoki selects and I promptly put them up on my blog. Over the last 2.5 years, a guy used my shot to mock up a “PRIDE” Light Weight Grand Prix poster and won some accolades online.

Aoki seemed to dig it, too. He posted it up on his facebook.

Around the same time, Pete Ulatan did a pretty sick photoshop perspective with the Chonan and Aoki shot:

So after all this fun, the shot sort of took a little nap until I got a call from Bellator – It seems they wanted to use the shot to promote their fight with Eddie Alverez. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the message in time because I was out in Japan with Heavy and not paying any attention to my email.

I got a facebook message just the other day from Mr. Loco that my Aoki shot had resurfaced. Turns out that Metamoris – one of the worlds most elite grappling tournaments wanted to use the Aoki shot to make a billboard and to promote their marquee fight. I can’t wait to see how the billboard would look – It would be up in Los Angeles and only the 3rd time one of shots would be on a billboard. The event is on June 9th and should be one hell of a bout. My buddy Scott Hirano is actually the #1 photog for the press tour and fight week. So, here is the final poster promo that is everywhere. And again – Feeling so blessed to work with the Gracie’s and contribute to this movement.

Peep out the several bonus shots from the Triumph United party where we met Chonan.

I finally got to see the Virus clothing advertisement that I shot in print, and hooked up with the Ryan and Jeremy to get my hands on the .PDF from the final mock up.

Virus makes some really great technical training gear; I actually wear the long tights and their compression tops when I train. It might sound funny for a guy to wear tights, but they are awesome and the construction is badass; that said my go to set up for the summer will probably be the compression pants and a tank top. Lately I’ve been doing some intense kick boxing training with AJ Matthews from Blackline Gym. He fights with another big organization and is a really talented person and one of the coolest guys I’ve come across is a while.

Here are the other 2 print ads that Virus is running:

CLICK EM!

]]> http://www.jameslawphotography.com/virus-advert-technical-clothing/feed/ 0 http://www.jameslawphotography.com/junior-dos-santos/ http://www.jameslawphotography.com/junior-dos-santos/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 22:23:25 +0000 James Law http://www.jameslawphotography.com/?p=4476 Do it, justly.

Shooting on location in Salvador, Bahia Brazil in October, I got this shot of Junior Dos Santos warming up as he was starting his training.

Hours before this I cracked my wisdom tooth eating a late breakfast and didn’t tell anyone. It got infected and I had to have an emergency 4 wisdom tooth extraction. The balance of opposites was in full effect that day.

Here’s a shot of the ad along with the some of my shots from the day.

I took along my Fuji X100S, Contax T3, GoPro Hero 3 and my trusty D3. All the shots here are from the Fuji – im getting a lot better with it as it’s the first non Nikon camera i’ve used outside of the Contax, which is a point and shoot film camera.

I sent 3 rolls to The Dark Room in San Onofre  on March 13th and still have received my images – pretty bummed but im giving them a chance since Randy seems to love them.

Here’s a selection of images from LA, SD, and the close of our latest issue of UFC 360.

Sidenote – What I love about L.A: There’s a dirty, unexplored charm about the city. I don’t get to venture out enough and the range of buildings out there are seemingly limitless and unique. The hardest part is deciding where to start. The first stop will be one of those vintage marquees perched high.

Here are the shots from the Kubrick exhibit. Cueing up “2001: A Space Odyssey”

Number one was Chuck Liddell looking down, between takes when I shot him for his signature line with Headrush Clothing. I always liked this shot, and Im pumped I got a chance to come across it. Shot in LA in an alley.

Number two is a shot of Junior Dos Santos that I shot in Brazil for UFC Magazine- after a 2 hour training session, he sits exhausted, near a mirror sporting the boxing gym’s name overtop. Salvador, Bahia Brazil.

Number three is a shot of a rad photographer named Embry Rucker. Cool dude, cool look and I think he loves to mountain bike. That’s cool, too. I shot this during his photoshoot of Dan Henderson in Temecula, CA.

Chuck Liddell between takes.

Junior Dos Santos after a grueling 2 hour workout.

Dan Hendersons photoshoot, I take a portrait of a photographer.