Mark Ruddick 2018-02-01 Mark Ruddick 2018-02-01

Ballet in the Fog with Nicolette

I did a ballet photo shoot with Nicolette out of Step Above Dance. Nicolette was referred to me by a mutual model friend of ours. Nicolette came in and really killed it. We setup the fog machine to do a series of backlit shapes, jumps and poses. Here are a few of the best ones.

- LondonDancePhoto is a full service London, Ontario photo studio specializing in dance and performance photography

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Ill at Will in the Studio

I had a couple of members of the Ill at Will B-Boy crew into the studio last night. The crew has been active for the last 10 years. Rob and Jim were on set and really impressed me with their moves, made much more difficult by me asking them to hold the longer for pictures. Both guys were repping their clothing line Stay Hungry, Stay Humble.

Here's a few early edits from the shoot.

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Group Dance Shoot - Sneak Peek

I had a group of six dancers in the studio on Sunday. We had pizza, took some pictures and at one point had an impromptu musical break out. It was a whirlwind 4 hour shoot that got so many good images. Thanks to my assistant for the day Wendy Blang. Here's a sneak peek at some of the pictures.

- LondonDancePhoto is a full service London, Ontario photo studio specializing in dance and performance photography

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Dance Photoshoot with Montanah and Celeste

Montanah and Celeste came to the studio to show off their dance moves. I wasn't sure what to expect vis-a-vis their skill and power. I was really impressed with both. Their jumps were high, poses graceful, holds powerful and aerials amazing.

I cranked the lights to a really short flash duraction of 1/4400th of a second to freeze the motion.

They were competitive as to who got the best air

Some behind the scenes look at the shoot. (Thanks to my assistant for the evening Melissa.)

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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PFC 8 - Posters

Jamie Champion has promoted a lot of combat sports shows in London, Ontario over the past few years. I've photographed 8 of them and have designed posters for 5 now.

Here's the latest poster design for the Prospect Fighting Championship show coming up on February 16th. The poster photo shoot is done, edited and the posters are ready to go. Thanks to all of the fighters that came out.

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London Dance Photo

I decided to open a new website www.LondonDancePhoto.com and Instagram account @LondonDancePhoto to showcase my dance photography work. I am looking to expand my business into the dance photography market.

I enjoy photographing dancers and really appreciate the athleticism and artistry involved. Coming from a fight photography background, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly moving subjects at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to capture my subjects at the peak of their motion.

I am in the process of building my portfolio and am interested in collaborating with dancers of all type.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

- LondonDancePhoto is a full service London, Ontario photo studio specializing in dance and performance photography

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Athletic Nudes with Alora Griffiths

Alora Griffiths, is a lifelong athlete starting out in competitive hockey, then cross-fit and now power lifting. She can squat 400lbs and dead lift 400lbs placing her top 10 in her weight class. She came into the studio in December to shoot my athletic nude series. Her warmups are most people's personal bests. We lifted "light" that day, just enough weight to bring out the muscles. Alora was a lot of fun to hang out with and constantly amazed with her strength.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

- The Athletic Implied Nudes series is an exploration of the human body under muscle stress— understanding the body’s strength, flexibility, and power. Clean backgrounds, hard lighting, and black & white photography work together to eliminate distractions and highlight the muscle groups and figure of my subjects.

Beginning with Mixed Martial Artists and Boxers, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly firing muscle groups at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to freeze my subjects at the peak of their motion. Discovering a better understanding of the human form with this project has transitioned into my commercial fitness work, maximizing composition and positioning to best showcase the human form.

- Alora Griffiths has been powerlifting for 4 years. She is ranked 10th in the world for the 132lb / Female / Raw with Wraps.

407lb Back Squat
207lb Bench Press
430lb Deadlift
Wilks 540

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Athletic Nudes with Lucie

Lucie was the perfect mix of muscle and grace. She was my last photo shoot of 2017. She is an interesting mix of dancer and power lifter. We made a lot of great images but Lucie really excelled at making interesting shapes / poses on the floor. She had a strong, grounded connection with the floor that allowed her to show off, strength, balance and flexibility. It was a perfect way to end the year.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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Poster Design for PFC 8

Jamie Champion has promoted a lot of combat sports shows in London, Ontario over the past few years. I've photographed 8 of them and have designed posters for 5 now. I love working with Jamie, real decent guy.

Here's the latest poster design for the Prospect Fighting Championship show coming up on February 16th.

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Fitness Photo Shoot with IFBB Pro Amanda Smith

IFBB Pro Amanda Smith came into the studio last month. Amanda was 10 days out from her pro debut. Amanda had really nice size and symmetry. We captured some powerful images in a short time.

95 pound arm curl flexing the shoulders and arms

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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Athletic Nudes with C (NSFW)

C contacted me in October about shooting my athletic nude series and we set it up for the end of November. C and her husband M were a lot of fun to shoot with and we had a lot of laughs that evening. We got some good images that night.

Hard directional light to provide highlights and shadows.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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Cronk Lifestyle

Last night I shot for Cronk Lifestyle, a fitness / fitness lifestyle apparel company out of London, Ontario. I've know the owner Jesse Cronk for year, back when he was boxing out of Boomerz Boxing, we've worked together several times. (here and here and on his Cronk website) Jesse needed so extra social media content for his brand.

We had a last minute change of models due to the weather and Tori stepped up huge for us showing up hair and makeup ready in 30 minutes. She saved the day.

Special thanks to Dave Hale for driving down from Hamilton to assist with the shoot. You can check out Dave's work here.

Sneak peek at the first edit.

Jesse and Tori with Olympic bar dressed in Cronk clothing.

Mark Ruddick 2017-12-11 Mark Ruddick 2017-12-11

Kombat Fight League

Friday night fights in Sarnia! Kombat Fight League's inaugural event in Sarnia last Friday night at the Station Music Hall. An exciting night of fights with plenty of hard hitting action. The lighting was not optimal with just minimal house lights. (To my photographer friends, I was at ISO 6400)

Cody Chovancek won the 155 Title in a very contested fight with London fighter Matt Cooper.

Amro Al Falatini won the 145 Title with a devastating knock out over tough fighter Justin Ritchie.

It was a good night of fights and I'm looking forward to the next show.

Marco De Melo with a well timed KO kick.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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5 Tips for a Perfect Fitness Photo Shoot

Are you preparing for your first fitness photo shoot and need tips on making the best of it? Or maybe you've had a few sessions before and you'd like to present yourself as a true professional.

To make it in the fitness industry, you need to create a brand around yourself. This includes creating professional images to showcase your body and all the hard work you put into it.

Before you book a photoshoot, you need to plan ahead, find the best photographer for you and choose a location.

Keep reading to discover 5 great tips on getting the perfect fitness photoshoot.

1. Come Prepared

Before you start looking for a photographer, get clear on what you'd like to achieve with your photos. Find inspiration online, in magazines or from your favorite people in the industry. Think about the message you're trying to send with the pictures and make a list of poses you love.

When you book a photo shoot, don't come unprepared. Bring multiple outfits, props, makeup, and most importantly, great attitude. If you're not fully involved in the session, your photos will reflect that, no matter how talented the photographer is.

2. Find the Right Photographer

When you're planning a fitness photo shoot, spend a good amount of time researching for the right photographer.

To make sure they're a good fit, look at their portfolio, services, and testimonials. If possible, get recommendations and read reviews online.

You should be comfortable with the photographer and trust they'll do the best job. Hiring the cheapest on the list may lead to disappointment and wasted time, so be careful in your choice.

3. Find the Best Location

You can have a fitness photoshoot either in the photographer's studio or at a location of your choice. On-set photoshoots are pretty straightforward, but if you're on location, you'll need to consider backgrounds, changing into different outfits and the overall vibe of the photos.

Make a decision based on the purpose your photos will serve. Do you need them to get started in the fitness industry or promote yourself as a brand?

4. Plan Your Poses

When you're preparing for a fitness photo shoot, make sure to plan the poses in advance. You don't want to get stuck on ideas when you get to the studio, so make a list and practice them a little beforehand.

The photographer will also help you choose the best ones for you. If you can, bring someone to help you adjust the poses, and fix your hair and makeup.

5. Be Authentic

The only way to get the perfect fitness photos is to be confident in yourself.

You've worked hard on your body and health and now you have the chance to show it to the world in its best light.

Be original and authentic in your poses and always smile naturally.

Are you ready for your next fitness photo shoot?

Whether it's your first fitness photo shoot or you've done a couple before, every time is new and special.

Book a professional trustworthy photographer who'll make you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Finally, be yourself and let your personality shine through the photos.

Find more fitness inspiration on my blog or contact me today to book your first photo shoot.

Mark Ruddick 2017-12-05 Mark Ruddick 2017-12-05

Canadian Heavyweight Championship

On Friday Dec 1st, in Niagara Falls, ON the NCC Canadian Heavyweight Championship was fought for.

The champion: Dillon "big country' Carman (Global Legacy Boxing)
The challenger: Mladen "monster" Miljas (Lee Baxter Management)
Promoter: Global Legacy Boxing

It was a contested affair with both fighters on the canvas at point. Miljas took the fight via KO in the 2nd round winning the title.