by Beth Adair

Working with Paul Buceta was the bomb. With the fitness world being so small, I had heard how great Paul was to work with, & I knew my experience would be positive and provide great art.

The opportunity to work with him came at a great time.  I knew several months in advance of the January ’19 shoot, & my mother was on a decline in health the fall previous.  Before her passing, it was a riot to overhear her boast to her friends, “My daughter is doing a photo shoot in Canada”.   The nurses & friends at the assisted living facility were as excited for the opportunity as me.  It was always well received, and a riot to me that at my age, my mom would still boast.  

I arrived in Canada with strict instructions on where to enter the @prodstudioTO.  It was January & you can imagine that it wasn’t a “balmy 70 degrees” in Canada. I think the wind chill that day was -10.  Paul’s studio is a short drive from downtown.  I got there early to work with Monica Kalra,  his makeup artist.  Monica had a real estate exam that day and would only be available for an hour, but her help and techniques were much needed as I am not good at placing my own lashes.  On any given day, I wear mascara, but for photo shoots, I like lash extensions.

Outfits for the shoot were in vast assortment.  There were a few from @Rogiani, @Brooksrunning, & @LucasHugh.  I had brought my bikinis with me, and they were from @Venus and a line called Mossimo, (that used to be found at @Target).  My reason for picking these two lines of bikini’s?  The  Venus line is from my hometown in Jacksonville, Florida.  I’ve never met the ladies there in person, but over the phone they are so energetic and nice.  I own probably 6 Venus bikini’s, all made in the USA.  The Mossimo line just fit well.

Paul selected the outfit for the first shots.  I changed and through the course of the 8 hour shoot, we worked in natural lighting,  artificial lighting and combination of both.  He staged shots on occasion with a fan, and some shots were done in black and white.

The number one thing I learned from this shoot was the best way to pose in a bikini to give your upper thighs the best look.   You stand in a pair of high heels (about 3-4 inches high), with your feet placed at “second position” like a ballet dancer. With your back straight and arms placed, you bend your knees outward like you are squatting.  You start descending down until Paul says “okay”, and then get the pictures.   It will give your legs a defined look, and look more smooth or chiseled at the upper thigh and show in the pictures. This was a fun new pose.  I know i’ll use it again.  Using high heels was nothing new, but the pose was.

It was on the lunch break where I would meet Paul’s wife, Kim Gunther, and marketer, Kevin Greene both on staff at @STRONGFITMag.   They were both a breath of fresh air, and I laughed a lot.   After they left the studio, Paul and I decided to play a joke on Kevin by doing some fun poses in a Tshirt.   I wore the shirt over my bikini. (Shown) .

I co-own the rights to the photos, with most of them being used on my social media pages, as well as the opening shot of my website in black and white, and unedited.   The top in the opening shot was from Paul’s wardrobe rack.   My web designer JB chatted with Paul on how to get the image transparent.  The “fitness over 50” project was a success.  My agent would later put out a press release.

My goal is to motivate people to train.  All of my friends know I love fitness, and love to eat.  I hope everyone works with Paul and his team at some point (PaulBuceta.com).  May all of your projects produce a laugh and a positive cash flow.

What do you have planned next? Remember to plan well, work hard and your work will pay off one way or another. I once read online that 42% of your goals get accomplished just by writing them down.

@bethadair13, Instagram & Twitter