Following the events at P&M with Michael that midsummer evening I was presented with a most interesting offer: to shoot a solo session at the gym with Ignat. A peculiar characteristic of my friend is his passion and will to act. Feed him something, an idea for example, sit back, grab some popcorn and observe how that idea morphs and snowballs into something epic. Having said yes to this bold venture and being in a relatively decent shape at the time I decided to go for it.
We wanted to make it a classic indoor shoot - dumbbells, flexing, white towels and what not. We wanted it to happen at a time when the gym would be fairly unpopulated and we also aimed to catch some good natural lighting. Having the above in mind Ignat and I got together to discuss how each of us was going to approach this new endevor in detail.
First thing we did was select a date. That was probably the easiest part of our planning. Five minutes into the talks unexpected complications were aready starting to pile up. After doublechecking both our schedules we were left with but one option: to do the shoot at 6:00 in the morning. That of course meant no clubbing for Ignat and no late-night raiding in World of Warcraft for me the night before. There was also the problem of 'Power & Motion' opening at 9:00 AM. Having a key to the place certainly made the matter somewhat easier. No complaints were voiced from the (awsome) owners. ;) Thinking of a spot in the gym where the lighting would best suit our purposes came naturally to Ignat. The planning was going so well we even allowed ourselves to choose a place to eat and recuperate when all was said and done.
Next stop was the individual preparation. Old lences had to be dug out and dusted, tripods assembled and light-reflectors packed. I myself was forced into a two week low-carb to no-carb regime with the occasional load, accompannied by a couple of days of dehydration. I believe having unergone similar preparation in the past was of great use. The reduction in both calories and water was much more gradual this time, straining my body far less than my previous reckless attempts.
There was, however, one minor detail both Ignat and I forgot to take into consideration: Gerry. Once my girl found out about our little adventure there was no leaving her behind. Despite everything she needed to finish that day she found the time to tag along and lend us her unwavering optimism and much needed support.
Thus Project I.G.I. was a go!
On the morning of the shoot Gerry and I met up with Ignat downtown, all three of us a bit anxious but just as qeually as excited about what the next few hours would bring. We had a cup of coffee each, taking our time, savoring the aroma in complete silence. I made a few minor adjustments to the musical playlist on the gym's computer while Gerry assisted Ignat in setting up his equipment. We were getting more and more psyched up as the caffeine and bass started to kick in. The stage was set.
I began by doing a short warm-up bodyweight routine followed by some basic free-weight movements in order to get that blood flowing. Pull-ups have never been so tough, especially when you're feeling like a one ply sheet of slightly used toilet paper. With the sought-after pump now present and eyes bloodshot from Ignat's incessant flashes we were ready to move on to the actual posing.
It was amusing to watch Gerry stumble over dumbbells and climb onto various machines in an attempt to position one of the remote flashes. I haven't exactly realized how much my mouth was parched up until the point where I had to smile at our mutual bustling. Ignat on the other hand was a complete opposite. In his element he was on a roll, changing angles and distances as best he saw fit. A manifestation of enthusiasm, he was ducking under bars, crouching behind benches and leaning on walls, all the while giving useful advice about my posture.
We were making good time despite, or maybe because of the occasional burts of laughter provoked by my awkward diaper-looking shorts. The entire gig was over in under two hours. Early visitors had begun making their way to the gym, so we took that as our que to start packing. Once the qeuipment was back in the bags we each sipped on an iso-tonic, reviewing the shots and wondering if this was all the day had in store for us...
Gazing out the window at the ruins of a broken-down restaurant, my firends and I shared a thought, a spark easily seen in our eyes: We weren't done quite yet...
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