Our friend and BUFF Ambassador, Mike Ruiz, is not only a top A-list celebrity photographer, but also a humanitarian who has devoted his life to bettering the world and helps shine a light on discrediting the stigma against this gentle, energetic, loyal member of the dog community…pit bulls. Ruiz takes us behind-the-scenes on the shoot for his 2019 Bullies and Biceps calendar.
Photography is not just the medium I’ve chosen to create my art, but also the platform that allows me to support the causes that are near and dear to my heart! I’ve been creating an annual calendar that combines buff men and adoptable dogs and donating the proceeds to a designated animal charity.
For the majority of the photos in the calendar, I used a tried and true one light setup. I placed one AlienBees™ B1600 Flash Unit above the model, angled down and modified with a 22″ White High Output Beauty Dish, and a white panel of foam core placed on the model’s left side to fill in the shadows and accentuate his physique.
I love using Paul C. Buff lighting and accessories because of the portability and ease of use. I can travel with a photo studio in my camera bag, not to mention that I can always count on the lighting and modifiers to give me the best possible results!
The 2019 ‘Bullies and Biceps’ calendar is dedicated to my rescue pit bull, Oliver, who I adopted in 2012. Oliver lost his brave battle with cancer the end of this summer and will forever be remembered as a wonderful ambassador for the breed that overcame adversity, opened people’s hearts and minds to pit bulls, and made them see pits in a different light.
Cover model: Casey Christopher
Proceeds from this years calendar will be donated to the New York Bully Crew Animal Rescue, a fantastic organization that rehabilitates and rescues pit bulls (and any breed in dire need) working tirelessly to find them loving and responsible homes.
Purchase a copy of the 2019 Bullies and Biceps calendar here.
About Mike Ruiz
Mike Ruiz is a fashion and celebrity photographer.
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