PAVEL YTHJALL PHOTOGRAPHY

The technical aspect of a shoot means nothing, absolutely nothing. The only thing that matters is the feeling YOU get when watching the image. Does it make u feel good? Does it stir up something deep down inside you? Will it improve your life? Will it make you think? Will it make you smile? Will it make you challenge yourself?

Herb Ritts made me smile and cry. I can only hope that the inspiration he’s had on me will give YOU a reaction from my work.

This is not a job, I don’t have a choice in the matter. This is me, this is what I do. I do it for money and I do it for free. I did this before I even knew I was doing it and I will always do it. I love what I do.

Pauline Nordin & Sherlyn Roy
I love athletic women – their intensity, dedication and uncompromising attitude towards their training and goals, here personified in Pauline Nordin and Sherlyn Roy. If you ask me in 20 years which feature I like the best, this will be one of them.

I was asked by Johnnie Morton to shoot a campaign for the brand new hangover recovery drink, named OVERBOARD (coolest name out there). Johnnie Morton, the creator of Overboard is not only one of the best NFL receivers out there, he also comes up with a HANGOVER RECOVERY DRINK, how can you not be impressed with that guy…

Overboard
Johnnie had a great concept in place already, all based on the name, Overboard. The pool was a given. So simple and so smart. The master pool shot was location #1, we then moved our production to an interior location and shot a number of models in bikini holding & fighting over the Overboard bottle, I’ve had tougher jobs…

Behind The Scenes Movie
Shot in Los Angeles 2010.

The campaign
A selection off advertising images below. Overboard site: Overboard911.com

Shoot Day
A 10 hour day (including make up and wrap) and we normally end up with 100 great shots. All in all we probably take 400-600 shots and I then select the 100 best ones on set together with YOU. Everything we shoot is immediately available on a computer screen, the image goes from the camera to the computer. See the behind the scene film with famed fitness models Pauline Nordin & Sherlyn for a glimpse of how YOUR portfolio shoot will be.

Location
I like to use R1 Centre in El Segundo, Los Angeles, CA. There we can get training shots and cover attempts against a white background. It is the same gym I use when I shoot for FLEX magazine and the famed “The Girls Are Back” series or for M&F HERS and MUSCLE & FITNESS doing other features. Another studio I use is Notion Studios downtown Los Angeles, this one is more suited for glamour stuff as it has 10 to 15 movable sets, beds etc.

The Crew
The crew is the same crew I use when I shoot for Muscle & Fitness HERS, Muscle & Fitness, FLEX.

Wardrobe
I have a selection you are free to choose from. Please visit the wardrobe database by clicking here.

The Cost
The cost is 3600 – 4000 $ depending on location (R1 Centre or Notion Studios) and includes everything from planning to YOU receiving a binder with YOUR shots, in short it includes: my fee, 2 assistants to me, make up & hair artist, permits, insurance, food, clothing, equipment for 100.000 dollars etc. There is no difference between this shot and a regular editorial shoot for one off the major mags. This is the real thing, YOU will get the star treatment YOU deserve and we will all devote this day to YOU and getting YOU the best possible shots of the best possible YOU!

Your responsibility
Is to come to the shoot in great condition, we will take care off the rest
If you are not a local L.A resident travel & hotel is not included but I and my staff will help you find affordable hotels in Venice Beach (the Mecca) and we arrange for transport in a Range Rover to and from the shoot.

Book the Shoot
Let me know if you have any more questions, email or feel free to call me at my office: 310 430 6697.

Binder
After the shoot you will get a binder with thumbnail prints of the best shots and letter size prints off the “10 best shots”. You will also get all the best shots (approximately 100) as JPG’s in different sizes for email, web, Facebook, MySpace etc. No more than one week after the shoot you will have this sent to you via Fed Ex.

I can not emphasize this enough – GREAT IMAGES makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in the world
This is how YOU present yourself to the world … wouldn’t you wanna be at your best shot by the best ?!

Payment  Terms & Payment Options
We accept payment in cash, credit card (Pay Pal invoice) or money order. We require 75% no later than 10 days before the shooting date. The remaning 25% is due, at the latest, on the morning off the shoot.

Upon booking you will get a signed agreement outlining the shoot, delivery dates, copyright and anything else we have agreed upon on, it’s all standard practice and we do insist on written agreements for everyone’s peace off mind so both parties know what is expected off each other. The agreement will be signed by us as a company, Conforce, Inc. and  you.

Succes Stories Portfolio shoots – Heidi Vonka Koi
Heidi booked a shoot with me and her career took off! BODY magazine (biggest magazine in the Nordic countries) will feature Heidi on the cover and a huge feature inside the magazine. BODY are using the shots I took. See examples below.
* Heidi used the shots to build a professional website: heidivonkakoi.com
* Heidi landed a sponsorship deal with apparel company Better Bodies right after they saw the shots with Heidi from the shoot, see Heidi’s Better Bodies profile here: Heidi
* Heidi’s cover and feature in BODY magazine (cover below, feature coming).

Succes Stories Portfolio shoots – Sherlyn Roy
I recently shot Sherlyn Roy and Pauline Nordin together. Sherlyn is a petite and intense young woman with great energy and a will to create great images. I recommended her to my chief editor friends, showed them some pics from our shoot and she was almost immediately flown to Canada to shoot with Paul Buceta for REPS! & Oxygen magazine.

Succes Stories Portfolio shoots – Paola Almerico
Another example is Paola Almerico. She needed a portfolio to show the art directors at the major mags.
I shot her during a 10 hour day here in California. 3 locations. On the beach, in the gym and cover attempts against white bg. Paola can now be seen in FLEX Body Shop, Oxygen features etc

Succes Stories Portfolio shoots – Kim
Kim shot with me and got so happy she decided to enter in FLEX magazine’s 2010 bikini contest!

Succes Stories Portfolio shoots – Frank Galasso
Hair stylist Frank Galasso, not only a hair stylist to the stars and Kim Kardashian, but a bodubuilder!
Read more here: http://blog.ythjall.com/2010/06/19/kim-kardashians-hair-stylist-frank-galasso/

More Portfolio Shoot Examples
Scroll down and check out some off the beautiful women (and men) I have had shoots with.

Facebook gallery with previous portfolio shoots
Become my friend on Facebook and see tons off more images with men and women I have shot for their portfolios.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31073698&id=1183732889&fbid=1356075700301#!/album.php?aid=2052581&id=1183732889&ref=pb

Movies
Just for fun, check out how it is to work with me and my crew

Fitness Shoot with Pauline Nordin & Sherlyn Roy

Fitness Shoot with Playboy Playmate and fitness model Hiromi Oshima

Mexico fashion & glamour trip

Sincerely, Pavel

Notion Studios, Downtown Los Angeles. 10 hour day, 4 set ups
Ad shoot for FighterDiet.com. Fighter Diet has in a very short period become a huge success and its founder, Pauline Nordin, is following up her previous campaign with a new for this fall, to be seen in Muscle & Fitness HERS, Oxygen magazine, SHAPE etc.

Campaign ad (previous campaign, photo and art director: Pavel Ythjall)

2 1/2 hours per shot
It seems like a lot but when you are creating an ad campaign its nothing and when you are working with the founder, Pauline Nordin, you gotta be ready for the ride cause this young lady knows what she wants and she will get it.

Sarah Scotford
Courtesy of Paul Buceta and his annual pool party I met multi talented Sarah Scotford in Los Cabos, Mexico last year. This model, actress, make up artist, model coach and joy spreader is invaluable when shooting high profile campaigns or editorials with women. We flew Sarah in from Toronto, Canada, to spend some time with us in L.A and help us out with some shoots, this being the main one.

Sarah’s beauty is in all honesty enough to have her on any set, just being there..

Zach, my trusted 1th assistant, liked by women, not only because off his youth and manners but his lighting skills, was accompanied by Matt as 2nd and Courtney as digital tech and my right hand.

Fitness Ads
Fitness ads are 10 years behind. Most ads feature a woman or man showing a lot off skin, trying to be sexy, with a huge product on them, around them, in them, beside them or just everywhere.

AST Sports Science
In a previous campaign, also featuring Pauline Nordin, for AST Sports Science, I set out to prove that you can show women actually training hard with bulging muscles and make it approachable and inspiring for women as well as men without falling in to the “sleeezy sex categorie” and without overexposing the product per sue.

Campaign ad (previous campaign, photo: Pavel Ythjall, art director: Pavel Ythjall & Pixlmix, Copy: Pixlmix) Combined with great copy the ad campaign was a succes and AST Sports Science are getting great sales.

Black and White I am in love with black & white photography (thank Herb Ritts for that) because it’s liberated from the distractions, symbols and interpretations colors bring. Black and white is RAW lifting, no straps no help. Black and white is ultimate fighting, its the ultimate proving ground for your shot. Color distracts, symbolizes just by being in color per sue and can in itself tell a story but black and white takes no prisoners, either you have something to show your audience or not.

Thanks to being so naked it also reads very fast and hits you, if succesful, very fast.

Present campaign
Pauline and I decided to take the ads for Fighter Diet in a new direction and get the ads out off the gym! We, Pauline, I and Pixlmix already proved that we could make a great “gym ad” with our previous campaign. True art and great sales (yes they can be one and the same) are not given to you but a result of risk taking and pushing the boundaries. I will post the finished ads in this post when they are out in the magazines, until then enjoy a behind the scenes movie (movie is being edited, coming shortly).

Pavel