Dear Diary

Just got back to Los Angeles after working in Las Vegas since last Tuesday. I filmed and shot an fitness home gym infomercial and a number of athlete/model photoshoots at the iconic Gold's Gym on Flamingo Rd (a fun place this past weekend as most all of the Olympians were there for other publication photoshoots). Definitely a work week and not so much pleasure as I had a few deadlines hanging over my head after shooting all day. Can't complain though, business has been doing fantastic and I'm learning to work smarter with a team rather than tackling this business by myself.

After working 16 hour days all the way up until Saturday, I got a much needed break and made it out to the Olympia expo. Saw so many of my fitness friends, loved it! Nicole Moneer Guerrero, Tianna Ta, Scott Welch editor in Chief of Muscle Insider, Hidetada Yamagishi, Krissy Chin and husband Troy Johnson, etc. Funny thing is that I work so much, I see my remote fitness friends more than I see my non-fitness friends who are here in LA locally.

After the expo, I went to see Cirque du Soleil's KA, which was the most amazing feat of martial arts, acrobatics, lighting, and set design I have ever seen. Tens of millions must have been invested in that moving and changing set design, highly recommend anyone in Vegas to see. It in fact inspired me in my photography as well, My creativity can push out so far after seeing this show.

Happy to be back in west LA aka home base, even if it's only for one day. Tomorrow early morning I fly out to Sacramento to work with the newly crowned WBFF Pro Bikini Diva World Champion, Chady Dunmore... two days of glamour, excitement that is just going to blow you away. The travel schedule for the next month looks like this:

Travel Schedule:
* Olympia Vegas: September 21 - 26
* Sacramento, CA: September 28 - 29
* Chicago: October 1 weekend
* Belgium: October 6 – 11
* NPC Nationals, Atlanta: October 15 - 16
* FMI 2010, Redondo Beach CA: October 20 - 24
* Beijing, China: November - January 2011

Business has just taken off since this summer in a big way.  I have to attribute it to this book that was given to me by a friend, No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs. This book was ballsy and blunt, and relit my fire as an entrepreneur.  Very quickly I got out of a funk that I was in, got organized, hired an 8 person staff of professional retouchers, videographers, assistant, IT guys, and sales leads.  Gotta bet big to reap big.  :)  By the end of the year there will be alot of new developments coming and business expanding in many areas.... looking forward to sharing the details in the near future.

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NPC USAs Photoshoot sessions - Las Vegas 7/29 - 8/1

I will be offering a photoshoot package to the athletes and anyone else interested in Model Portfolio development in Las Vegas from Thursday July 29 through Sunday August 1.


On Location Photoshoot
Las Vegas! I will be offering a promotional rate of $250/hr.

• Model Releases must be signed.
• The best images will be uploaded to my online Gallery where you can purchase prints and merchandise. You will be sent the best proof-marked websize images via web couple of weeks.
• Each image that you want professionally edited will be $25 each. You will receive web and print size of each edited image which would be suitable for commercial or portfolio.

About the Photographer

Natalie Minh started working in the industry as a model in Europe and North America and learned the craft over the years working in front of the lens. Over time this evolved into a career as a photographer where Minh trained under renowned fashion, beauty, glamour, and commercial photographers in Paris, Milan, and Belgium. Her images are being used by well-known modeling agencies throughout Europe, advertising campaigns globally, and published in a number of international magazines.

Now based in Los Angeles, her work has branched out into the Fitness Arena where she contributes to publications such as Muscular Development, Marathon Muscle, Ultra-Fit Mag, etc.  Fitness celebrities include 3x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, IFBB Hall of Famers Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone, 2x Arnold Classic winner Kai Greene, IFBB Japanese superstar Hidetada Yamagishi, 2009 IFBB World Champion female bodybuilder Alina Popa, Internationally ranked fitness competitor Oksana Grishna.

Her services are available to not only commercial clients but models looking to develop their portfolio as well.

Links

Photography Website

Model Mayhem

Facebook

photography@natalieminh.com

Multi Page Feature in Ultra Fit Magazine (UK)

Thanks to Ultra Fit Magazine for their kind feature.  I also contribute articles and photography to them as well.  I just love fitness.

(Click to enlarge)

Belinda Benn - 46 y/o Fitness Model/Trainer who knows her Sh*t

My wonderfully fit and beautiful Kiwi friend Belinda Benn has an informative page which talks about fitness, nutrition and beauty. I love this chick because she's a great role model and well rounded (MBA, expat living in Panama, adventure seeker, goal oriented, in better shape than most 20 year olds that I know).

I encourage you to sign up to download her free e-books which is as useful as any more expensive book you'd purchase at the bookstore. Check it out here.

Pole Folder DJSounds.com Pioneer Truck Liege City Parade

I'm on a TRUCK!

Rocking out with my BFF Telihana, Pole Folder, and the whole Pioneer Truck crew in Liege. Nothing like partying on a tricked out DJ truck all day and night WHOOP WHOOP

Arnold Classic Update

I'm shooting as a photographer for Muscular Development Mag and Marathon Muscle Mag at the Arnold Classic March 4-7, doing autograph signings, planned appearances by the Marathon Muscle booth and Europa area. Come by and say hi, get a pic taken, possibly get featured in a magazine.

Racy Natalie Minh multi-page feature in Cultura Fisica, Italy's Fitness Magazine

I am featured in the January 2010 issue of Cultura Fisica Magazine, Italy's #1 Fitness and Bodybuilding magazine.

I'm looking forward to seeing my Italian friends in July for round 2. :)

Photographer: Maurizio Polverelli, Remini IT.

An Evening in Torino

Last Saturday was my last evening in Torino, which I spent with the Italian Wizard Dr. Marco Zanetti, Alex Maggi, and a few of their friends. We had a nice Christmas evening out walking around Europe's largest plaza which was decorated in lights, then off to a wine bar to have a Martini drink and some appetizers. I took a picture of the plate because the snacks were so appealing. One in particular was what I called Italian sushi: ricotta cheese with avocado centers wrapped with seaweed paper. Also there were salami, fociaccia cheese bread, a tuna spread with artichoke. So delicious!





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Flying to Vegas Today

Good morning! Packing for Vegas alooking forward to having a blast at the Fitness America Pageant this weekend where I will compete in the Ms. BIkini and Model catagories. You can watch the live webcast here. I heard that there will be >300 of the world's hottest bodies and all sorts of other fitness industry people there to network..... Poor me. LOL

Zanetti Diet and some Dear Diary

On the flight back to Brussels an typing this blog entry. The past 1.5 weeks I have been struggling with a chest cold while trying to keep tight to my diet and exercise. I must admit that on a few days my exercise program was cut in half because I simply could not complete the extensive cardio without a breathing fit. So frustrating. I knew that November would be a challenging month based on the traveling schedule and changes going on but this chest cold was one of those unexpected things that just pop up and you have to work with until it passes.

During this trip in Tampa I kept to my workout routine as much as possible and enjoyed some of mom's cooking in small quantities but nonetheless felt guilty for deviating even 1% from my prescribed diet. My friend was even convinced that I had swine flu with all of my hacking LOL.

Great news is that today I no longer have that crappy cough and feel 99%. Can't wait to get home, back to routine for a few days, and go nuts with diet/exercise. Also, I'm two days late on providing my measurements to the Italian Wizard... Hope he's not too frustrated as I really don't want to disappoint him!

The next following days are once again quite heavy. Once I get home I have to see if I can squeeze a planned trip to Paris to study under Joel Dart, a Parisian high fashion photographer, for some valuable industry photography education and also work as a model until this Friday.

Then on Saturday I have a shoot as a tog and model for Donnie Bishop Clothing Co (Aussie brand) in Antwerp with a bunch of my favorite people: Telihana, Sven Smits, Christophe Dethy, and newcomer Duane from Paris.

I may goto NYC a few days before I head to LA on Nov 12 and have to look into the booking details to fly out next Monday. Once in LA, I have a few meetings, check out my new place of residence, and will be mad training for the Fitness America pageant in Vegas on Nov 21 weekend.

Then it's a flight back to Brussels on Nov 23, pound out 2-3 shoots as a tog, my Going Away party on Nov 28 in Antwerp, then my belongings ship to LA by container Dec 1, which my stuff won't reach its final destination for another 6 weeks.

Maybe I'll hang around in Belgium for a couple more days then fly to Detroit to do some further business with OnGo Energy drink and a couple other companies, bounce to Chicago for a few days, then catch a flight to LA by mid December. Great news is that Telihana and Michael Verlackt are coming out to LA at the same time for some Cali fun!!

I'm looking forward to getting settled in LA with some downtime to mastermind my 2010 plans in much greater detail. Right now I can't contemplate mid and long term goals as I'm just trying to stay afloat day by day. But damnit, chaos may be stressful but so exciting...! :D

Ugh I hate sitting still on a trans-Atlantic flight. So boring. Wish I could get a workout in or something but instead I'm studying Paris Vogue for some photography inspiration. Gotta gear myself up for working with Joel shortly.

I am looking forward to getting back home though, miss Europe culture. Only a few more days of living here :'(. Each time I go to Tampa I experience a little culture shock: we are comparing the Southern US to Northern Europe here HAHA.





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MuscleMania European Championships Updated Schedule

Musclemania Europe Champion di Milano 3-4 Ottobre 2009

How to reach the Event:
1- Congress Center Leonardo Via Senigallia 6 Milano
exit Cormano on Northern bypass of Milan
2- Phone number to reserve rooms +3902-64051

Timetable for Athletes:
Registration Sat 3rd October 2009
Registration Miss Bikini Fitness 3 pm Hotel Leonardo
Registration Model Man e Woman 3,30 pm Hotel Leonardo
Registration Figure woman 4 pm Hotel Leonardo
Registration Bodybuilding and Novice 5 pm Hotel Leonardo
Registration ending 7 pm

Media Session 8 pm Theater leonardo

Prejudging and Final Sun 4th October 2009
Prej Miss Bikini Fitness Model Man Woman 10,30 am
Prej Figure 11,00 am
Prej Bodybuilding Novice ore 12,00 am

Finals exibitions and price 4 pm

Approved Divisions and class:
Miss Bikini Fitness ( unique )
Model ( unique )
Figure ( unique )
Bodybuilding Femminile ( unique)

Milan Here I Come!

EVH magazine, an Italian fashion mag, is coming out to do coverage of me while I'm in town to compete. Gotta get my head together to line up shoots Monday/Tues following the competition.

Tomorrow my themewear maker is coming to Brussels from London to hand deliver my costume and polish up my routine. I can't wait to show off my costume on stage, it's a jaw dropper...!

Also I'm going to do another shoot of Maurizzio while in Milan.  A beautiful half Belgian/Italian and bright as well.... very special person.  I'm hoping to get a real soulful shoot with him; it's amazing what a photographer will capture when they have personal connections to their subjects. 

My schedule until December is intimidating... going to be working in Germany, Paris, Brussels, and travel 2x to the States for a repatriation look-see, visit my folks in FL, and compete in the World Championships before hauling all of my belongings to LA for good in December.  Getting about 3-4 hours of sleep of night from the stress.  GO GO GO GO

Songs du Jour - European Party Summer

This summer was absolutely amazing: went to Barcelona, Istanbul, Vegas, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, NYC, London, Paris, Reims, Monte Carlo, Antwerp, Liege, Sardinia.  NON STOP Adventures!!!!!

These were definitely the party anthems from this summer, enjoy!

A little more from Cala Luna, Sardinia ITALY

Cala Luna, Sardinia ITALY

A Little Bit of Sardinia

Just spent a too short weekend out in beautiful Sardinia and already back in Brussels. I'll be uploading a few blog entries on this trip as soon as I get more pics from my other cameras.

Flew out on Ryanair on Friday to Calgairi.



My main day there was Saturday where we went to Cala Luna, a seclusive beach on a private reserve and you have to take a ferry to get to. The pictures that I made there were outstanding but they are on the big camera.





I have a couple friends with homes there, each had an outstanding view from their properties: one on a beach and the other off the edge of a cliff.







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Off to another Adventure: Sardinia, ITALY

Looking forward to a long weekend in Sardinia, ITALY with Telihana and friends.  I will be doing a Pirelli calendar inspired shoot down in this island of paradise... I have been so inspired by the Mediterranean this year and it's been an amazing nonstop summer so far.

 

 

Lovely night in Paris

Met up with my brother in law, his new gf, some of his cousins and one of my fans, Philippe at the Buddha Bar for some very overpriced drinks. Good to see the place, touristy, but well done.




Philippe was a very friendly sophisticated Parisian attorney who gave us a nice recommendation to move onto Hotel Costes, about a 5 min walk up the road. That little walk was worth it as it was a very polished lounge/resto, quite upscale, beautiful people.

Ahh Parieeeee, j'adore votre ville!!

-- Post From My iPhone