GoShiggyGo Photography, Shiggy Ichinomiya. Los Angeles Based Photographer & Videographer. Celebrity Portraits. Fitness. Weddings. Commercial. Editorial. Fashion. Glamour. Private Parties & Events.
Published Author.Trilingual (English, German, Japanese) 2X Ironman Finisher (IMCDA & IMLT) Travelled 25 + Countries. Boston U. Alum. Also Fire Academy Grad. Doggie Lover!
神戸生まれ、アメリカとイギリス育ちの、一宮・成光（しげみつ）と申します。あだ名は“シギー”です。
(Photos BEST viewed on laptop or desktop)
Did you know that drowning surpasses all other causes of death among children ages 14 and under in California, while LA County has the highest rate of near-drowning of any county in the state? The Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge was created to heighten awareness of these facts and combat this problem locally. (from the C2C Website)
(Below-photographs on the Coast to Coast Swim Challenge website by Shiggy Ichinomiya)
Photos above by Shiggy Ichinomiya are displayed on the Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge Website (CLICK HERE) These kids are learning how to swim. Click here for more photographs.The money raised from the "Coast to Coast Swim Challenge" provides under-served youths with free swim lessons. Summer is fast approaching, it's getting warmer and the water is very tempting. Unfortunately, the number of drowning incidents increase with the rise in temperature. Prevention is key.
How can YOU help? Phew, I'm glad you asked.
On May 20th, 2012, YOU can be a part of the solution by helping raise money so that children can learn how to swim.
Swim One, Two or Three-30 minute Stages or be a Launcher or Closer- that is where you can really challenge yourself- See registration page for complete details. Click HERE for the Coast 2 Coast Website
How can YOU help? Volunteer.
How can YOU help? Do your long "Ironman" or "triathlon" training swim in this pool and raise money at the same time!!
How can YOU help? Donate directly.
In its inaugural year, the 2011 Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge raised more than $21,000, with 100 percent of these funds going to scholarships that enabled 500 kids in Compton, South Los Angeles and Culver City to learn to swim.
I love it. I crave it. I'm enamored by it. What's the "it?" The "it" is----SPONTANEITY!!
A little back story behind the photo shoot.
A week ago, I was looking at my GoShiggyGo Photography page on Facebook and I noticed a person I've never met before "like" my page. Please click on HERE and then "LIKE" my Facebook Page. It was Karen Chapman from New Jersey.
On Facebook I have many fitness models, fitness competitors, body builders as friends. I admire the dedication and perseverance that goes into sculpting one's body, as well as resisting temptation, sacrifice, incredible focus and deep down drive that goes into making one's body the best it can be.
To make a long story short, Karen flew out on Friday from New Jersey to do a photo shoot on Sunday, April 15th. Karen won a competition and came out to Los Angeles to do the photo shoot. Woot woot!!
On Saturday, April 14th at around 5:30pm we started messaging each other on Facebook. We decided to do an impromptu, spur of the moment, you only live once, heck yeah, "why not," "sure let's do it," and TOTALLY SPONTANEOUS photo shoot. I was actually heading out to Downtown LA to do a cityscape night time photo shoot when the messaging began, and within less than an hour at 6:30pm, I was picking her up at the Hotel near LAX and off we went to my friend Sean's tattoo shop "House of Ink" Please click HERE for House of Ink's Facebook Page in Venice, California. 90291!!!
The photo shoot was very basic. No huge reflectors, no assistants, no massive strobes, technicians, make-up artists, stylists or kraft services. Just my Canon and an external off camera flash!!! Simple!!! Of course Sean from The House of Ink helped out too. Thank you Sean.
Karen was great. Why? She didn't have thousands of pieces of clothes in her suitcase. This was a totally unplanned shoot. Yet, she gathered some awesome articles of clothing, and just went for it. Venice, was windy and cold. The sand was blowing pretty hard, yet, Karen was a trooper!!! I loooooooove that kind of "spontaneous" attitude. Of course planning is important as well. Yet so many of us wait for "the perfect moment," or until "everything is just right," until we actually do something, that the "perfect moment" already passes you by. "Perfect is the enemy of the good," as the saying goes.
I totally believe that, and I totally believe that we have to just "ship." Go out. Get results. Don't wait. Don't hesitate. Do it. And what's the worst thing that's gonna happen? The photos will look awful!! Wow, big deal. Considering it usually takes a top model several hundred photos until the "one" is taken, what could be lost? Time. Being in a hotel room all by oneself vs leaving your comfort zone and enter "MAGIC zone."
Karen totally trusted me, a "perfect stranger." (There are lots of creeps out there so beware not to trust everyone.) Trust is huge to me, it's paramount and I thank you Karen for trusting me.
I've added some captions to the photos. Look at the ones with Karen standing with the big ominous black cloud and the sun that has already set. Orange, blue, black and Karen sandwiched in between.
