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Category: Bodybuilding

Treasure Coast 2011 FBB competitor
Shots from the 2011 Treasure Coast, held August 28 in Port St. Lucie, are up on the site.

I was not expecting this to be a large show; Port St. Lucie is just a bit isolated for bodybuilding to maintain traction. However, when they do have a show in this part of the state, I’ve never been disappointed by the calibre of competition. Hopefully this will be the start of some good things.

The backdrop would have benefitted greatly from something to break up the field of black– statuary, potted palms, anything– and I’ve never been a fan of conference-style seating at a venue; ideally seats should be staggered and the floor should rise as you gain distance from the stage.

But I’ve no interest in arguing with the weather. I enjoyed the trip, I hope you enjoy the shots.

I’ll have to apologize to Deke next time I see him, but what with the busy week and getting the old house ready for sale and the two-hour drive, tomorrow’s 9 a.m. prejudging start is just TDE.

Greater Gainesville 2011 figure competitor
Shots from the 2011 Greater Gainesville, held August 13, are up on the site.

I’m always surprised by how much bodybuilding talent is tucked away in the smaller boroughs across the state. While the show was small, it was well-run and the lighting was good.

I did get caught off-guard and only got a couple of (bad) shots of the lone heavyweight competitor, as he was on the far side of the stage from me and was sent off after the first round of compulsories rather than shifted to the closer side as I had expected– though that had happened in an earlier weight class and I should have been prepared. Even though the quality wasn’t great, I included them in the collection.

I read on Ian’s Facebook page that he is donating his proceeds from the show through August to the promoters to add to their donation to STOP! Children’s Cancer. So I encourage anyone who might consider purchasing a photo from the show to go to iajephoto.com as soon as possible.

Dexter Jackson 2011 FBB competitor
Shots from the 2011 Dexter Jackson Classic, held August 6 in Jacksonville, are up on the site.

I’m quite pleased with the color balance. The UNF theater used to be a pit but they’ve clearly upgraded their lighting.

This was a much smaller show than I expected; though the quality of the competitors was outstanding, I have to wonder if the bikini slash “physique” elements are drawing potential competitors out of the bodybuilding classes. Or it could just be the recession. Time will tell.

Next up: the Greater Gainesville! No travel required, woo-hoo!

Citrus Cup 2011 female bodybuilding competitor
Shots from the 2011 Citrus Cup, held July 30 in Kissimmee, are up on the site.

Back after a hiatus of a decade or so, the Citrus Cup was held in the old Tupperware Center in Kissimmee. I was amazed at how the area has grown– there was a time when Tupperware and Gatorland were isolated in the swampland.

The show suffered just a few opening-day bugs, most notably the plodding ticketing system that left a hundred or so people in line with the show ready to start. However the level of competition was outstanding and overall the show went well.

Ancient City 2011 figure competitor
Shots from the 2011 Ancient City, held July 23 in St Augustine, are up on the site.

I also managed to squeeze in a shoot with Sherry B. afterwards, so look for an update on her page soon.

Mid Florida Classic 2011 figure competitor
Shots from the 2011 Mid-Florida Muscle Classic are up on the site.

The morning drive down 17 was absolutely magnificent and I plan to do a “photo safari” on that road one day soon.

The show shots came out slightly darker than I like but still acceptable. Enjoy.