This idea has sparked a new project that will showcase the best young riders in the extreme sports division in Ireland. I have teamed up with Iskra Interactive, Scattered Images and Uberdog Magasine and we will be working together to give the riders some publicity and exposure in various mediums. Marty will be producing a video showreel, Tara Craig (Editor at Uberdog) will be running a feature on each individual in the magasine and the team at Iskra Interactive will be producing a very edgy and unique website for the riders.

The first on my list was 16 yr old Alex Heyes, a local Belfast skateboarder with a hunger for pain and heelflips! Alex brought us along to some of his favourite spots and I set about capturing him in his sporting environment – the streets! Alex has been skating the city from a young age and dreams of becoming a pro skater someday.

Have a look at some of his shots below for a small peak into his world.

Rick.

I met with Paul Heasley the other day at Hillsborough Park for a sports portrait as he is a fascinating character and I once had the opportunity to train under him when I decided at the tender age of 32 to take up rugby (whoops!). I was always very sporty in my life and loved pushing my limits on the pitch but my body got the shock of it’s life when I started to train under Paul.  He doesn’t suffer fools and I learned quickly that first night he has a knack of knowing just how much to squeeze out of an individual to get maximum returns.  Paul has been a Fitness Professional for eight years and has been running his own personal training business in Belfast City centre in the last three years.

Known affectionately in rugby circles as Diesel, Paul is one hell of a tackler (thankfully I don’t have 1st hand experience of this) and played senior rugby for a number of years before realising that he could marry his passion for rugby and training and teach others about getting the best results from their body.  Paul is Northern Ireland’s only C.H.E.K. practitioner (Corrective High-performance Exercise Kinesiology), using a holistic approach of individualised exercise program design and lifestyle coaching to help clients overcome common roadblocks to ensure they move and perform optimally, and look and feel in peak condition.  After speaking with Paul on the shoot it was clear how strongly he feels about his work and it’s affect on the lucky few he works with.  One of his favourite tools of the trade is the kettle bell.  You can see a few of his training techniques below in the image gallery.  Paul’s brute strength and endurance are not born of protein shakes and creatine but rather intelligent training and a healthy balanced diet.  When asked once at the club about protein shakes and the best for maximum gains Paul simply replied “None.”  I’ve never seen a fella so confused in all my life…..Paul just smiled and walked out.  End of conversation.

Paul was a senior rugby player for the best part of his youth and still remains very passionate about the game.  More recently, he was given the opportunity to work as a strength and conditioning coach to the Ulster under 19 clubs side who went on to win the inter-provincial championship in September of this year.  Paul also coaches at Lurgan Rugby Club.

To get in touch with Paul to enquire about a training session you can email him here at paulheasley7@hotmail.com.  He is an absolute gentleman and believes in client confidentiality so don’t be afraid to contact him to discuss your requirements in greater detail.

I Decided to knock up a mock Nike Commercial today after a few attempts at indoor sports portraits. For this one I centred in on running and I used a familiar face from one of my past model shoots Alan Scott McDonald as he loves running and therefore was the perfect candidate.

We went to various locations but finally settled on the top of the battlements at Shane’s Castle in Antrim for the final shot. The sky was fantastic so I took advantage by manually metering down a few stops to really bring it out and exposed for the subject with specific bare lighting.

The timing of this was essential as was the focusing. As you might know already the 5D MK II’s Servo is pitiful so It was up to me to focus on a point on the ground and time the shot as the subject ran into the shot and point of focus. To make matters worse, the rain was beating down hard and the lights were soaking. Thankfully they survived to tell the tale and so did the 5D, not known for its waterproofing system.