IMG_1717 1.jpg

Toronto Portrait Photographer || HEARTshots || Black + White Photography

Memoirs and musings of Darius Bashar. Toronto portrait photographer and writer, in pursuit of all things real, raw and intimate. 

Posts in Toronto Photographer
Testimonial Tuesdays - Mike Shoreman

"I’ve been photographed many times but this was unlike any other experience I have had with a photographer and human being. From the moment I walked in to the moment I walked out, Darius was ON.

Never have I seen someone turn it on so quickly, so gently, so fiercely, designing and producing what I wanted my audience to see most. He knows when to push and when and what to pull. His timing, attention to detail, and the value he provides far exceeded any hopes I’d had."

- Mike Shoreman

—————

Thank you Mike for those generous and kind words. It’s been such a joy to see you and your book soar to the top of the charts. Well deserved and much needed in the world. Love you brother.

Sincerely,

D

PS: If you want to make something beautiful together in 2021, send me a quick DM or comment below with the word "2021".

Rebecca Tracey HEARTshots Photoshoot

I work with a lot of coaches in my photography business; I’d say 70% of my clients are coaches. I also HIRE coaches and mentors to support my business. This is a significant amount of my marketing and business development budget… and also the most effective thing I have done to help my business grow in the last 5 years.

After all that time working with coaches—both as my clients and as my own mentors—I have learned one simple truth:

The fastest way to get to your goal is by finding someone who has already done it to coach you through the process. 

Super simple, right? Not exactly rocket science. 

When it comes to helping people start a successful online business, I honestly don’t know of anyone else that has more experience or more success stories than Rebecca Tracy. She’s been at it for years now and has worked with hundreds of life coaches, nutritionists, business coaches and healers. 

Her program and her breadth of knowledge on this topic is impressive.

She’s also a ton of fun to work with and always travels with her adorable furry companion who made a special guest appearance during our shoot. 

For more on Rebecca Tracey you can check her website out here → https://theuncagedlife.com

Or follower her on Instagram here → https://www.instagram.com/rebeccatracey/

Big LOVE, 

D

 — — — — -

Hair & Makeup by @kellyd.makeup

 — — — — -

PS: If you want to make something beautiful together in 2021, send me a quick DM or comment below with the word “2021”.

Testimonial Tuesdays - Kristin Dorsey

“Never in my life have I felt so comfortable in front of a camera or so blown away by the images that were captured. I wanted to do the shoot for my birthday —my 39th birthday—and to capture how I show up in the world with the strength and wisdom I've gathered in life so far. The photos show that and so much more, and it was all due to the fantastic experience that Darius created, and allowed me to create with him.

Darius didn't just start shooting, he walked me through the whole process, explained techniques and angles; he basically gave me a little class in how to be a model. It was extraordinary. The shoot was so relaxing and so much fun that I was disappointed when it was time to stop! I wanted to keep trying new things and taking more pictures! I can't wait to come back next year and do a shoot for my 40th birthday!"

- Kristin Dorsey

__________

If you want to make something beautiful together in 2021, send me a quick DM or comment below with the word "2021".

024_Sunshine_20671.jpg
Sandra Chuma HEARTshots

I love these photos so much. They are from a year ago, but somehow I haven’t shared them yet. To be honest I think when COVID hit things got a bit wonky and that’s how they got missed. 

I’ll never forget the day of the shoot. Sandra was radiant from the start. I remember feeling a warmth from her the moment I saw her. She was a great listener and when she looked into my eyes it felt as if somehow I was able to do ANYTHING. As if she believed in me and was cheering me on, just by witnessing me. The definition of empowering. 

She does her amazing work as the founder of the Woman on Fire Summit, a life-changing experience to help women from all over the world step beyond their fears. To learn more about the inspired work Sandra does in this world, check her out here → @sandra.chuma // https://sandrachuma.com/

Thank you my friend for all that you do and for your commitment to empowering and celebrating humans everywhere. 

California Dreaming

This time last year, I was in Los Angeles setting up for a full week of magical photoshoots. Jenn came down with me and we had so much fun. We rented a few whimsical Airbnbs for the shoots. 

One of the houses was in the Hollywood Hills; we could literally see the iconic Hollywood sign from the bathroom window. This particular house was where Charlie Chaplin would stay during his time in LA. And many years back, it belonged to a successful production designer—the guy who made Dorothy’s famous red shoes in The Wizard of Oz! 

That magic most definitely extended into my time with Angela Lauria. I knew her from a previous photoshoot with Archangel a few months back. The day before our shoot I watched a really cool documentary film about her life. Needless to say, I knew she was an epic human being. 

Angela’s success is not an accident; she has worked her ass off and blasted through so many limiting beliefs around self-worth and abundance. Her company, The Author Incubator, has helped over 1,000 people write over 1,500 books. Writing a book is on almost everyone’s bucket list, but most of us never get around to it. And these books have probably impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands. 

I loved diving in with Angela and getting closer to her. I also love the photos we captured together. Thanks for being so awesome, Angela.

The best part is that we’ve got 5 more shoots booked together—once the US/Canada borders open up again. I can’t wait to see what we come up with next! 

Big LOVE, 

D

PS: If you’re ready to make something beautiful together this year, comment below or send me a DM. (I’d love to tell you about this month's HEARTshot photography promo.)

NIKKI MCKNIGHT - OPERATIONS MAGICIAN

Dear Nikki, 

It is so wonderful getting to know you. From when I first met you as the operations mastermind at Archangel, to working with you on our first HEARTshots photoshoot. Eventually I got to experience your magic firsthand as you guided me through a full-day coaching experience for my business. I’m still so grateful for HOW MUCH VALUE you squeezed into a single day. 

But most of all, I’m enjoying our growing friendship. Your energy, your dedication, your wisdom and your hilarity are so wonderful to be around. 

To me, you are 100% an artist. Yes, your art is different from mine; your magic is about understanding frameworks, logistics, operations and getting shit done right! But in a way your art is similar to mine, because we both love empowering epic humans to do and make cool shit. 

Thank you for being awesome, for continuing to step into your light and your power, and for being such a stand up human. 

I’m so excited to see where you go from here. 

Big love, 

D

PS: If you’re looking to up-level your business in 2021 and want to chat with a true magician of operations, check her out! → https://mcknightoc.com/about

 — 

PPS: If you’re ready to make something beautiful together this year, send me a DM or comment below. I’d love to connect.⁣⁣ More info on this month’s HEARTshot photography promo → https://www.dariusbashar.com/heartshots

Tracy Clark HEARTshots

This is Tracy Clark. She’s many things; a successful entrepreneur, a spiritual teacher, a reverend, a podcaster, and a coach.

Working with Tracy was unique because of her powerful balance of energy. A lot of wonderful flowing creative feminine energy, which made her so easy to work with. But also a lot of structured and rooted masculine energy, which made for some amazing conversations about everything from politics to stocks, and even a mind-blowing discussion of the pandemic. A fascinating combination of yin and yang, which if I’m honest is very rare to come across. 

Another interesting thing about Tracy is how hopeful she is about the future of this planet. She’s been through a lot (like a lot a lot), but when she talked about where we will be in the next 5 years, her energy was light and hopeful. Yes, some things may get worse before they get better, but her belief is that things will be getting A LOT BETTER in the future. 

I often revisit our conversations from that day. Each encounter I have with Tracy leaves a unique impression on my life. I don’t think I have ever met anyone like her.

Thank you dear friend for what you bring to my life and the lives of others. 

Big love,

D

——-

PS: If you’re ready to make something beautiful together this year, send me a DM or comment below. I’d love to connect.⁣

PPS: More info on this month's HEARTshot photography promo --> www.dariusbashar.com/heartshots

And The Winner Is...

In December I offered a chance to win 1 FREE photoshoot with me in 2021. Over 100 people sent me their stories for this contest, which worked out to over 14,000 words… many of which moved me to my core. 

You guys have amazing lives and stories and picking a winner was INSANELY TOUGH. I have tremendous admiration and respect for each and every one of you.

Thank you for sharing a little piece of yourself with me in the submissions. I wish I could give all of you a free shoot. 

I’m going to do at least 2 more photoshoot giveaways in 2021. If you’d like to know when the next one will be, add your name to my email list and I’ll keep you updated. For now I need to recover from this selection process—that was SO challenging!

Congrats to the winner (watch the video if you’re curious who won). I will reach out to you in the next 2 days with next steps. 

Email list notification for next giveaway → https://www.dariusbashar.com/1-free-photoshoot

Who Would You Be?

Who would you be if you let go of what other people think?

Who would you be if you gave yourself full permission to shine?

How would your life change this year if you LET GO of your past and all of the times things didn’t go exactly how you had hoped?

What would happen to your life today if you truly accepted that tomorrow you could be dead?

What would happen to you this year if you found the courage to declare your dreams to the world—not the dumbed-down, diluted, safe version of your dreams, but your real fucking dreams?

—————

PS: The beautiful, brave and brilliant human in these photos is my friend @KrishaYoung.

PPS: If you’re ready to make something beautiful together this year, send me a DM or comment below. I’d love to connect.

PPS: More info on this month's promo --> www.dariusbashar.com/heartshots

—————-

<<CLICK TO ENLARGE>>

Krisha_Young_8597.jpg
Krisha_Young_8630.jpg
Krisha_Young_8581.jpg