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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 Photography
Newer Brilliance

It’s really cool working with world-class entrepreneurs, authors and thought leaders. They obviously have a lot of muscle memory when it comes to photoshoots. After many years of experience they know what it's like to authentically express themselves in the world.

I always learn a lot during those shoots. Not just about photography, but about life.

I also absolutely adore working with newer brilliance. Humans that are just getting started with their signature offering to the world.

These are very talented, kind and powerful people who have done a lot of awesome stuff already, but have recently decided to double down on their gifts. They are at a place where they are looking to express themselves and their businesses on a whole other level.

These photoshoots are very special to me because the shift at the end of a single session is ASTRONOMICAL. It’s like they got to taste the true power of their gifts and they walk out an entirely different person.

My HEARTshot session with Deirdre Abigail was just such an experience.

It was exhilarating for me to watch her grow through our session. By the end she was beaming with light and ready for 10 more photoshoots.

Thank you my friend for showing up like the powerhouse and rockstar you truly are.

Big love,

D

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

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Meet Cool Humans Often

Sometimes I feel like I started my photography business just to invite really interesting, smart, and hilarious humans from around the world into my home for epic conversations. 

I knew early on that my get-to-know-you process took time and required deep connection with the humans I photograph. In fact, most of my sessions are 4 hours long… but I don’t take the photos til the 4th hour. That means we have 3 hours to dive deep into conversation. 

Given how much time I require for my unique photography process (AKA my HEARTshots), I made a conscious decision to work with really freaking interesting humans. I mean, if I’m going to spend hours and hours with people, why not seek out the coolest humans that would add value to my life?

Suchitra is a great example of that. She’s fun, smart, kind and has so many amazing life stories that she so generously shared with me during our session. 

Thanks for showing up so fully, Suchitra. Thanks for saying yes to expressing yourself. Thanks for all the work you do in the world. And thanks for an afternoon full of laughter and awesome photos. 

Big love, 

D

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

Director X Photoshoot For TEDxToronto (Story Behind The Photo)

A couple of years ago, TEDxToronto commissioned me to take black and white portraits of all the speakers for that year’s event. I’m a big fan of TEDxToronto and have worked with them for a few years now, but my schedule was extra packed at the time and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to fit this ambitious project into my calendar.

That’s when the team at TEDxToronto sent me the speaker list…

As soon as I saw Director X on the list, I knew I had to find a way to make this project work. 

If you don’t know who Director X is — he is one of the top music video directors in the world. He’s worked with Drake, Future, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Sean Paul, Miguel, Usher, Ariana Grande and many, many more. 

I’ve been a mega fan for a long time and was thrilled at the notion of getting to take Director X’s portrait. 

About an hour before my team and I were supposed to photograph Director X, it turns out he could no longer make it to the set. Total bummer! 

Of course, that’s not how the story ends…

This short video is the story of that time when I almost missed out on photographing the iconic Director X. 

Big love! 

PS: If you enjoyed this video and want to see more like it, subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share all sorts of FREE videos like this that will help you continue up-levelling your skills as a Creator. ⁣⁣

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That Time I Almost Quit Photography

Most people don’t know that I am entirely self-taught when it comes to photography. 

I think this is really cool and in many ways one of my competitive advantages. Not knowing the “right way” of doing things gave me space to experiment and explore. 

One of the disadvantages of this self-taught approach was that I sometimes felt like my success was a lucky fluke—as if at any moment my luck would run out and all the talent would be gone forever.

Now that I think about it, at one point I felt like Cinderella at the ball. I had a blast taking epic photos, but one part of me was really aggressive about letting me know my days of taking great photos were limited. 

This video shares a very honest story about the day I almost quit photography for good. 

Anyone who has an overactive voice inside that is trying to convince you to QUIT might appreciate this story. 

What Would It Be Like To Celebrate Your Scars?

This is my friend Laura. She nearly died 25 years ago in a terrible car accident.

When Laura was 18 years old, her car got hit by an impaired driver and she suffered serious injuries to her body, specifically to her left leg. The doctors said it was a miracle she was alive and that she didn’t end up losing her leg. But this experience left Laura with physical and emotional scars.

Common convention when it comes to scars is to hide them. But if you know me, you’ll know that I think scars are beautiful and often deeply inspiring. 

Laura obviously agrees. And when she reached out a few months back to share the vision for this photoshoot I instantly got goosebumps. 

Laura booked a session to proudly celebrate one of the most difficult experiences of her life. And I can see that Laura has worked really hard to create a deep and intimate connection with her own body. The love and appreciation that I witnessed between Laura and “her human” left such a resounding impact on me. 

Thank you, Laura. You gave me a gift I will never forget. 

PS: Laura waited until she was ready to take this bold celebratory step. It’s important to note that not everyone needs to do something like this. We’re each on our own journey and need to check in with ourselves to see what’s right for us.

Only 3 Spots Left!!

I did not expect the first 9 spots to get swooped up so quickly. Now there are only 3 spots left in my most INCREDIBLE promo ever.

If you are interested in working together in 2021 and would love a KILLER discount before my prices go up in the new year, I’d love to chat. 

DM me with the word “2021” and I’ll send you the details.

Big love,

D

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Stephie Major
"How much art is hiding inside of us?
Waiting for compassion to set it free.
Begging for permission to be messy and honest.
Compassion starts with just one breath."

— Stephie Major


Thank you Stephie for sharing your art and your heart with the world.

I feel blessed to have you in my life. 

ps: That’s also her original artwork!

- Art by Stephie Morgan