Toronto Portrait Photographer || HEARTshots || Black + White Photography — Darius Bashar | Toronto Portrait Photographer

One Of My Favourite Moments Of Almost Every Photoshoot

“You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on it’s way

Don’t you know that it’s worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are, it’s much better by far
To be young at heart”

- Young at Heart lyrics by Carolyn Leigh

I heard this song on the radio yesterday. It’s a timeless classic performed by the legendary Frank Sinatra. If you haven’t heard it in a while, I definitely recommend giving it a listen.

It reminded me of so many of my photoshoots. Because almost every photoshoot has a moment where I can see and feel the inner child of the person I am photographing.

A very special moment when their inner child feels safe enough to come out and play.

It’s often my favourite part of the entire shoot.

Those younger parts of us deep inside our hearts are often the key to our fullest self-expression. They are the keepers of so much joy, play and tremendous levels of creativity.

Thank you dear Anitta for letting your glorious inner child come out to play during our photoshoot. Your inner child is incredible, and so are you.

Big LOVE,

D

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PS: If you want to make something beautiful with me in 2021, send me a message and let’s start the convo. I've got a great HEARTshots promo this month. --> www.dariusbashar.com/heartshots / link in bio @dariusbashar

Headshots, HEARTshots, Portrait Photography, Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyDarius BasharApril 13, 2021HEARTshots, Headshots, Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyComment

I didn't stand a chance

I wrote the following on November 4th, 2016. That’s exactly 12 days before my first black and white portrait session. You can see exactly when my obsession with black and white portraiture began.

Even then, it was about more than just photos...

I was about to attend a masterclass in humanity. Each person I photographed would teach me something deep and profound about my own existence and help me slowly come out of hiding.

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November 4th, 2016

Black and white has been calling to me lately. Not sure what it is or why but I've been so fascinated by this aesthetic. I feel as if there is something important for me to learn — about my work or maybe about myself.

Something interesting happens when you remove things from the frame.

I am curious to see how far I can take this minimalistic approach. What will be left once I remove colour, background, texture, clothing, etc?

Model: @Jhar.Munch

Toronto Photography, Toronto Photographer, Portrait PhotographyDarius BasharMarch 18, 2021Toronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, Black and white PhotographyComment

Testimonial Tuesdays - Nicholas Kusmich

“My photoshoot with Darius was totally different. Not only did he produce the best pictures I have ever taken, but the experience was amazing.”

- NICHOLAS KUSMICH
COACH, AUTHOR, SPEAKER

PS: If you don’t know Nicholas, he’s one of THE TOP facebook marketers on the planet. He’s the dude behind some of the highest ROI-producing campaigns EVER. If you are looking to scale your biz, I’d check him out: www.nicholaskusmich.com / @nicholaskusmich

Toronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, HEARTshots, HeadshotsDarius BasharMarch 16, 2021Toronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, Portrait Photographer, Headshots, HEARTshotsComment

Why I love working with moms

I love photographing moms… especially new moms. There are lots of reasons for this… here are a few:

1. Moms give so much to their families.

I notice that for many moms, motherhood often comes before anything else. For some of you, your kids come first—even before your own needs. So having a few hours where I can curate an experience that’s 100% about you is so much fun for me. It’s a small token of appreciation for all that you do.

2. Moms—especially new moms—have just experienced a massive expansion in their lives.

I’ve heard a lot of moms say that creating a new life within your own body gives you access to a lot of wisdom on life. It’s cool chatting with new moms because it’s clear they are seeing life with a broader perspective. I love asking questions about what they’ve learned over the past few months and years. There is always SO MUCH.

3. New moms are often very grounded and direct. Maybe there’s something about being responsible for a brand new life that gives you a down-to-earth energy. I love it.

4. New moms have access to a lot of creative energy.

During the photoshoot, we create a “bubble” for you to feel your own energy and it becomes clear that there is a boatload of creative power within your presence. I imagine this is why some moms are able to grow amazing businesses and communities after having a child; they are accessing that same power and strength within themselves.

It was such a pleasure to work with Bex on this photoshoot. She gives so much to her family, her friends, and her awesome business too. To carve out a few hours for us to focus on just her was a treat for me as well.

You killed it, Bex! I will never forget our afternoon together. I am still feeling the buzz.

Also, huge shoutout to Nikki McKnight for introducing us. Love you Nikki!

D

Portrait Photography, Toronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, Black and White PortraitsDarius BasharMarch 15, 2021Toronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, Portrait Photographer, Black and white PhotographyComment

Two Photoshoots For The Price Of One (Only 6 Spots Left)

In case you missed it, this month I’m bringing back my most popular photography promo. It’s kind of insane, and the last time I ran this promo it sold out in 11 days.

I can understand why… I am giving away a FREE photoshoot when you book with me this month. So instead of getting 1 photoshoot, you will get 2 for the price of one. That’s a $2497 photoshoot for FREE.

There is a catch… well less of a catch and more of a condition:

I only have 12 spots for this promo and 6 are already gone. (I told you, people love this promo.)

So if you ever wanted to work with me—and you LOVE amazing deals—this is your chance!

Also, really important note… you have a FULL year to actually do the shoots. So don’t stress if the lockdown has you in hibernation mode or if you haven’t gotten a haircut in months. We can chat now and get you on the calendar for any date in the next year. Lots of people are booking into the Summer and Fall and I have no problem with that at all.

Here’s the link for the promo — > https://www.dariusbashar.com/five

Toronto Photography, Toronto PhotographerDarius BasharMarch 9, 2021Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyComment

International Women's Day

I feel grateful that I get to work with so many awesome women.

Women who are kind and sensitive.

Women who are assertive and tough.

Women who are open and deep.

Women who are guarded and mysterious.

Intelligent and creative women who are committed to being of service to their communities.

And women who are committed to being of service to themselves.

Because all women are worth celebrating.

Happy International Women’s Day ⚡️

Sincerely,

D

Headshots, HEARTshots, Toronto Photography, Toronto PhotographerDarius BasharMarch 8, 2021HEARTshots, Headshots, Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyComment

Marla + Julian (The Intimacy Experts)

It’s a lot of fun spending time with Marla and Julian. Each is such an interesting being—wise, honest, super direct—and I’ve been lucky enough to connect with them individually a few times now.

But seeing them together is a really unique and special experience.

In case you didn’t know, they are two of the top intimacy and relationship coaches on the planet. Marla and Julian Colker specialize in helping entrepreneurial couples with love, intimacy and connection. They have a company called The Intimacy Experts (@theintimacyexperts) and have been featured by many major publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC, ABC, and Oprah.

Last fall I got to collaborate with these two lovebirds for a really fun shoot.

I remember how palpable their connection was. There was a magnetism between them; these were two SUPER successful adults that could somehow access levels of playfulness and joy at any moment. There was also an animalistic energy between them that was fun to experience and photograph.

Marla and Julian, I miss you guys and can’t wait to hang again soon. Hopefully in LA next time.

Love,

D

PS: If you want to make something beautiful with me in 2021 send me a message and let’s chat.

Click To Enlarge Photos Below

HEARTshots, Headshots, Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyDarius BasharMarch 1, 2021HEARTshots, Headshots, Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyComment

Coco Framboise

First time I met Coco was on a Camp Reset school bus. We were headed a few hours out of the city into the forest for 4 days of cosmic space travel with 200+ adults.

She was quiet on the bus—probably ‘cause it was packed with strangers in weird customs—but even then I could see the fire in her eyes.

The second time I met Coco was a day later. She took the stage and led 200+ adults through a mind-blowing cabaret-style strip tease exercise that left us both empowered and dying of laughter. I have never seen or felt a room like that in my life. So creative, so connected, so emboldened, and so BRAVE.

In that moment she was fully Coco Framboise. If you don’t know what that means, check out her website (cocoframboise.com) and you’ll get an idea. For me, it felt like dragon energy. But it also felt like pure art and creation.

The third time I met Coco was during this photoshoot. At the time she was going through a very tender life experience. Someone very close to her had recently passed. I remember thinking to myself how deep her love for this person was. It gave me something to aspire to for all of the relationships in my life.

Coco never stops inspiring me. It feels as if she is always playing and that her creativity really has no boundaries.

I love you Coco. Thanks for sharing your heart so courageously with the rest of us.

I can’t wait for our next hang.

D

Toronto Photography, Toronto Photographer, Black and White PortraitsDarius BasharFebruary 25, 2021Toronto Photography, Toronto Photographer, Black and white PhotographyComment

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

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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".

HEARTshots, Headshots, Portrait Photography, Toronto Photography, Toronto Photographer, Testimonial TuesdaysDarius BasharFebruary 9, 2021Toronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, Portrait Photographer, HEARTshots, Headshots, Testimonial TuesdaysComment

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

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Hair & Makeup by @kellyd.makeup

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