2020 was in many ways the most challenging year of my life AND somehow also one of the best years of my life.

The amount of growth, expansion, connection, friendship and gratitude that I felt this year was unparalleled.

I have so much to be thankful for and I also have a deep desire to give back.

As a token of my gratitude, I want to give away 1 FREE HEARTshot photography session. This is valued at $2497.

There are no catches. You don’t need to buy anything or spend a single dollar.

My intention is to pick one person in my community that is having a challenging 2020 and gift them this experience as a powerful way to launch into the new year.

If you are interested visit the link below and throw your hat into the ring. What do you have to lose?

The form takes 1 minute to fill out.

On Thursday Dec 31st, I will do a LIVE on Facebook and pick one person from everyone who applied.

The actual shoot will take place sometime in 2021 AND IT WILL BE EPIC. I promise. 😊

Thank you. 🙏🏽I love you and HAPPY holidays to you and yours.

D

Here’s the link —> www.dariusbashar.com/1-free-photoshoot

Toronto Photography, Toronto PhotographerDarius BasharDecember 15, 2020Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyComment

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 🙂

<<CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTOS>>

Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyDarius BasharDecember 14, 2020Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyComment

How To Navigate the Emotional Roller Coaster of Being an Artist

What's the highest emotional state an artist or creator can achieve? Is it the moment in which the project is finally complete? Or is it that point—somewhere in the middle—where the project is being birthed through them… that magical moment where the artist transcends themselves and is in total flow with the Universe?

This powerful question which was posed by Abraham Hicks rocked my world by reframing emotional intensity and creative doubt. More on this in the video below.

Big love!

D

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. ⁣⁣ ⁣

PPS: Come meditate with me!!! → https://www.artistmorning.com

Creator Tips, Artist Tips, Artist MorningDarius BasharDecember 11, 2020Creator Tips, Artist Tips, Artist MorningComment

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 🙂

Toronto Photographer, Toronto PhotographyDarius BasharDecember 10, 2020Toronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, HEARTshotsComment

Question Of The Day (Dec 9, 2020)

What do you see?

Question Of The DayDarius BasharDecember 9, 2020Question of The DayComment

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!

D

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. ⁣⁣

<< CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTOS>>

Toronto Photography, Toronto Photographer, story behind the photoDarius BasharDecember 8, 2020Toronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, story behind the photoComment

Beautiful Weirdos

I’m not sure what “normal” is anymore, but one thing is for sure: my favourite humans are all beautiful weirdos.

Darius BasharDecember 7, 2020Comment

How to Avoid Getting Overwhelmed as a New Artist

I think one of the biggest mistakes new artists and new creators make is putting too much pressure on themselves—especially when it comes to money.

A new artist is like a young child… and you don't want to put unnecessary stress on the small shoulders of a young child.

In this video I talk about my early days as a portrait photographer and a specific strategy I used that helped me avoid getting burned as a new creator.

This approach also gave me a competitive advantage creatively, as it provided me with the space and structure to experiment and explore.

Big love!

D

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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-leveling your skills as a Creator. ⁣⁣ ⁣

PPS: Come meditate with me!!! → www.artistmorning.com

Artist MorningDarius BasharDecember 3, 2020How-To Videos, Artist MorningComment

Ciaran Breen - SoftMen Portrait 005

Everyone thinks a softman is a man that cries. But softness in a man is NOT one-dimensional.

When a man softens the walls around his heart and gives himself permission to express, a softman can also be a man that discovers his raw sexiness, his bad-ass-ness, and his power.

Thank you Ciaran for the gift of showing me what is possible when men allow their walls to soften.

I walked away from this photoshoot feeling closer to you and also to myself.

You are living ART.