Mike Cheliak: Photography, Fitness, Nutrition and Life

Fat Burning Exercise Tips for Busy Parents & Professionals

There is an ever growing trend at the gym these days.  More work in less time.  Friends and gym aquaintances are all doing a lot more time efficient training routines that focus on supersets, interval training and less rest between sets.  I had an amazing workout today and came out of the gym in 45 minutes which included my warm up and stretch.  I didn’t have time to hang around for 3-4 minutes between sets becuase this particular routine from Turbulence Training eliminates ALL rest!  That’s right…no rest between any sets or intervals.  Killer workout…YEP!

Most of us have busy schedules but you can do more in less time using Turbulence training at the gym, at home, in a hotel room, on vacation…ANYWHERE!  You don’t need hours of time, tons of equipment or a gym membership to do this.  Just do it!  Read the article below from my friend Craig Ballantyne who is the founder of Turbulence Training for Fatloss and is recognized as one of the leading fitness experts in North America and beyond!

By line: By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
URL: www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Fat Burning Exercise Tips for Busy Parents & Professionals

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

The great thing about strength training and intervals for fat burning is “efficiency”. Because you are working harder, the signal to your body to change is stronger. You cut time when you increase intensity and you burn fat faster.

Now don’t worry, I won’t be asking you to do hill sprints tomorrow if you aren’t exercising today. For a beginner, we just do some slightly faster than normal walking intervals. For intermediate fitness levels, we’ll pick up the pace about 20% compared to their normal cardio levels, but again, the work periods are much shorter.

The key is, you must shift to a slightly higher intensity in order to cut time from your workout. But the workout also goes faster, and much more importantly, you will get more results and better fitness from these methods.

It’s easy to do these workouts first thing in the AM, at lunch, or after the kids go to bed. Plus, you can get a great workout at home with only a bench, dumbells, and an exercise ball. You don’t need fancy machines or an expensive gym membership.

And another bonus, you only need three hard fat burning workouts per week. You don’t have to be in the gym six days per week.

On your off days, it’s important to stay active for at least 30 minutes, but these days should be unstructured and revolve around being active with your family or hobbies. Don’t think of them as workout days, think of them as fat burning, stress reducing activity days.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

Photography Tip – What to do with all my photos?

Everyone who has a digital camera has asked this question.  You have lots of photos, you want people to see them, you want to edit and make your photos look better and the list goes on.  Every photo you take may has some meaning to you and is often a great way to tell a story about your vacation, a party or event or some great photographs of your kids and pets.

There are almost endless options and sites to use for this.  Many have really great features that make it easy to share, edit and even order prints.  To make things a bit more simple, I am only going to discuss one of those sites in this post.  My upcoming release of Mike’s Commando Guide volume one is going to inlcude some great bonuses including a guide to online storage, printing and sharing.

The simple choice is from a company that everyone knows.  Google.  Aside from its search engine, Google has tons of little gadgets, features and toys inlcuding a customized personal homepage called iGoogle.  One of the most popular things is their photo sharing and editing program called Picasa ™.  Picasa is a dead easy program that lets you edit, upload, share and even order prints from any of your digital photos.  The editing part of the program is fantastic and offers a ton of “one touch” editing features that make you look like a real pro photo editor.  While Photoshop remains the industry standard for professional photographers, not everyone can afford the money, education and time that it takes to use Photoshop.

Picasa ™.  Can be downloaded at http://picasa.google.com/.  The best thing about this little gem of a program is…ITS FREE!  You can’t buy a program that does this much and Google is giving it away!  Most digital cameras come with their proprietary programs for their cameras.  Most are pretty good but you would be hard pressed to get as much out of them as you can with Picasa ™.  Click on the video below for a complete outline of all the stuff this great FREE program can do for you!

Great photos aren’t taken…they are given

Mike Cheliak

I love Sports Photography…do you love what you do?

We all try to find something in life that can provide us with a comfortable lifestyle.  I have had numerous career paths and never have I regretted even a moment of any choices I made.  Each and every job I have ever done has provided me with knowledge, experience, skills, friendships and countless memories, stories and life moments.

That brings us to my current life as a photographer.  I specialize in sports photography  including leagues, clubs, dance studios, fitness models and of course my passion live action.  Every year, my list of clubs, organizations and events grow.  I have had companies inquire about franchising me, people telling me that I should hire people and still, I just continue to shoot and develop my online presence and refuse to cave to the higher demands.  I truly love what I do, I am good at what I do and I never want to feel that I am bigger than what I am.

While I have in the past and continue to provide other types of photography services, I will always and forever be primarily a sports photographer.  What’s not to love?  I get the chance to witness at many levels, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat (sorry for ripping off Wide World of Sports – boy that dates me!).

As we  go through our journey of life, we almost without fail lose focus on what things are important:  family, friends, seeing new things, tasting new foods, enjoying new sites and sounds and also, loving what you do to make those things possible.  I took the chance almost 9 years ago and left a high stress job in the Government that paid very well.  I took a leap of faith and decided to do something that I loved, something that I was good at and something that has NEVER seemed like a job.

Mike Cheliak

Photo Tips for setting up a Home Photography Studio

INTRODUCTION
Studio portraiture is very specialized and has always been the professional photographer’s playground.  While it is true that high end studio photography requires a great amount of study, practice and mentoring; it is also equally true that an interested amateur with some decent equipment can take very nice family and portrait photos with some practice.

BASIC STUDIO EQUIPMENT
You are going to need a few key elements for some basic studio photography.  First is some studio lighting.  Three strobe lights will likely give you as much studio lighting as you will need to get by in most lighting situations.  Some studio setups have as many as 6 lights, reflectors and various diffusers and use high end 600-800 Watt per Second strobes that cost thousands of dollars.  Don’t worry!  You can likely find a good starter set with 300-350 WPS lights in places like eBay, Henry’s or your local camera store.  You should prepare to spend in the neighbourhood of about $1000.00 to get strobes, stands, soft boxes, umbrellas and maybe a reflector.  You can also consider a wireless strobe trigger although you can likely get away with the cord that will come with the lights.  Most “package” systems come with a carrying case as well so the will save your equipment from any damage.

Next item(s) will be backdrops.  You may want to consider a number of things.  Good quality Muslin backdrops can be found for very reasonable money on eBay.  I buy all my backdrops from eBay vendors.  Like anything, make sure you check the seller rating and their eBay store to make sure they are reputable.  You may also want to consider a backdrop stand.  That will assist in properly hanging your backdrops in almost any location.  Questions you need to ask yourself are
1. How many colours do you want?
2. How large do you need (will you be doing large group photos)?
3. How much space do you have to use to set them up?
4. Do you need a backdrop hanger?
Now that you have some of your basic information, you will need to select colors for your backdrops.  A nice standard grey, blue and maybe a brown/red base backdrop will usually be enough to get you going.  You also need to know the size.  9×6 is a good standard muslin used for portraits however if you can get a good deal, go for 10 x 10 and that way you can have some extra backdrop to use for full body shots and even enough for some small group shots.  Backdrops of that size are generally around $100 each however, you can often find great deals on eBay if you are patient.

SETTING UP THE STUDIO
Now that you have the gear, it’s time to decide how to set up your studio.  Hopefully you have already found yourself some room in your house that you can use as a “studio only” location.  If not, you can go “mobile” with most equipment and set up wherever there is room.  Ideally you would like to have a room that has a good amount of ceiling space, enough room to set up your subject and light.  A room or area 15×15 is a good starting point but you may have some limitations for larger groups.  If you are mostly doing your pets, family and other small subjects and groups this should suffice. 
If you have the ability to set aside your “stage” and keep it set up, the best thing to do is to set your backdrops up against one wall and your lighting off to the side.  Your lighting needs will vary from shot to shot so it is best to just have the lights on their stands set to the lowest point on the light stand.  When you know what type of lighting you are going to need, you pull your lights as needed and set them up (with a soft box, umbrella…).

IN SHORT
Studio shooting can be a lot of fun.  It makes for really great home done family portraits and can even make you a couple dollars.  Once you start feeling comfortable taking portraits, why not start doing some friends portraits?  After some practice, some study and some experience with various portrait styles; you will start to see some great results and will be the envy of all your friends!

Are you missing the scenery?

It’s not unlike most of us to keep our “eye on the prize” so to speak.  Health, wealth, love, life and anything else that we strive to get and acheive.  the problem is that we tend to miss the whole point…the journey.  When we become too focused on the end goal, we tend to put blinders on and miss everything else that is going on.  I read an article posted by Dax Moy.  He is the founder of the Magic Hundred.  It is a nice little wake up call program for anyone who needs to get focused, stay focused and get motivated.  You can visit Dax by clicking here and if you have 10 minutes or so and want a really great passage to read, please visit, http://magichundred.blogspot.com/2009/02/warrior-mountain-and-monk.html.  It will definitely give you a great feeling.

Mike Cheliak

Still the same great photos and service…

I have been getting some inquiries regarding the recent web address change to www.mysportsshooter.com.  Rest assure that the move of my photography, live event and photo galleries to the My Sports Shooter domain was to create an easier to remember website address and also to allow me to start developing my online presence on a couple different fronts.

MIKE’S COMMANDO GUIDE
I a few weeks, I will be launching Volume one of my eBook, Mike’s Commando Guide for Digital Photography.  The first guide is Cameras and Equipment.  It is a comprehensive how to guide for those interested in digital photography.  It will cover many of the technical aspects of selecting cameras and gear while explaining all the details you should look for when your are purchasing for the first time or upgrading.

The great thing about the Commando Guide series is that I have made it clear, easy to follow and fun to read.  You will walk away with complete confidence when making your decisions about your purchases.  For less than $20, you will be able to set yourself up to save a lot more than that in time and purchase price.  Sign up for a FREE NEWSLETTER at www.mikescommandoguide.com and make sure you are one of the first to get the guide when it is released.  As one of the first to get the guide, you will also be given access to a mini-guide download area that will have tons of tips and resources for photography and digital processing.  From where to get your photos developed to taking professional quality studio shots, you will have unlimited access.

I have also launched an eBook store and software download site at www.mybookmonster.com.  Over 500 fun and affordable software titles and eBooks to choose from.

CU!

Mike Cheliak

Changing your camera settings on the Fly

Nordic Cross Country Ski Championships

Changing your camera settings (most notably shutter speed and ISO) is a part of sports photography that makes it so challenging.  You have to become keenly aware of your environment and how it affects your shooting.  Indoor venues again are for the most past static.   Once you have a setting, you often don’t need to change it.  Outdoor shooting is where you will have to continually change.  Practicing with your equipment is vital.  You have to know where each dial is, what it does and how fast you can make the change.  When you are shooting for yourself, there is not as much pressure but if you are shooting professionally a second or two may cost you a critical shot. 

1. Try to get an ISO setting (the lowest possible) that will allow you free and flexible use of your shutter speed control.  It is easier to adjust shutter speed than it is to change ISO
2. Keep your lowest possible f/stop available.  For lenses with a floating f/stop, this is a little trickier as the increase in stop will make it harder to find an accurate shutter speed.  It is still important to make sure your f/stop setting as low as it will go
3. Maintain at least 1/500 shutter speed but don’t be afraid to increase this in very bright situations.  When you are using a lens that has a floating f/stop, you will need to bracket this setting somewhat.  Choose the lowest f/stop position (lowest zoom) and check what shutter speed you are at (for example 1/1000).  Now check your shutter speed requirements at full zoom which will also be your highest f/stop (for example 1/640).  Now take the median value as your setting (for example 1/800).  This will give you a moderately over or under exposed frame but will be close enough to manipulate post shoot.

Outdoor shooting poses any number of issues with your camera settings.  Backlighting, spectral highlights from sweaty skin, reflection from snow and water, lack of light due to time of day or overcast and any number of other issues.  Your frames will have to be monitored constantly to ensure you are bracketed correctly.  Most DSLR cameras have a setting for viewing your photos that shows spectral highlights.  This is my setting of choice as it will show you where you have overexposed.  Sometimes this is unavoidable such as when you have a backlit subject.

Now is where the fun begins.  The settings and adjustments you just made have to be changed every time the light changes.  You may have to increase your ISO, decrease or increase your shutter speed or a combination of both.  As mentioned, it is always a bit easier to have an ISO setting that is functional enough to allow you to change just your shutter speed during the shoot.  If this means going with an ISO setting of 200 instead of 100, then do it.  The change in quality between ISO only really starts to show in details over ISO 400.  With most mid-high end DSLRs, the actual cut is around ISO 800 so you can see that the higher end cameras do offer you more flexibility in image quality.

IN SHORT
Camera settings are just part of sports shooting but an important part.  Again, I stress that you should really become very comfortable with your camera and settings.  Changing on the fly will give you instantly better results in your pursuit of the “sweet shot”.  Use your camera’s display settings and built in metering system to guide you during your shoot.  With practice, you will be able to change on the fly without even thinking about it!

Nutrition, food and the ability to enjoy it!

Hey everyone…do we ever get out of this sylistic obsession with food?  Too much, not enough, more of this, less of that, low fat, high protein, no carb, low carb, carb cycling, carb loading, re-feeding, diet, restriction, OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE EATING!!!

OK…enough of the rant, now I bring you to this little site http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/.  I don’t get anything by showing you this blog site and the owner of the blog likely doesn’t get anything from you either.  He is just a simple guy who is passionate about food and loves to eat new things, different things, strange things and interesting things.  PLEASE…visit the site and look at the way he approaches food.  He is almost like a kid in a candy store. 

I have struggled with weight management over the years and have tried many different approaches.  What works for me now that I am healthy, fit and stronger than I have been for 25 year is this.  I eat mostly whole foods (closest as possible to their original state).  I cook them in a variety of ways, eat them in a variety of combinations and experiment with flavours, seasonings and textures.  Once or twice per week I participate in an intermittent fast.  This puts me into a caloric deficit and allows me to avoid the obsession with food management.  I know now what I never did and that is a simple fact…more fruit, more veggies, more lean protein source foods and more whole grain choices.  Don’t drive yourself insane with calorie counting and macro/micro nutrient examination.  Just enjoy, eat, make mostly healthy choices and consider an intermittent fast once in a while.

For more information on intermittent fasting, visit my friend Brad Pilon at www.eatstopeat.com.  I do not reprisent Brad in any way but I support him as I am a client of his and continue to follow his ESE program today and will do so for the rest of my life.  Fasting can be liberating, empowering and will free you from the FOOD OBSESSION!

Stay Healthy!

Mike C.

Great workouts don’t just happen…

OK, anyone that knows me also knows that in the last 4 years I have made a huge change in my life.  I lost over 40 pounds, gained back 15 pounds of lean muscle and have made strength gains in absolutely every category.  Today I started my official cut-down the weight (while still maintaining muscle) cycle.  I have been lifting very heavy for about 4 months now and need to start programming myself for a little leaner look.

Since I have been a member of the Turbulence Training community; there has never been a time when I have had any difficulty finding a workout that matches my needs.  Heavy Mass building programs, bodyweight programs, programs for home, the gym, a hotel room or anywhere else for that matter.

Great workouts don’t just happen.  You have to commit to them and have a program that is realistic to fit in your schedule, challenging enough to give you proven results and diverse enough to keep you challenged for years to come.  If you know me, you know how committed I am to improving myself and my continuing health and nutrition.

If you need help kicking yourself to a new fitness level or just to start getting yourself back in shape; Visit Craig Ballantyne online at his Turbulence Training for Fatloss website.

PS…his latest workout of the month is Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks!  I am neither but I can guarantee you this much…you WILL work at it!!

In Health and Happiness as always!
Mike Cheliak

What the heck happened?

Hi everyone!  First of all don’t get all flustered…everything that used to be here is now at www.mysportsshooter.com.  I have decided to start using the Mike Cheliak branding to further promote a number of different projects and therefore felt it was better served to have my photgraphy galleries and services run from a subsidiary site.  My Sports Shooter is a lot easier to tell people about as well!  I will be able to maintain galleries for a longer period of time and hope to streamline some of the content on my site to make it even easier to get your photos.

As time progresses a little, I will be changing a number of things on this site but the basis of it will be to blog by businesses, my pursuits and to keep everyone aware of any items of interest.

It is my sincerest wish that everyone will enjoy this new setup and will be patient with the transition.

Sincerely,

Mike Cheliak