Darius Bashar
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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. 

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 BasharToronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, HEARTshotsComment
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 BasharToronto Photographer, Toronto Photography, story behind the photoComment
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 BasharHow-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. 

<<Click to Enlarge Photos >>

softmen, Black and White PortraitsDarius Basharsoftmen, Toronto PhotographerComment
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. 

Toronto Photography, SunChaser PhotographyDarius BasharToronto Photographer, story behind the photoComment
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.

Toronto Photography, Portrait PhotographyDarius BasharToronto Photographer, Portrait PhotographerComment
6 Easy Tips To Be Comfortable in front of the Camera

Here are 2 questions I get asked all the time…

  1. How can I be more confident in front of a camera?

  2. How do I FEEL more comfortable in videos?

So for today’s video I’m sharing 6 super simple and actionable tips to help you look and feel better in front of the lens.

Do you have any of your own tips on how to get comfortable on camera? I'd love to hear them! Leave your comments below ↓

Big love,

D

PS: If you enjoyed this video and would like 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!!! → www.artistmorning.com

Morning Rituals, Morning PagesDarius BasharMorning Rituals, Morning PagesComment