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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. 

Tracy Quinton HEARTshots

I have a theory:

As you grow wiser, you also grow more playful. 

And no matter how many times I see this theory come to life in my photography business, I am often still surprised.

My experience with Tracy is a great example of this. She’s a wise and successful entrepreneur who’s grown her business into a highly formidable consulting group over the past three decades. Tracy has a roster of tier one clients, many tremendous case studies, and (obviously) tons of intelligence and wisdom.

What surprised me the MOST about Tracy is how playful she was in our shoot. 

But I shouldn’t have been surprised. Because the most successful entrepreneurs I’ve worked with have all shared this energy of playfulness and fun. I no longer think this is a coincidence.

Having fun and making time to PLAY is its own level of success.

Not just for fun’s sake, but also as a tool to channel energy in a more productive way.

Not to mention that if we take life and ourselves too seriously, we burn out.

Tracy, thank you for an afternoon full of laughter, depth and Pitbull dance parties.

—

PS: If you want to make something beautiful with me in 2022, I have a great promo happening now. Send me a message and I’ll send you a link.

On Fears and Creative Confidence
 

“I may not become a better writer or ever publish a book, but that’s not the point of expression and creation. Writing, for me, is simply a pathway to unexplored worlds. Where ideas, stories, and philosophies get constructed and deconstructed. Where my identity fragments and I get to practice leadership.

I don't know any part of the natural world that thrives in isolation, so I commit myself to growing in public, even though it’s often uncomfortable.

I believe all artists and creators do this because when we transmute our fears into expression, we get to mend the seams of our disconnection, build bridges, and most importantly, learn from one another.”

- Negin Sairafi 

 

The above is a powerful excerpt from Negin’s newsletter.

Negin is truly a multi-disciplinary artist. She’s a photographer, director, dancer, writer, podcaster, experience designer, meditation facilitator and occasionally a wonderful muse for my photography.

If you are moved by art, human expression and deep and honest conversations then I highly recommend following her and subscribing to her newsletter and podcast.

Grateful For This Cosmic Queen

You challenge me.

You inspire me.

You are the funniest human I have ever met.

You are easily the best cook in the Universe. Every meal a sensation.

Loving you has taught me more than all the teachers, mentors, coaches and therapists combined.

Thank you for being my ride or die.

Thank you for being the love of my lives (plural).

We both know we have danced this dance many lifetimes in many star galaxies.

I love you sweetheart.

Forever and always.

D

Secret Selfie Tricks — Part 1 ⁣

Sometimes for a great selfie you need your hands to be free.⁣

There’s a hidden feature that most people don’t know about on millions of smartphones. It’s called “Voice Command” and it allows you to activate your camera and take hands-free photos simply by saying 3 magic words.⁣

Can you guess what they are? ⁣

Watch this short video and I’ll share all 3 voice commands with you.⁣

IMPORTANT NOTE: This specific hands-free selfie trick is currently only available on Android phones. iPhones also have a voice activated feature. It’s a bit different, but in the end does the exact same thing. If you’d like to see how that works, comment below and I’ll make a separate video just for iPhones.⁣

PS: If you want to build some more confidence when it comes to selfies and smartphones you should join my FREE 21-Day Photo Challenge.⁣⁣

Everyone is welcome. It’s going to be a ton of fun. The only tech you will need is your smartphone/iPhone and a journal. We start next week!⁣

Here’s the link —> www.dariusbashar.com/21day

Big Love,⁣

D

21-Day Photo Challenge

Starting next week on Feb 1st, I am launching a FREE 21-day photo challenge. The goal is to inspire all you amazing humans out there to take full advantage of your smartphone cameras. 📸

We will start super slow. There will be an optional journaling prompt that is related to each day’s challenge. There will even be opportunities for me to review your photos and give constructive feedback if you’re up for it.

(The photo review is optional and will be done in a fun and loving way. I promise.)

The goal is to gently build confidence and creative momentum over the course of 21 days. 

But also, the other goal is to have FUN! 

The cost is $0.00 and EVERYONE is invited. All you need is your smartphone and a journal. 

To join CLICK HERE. // To join, sign up at the link in my bio -> @dariusbashar  

Big Love, 

D

PS: I realize some of you might only know me as the Artist Morning meditation dude, but I’m also the portrait photography dude. That's actually my day job. I run my own photography business, where I get paid to take photos of people's hearts. 💖 📸

In case you’re interested in learning more, here's a link to my photography website.

How Far You’ve Come

When was the last time you celebrated how far you've come?⁠

I get it. You’re ambitious. You are laser focused on growth, expansion and what’s next. That part of you is awesome.

On the other hand, when was the last time you slowed down just enough to recognize that what was once only a dream is now a reality?⁠

Just for a moment, if you are open to it, let’s express a little bit of gratitude for how far you’ve come.

Slow down with me for 1 minute and let's take three deep breaths together. 

Close your eyes and send a “thank you” to the previous versions of you who did the best they could, made many sacrifices and got you to this very moment. 

What would happen if you gave yourself a chance to celebrate—and maybe even revel in—how far you've come?

Big love,

D

Human by: @soulbrotherdane

Photo by: @dariusbashar

Photos That Get You Paid

I love helping people get paid.

Especially when the payment is coming from them doing something they truly LOVE.

One key facet of my photography business is that my photos have a very powerful return on investment.

Clients have sent me dozens of testimonials expressing that HEARTshots are much more than beautiful photos. HEARTshots are designed from the ground up to help you grow your business and your impact. 

They work for heart-centered SPEAKERS, AUTHORS, COACHES, and CREATIVES. I know this because in the past 6 years I have taken over 600,000 photos of humans and I have a lot of data that proves exactly this. 

Next Tuesday I get to share 7 of my best tips for speakers who want to take photos that get them closer to getting paid. These are things speakers can do WITHOUT a professional photographer or any fancy gear. 

I’ll be speaking at the Emerging Speakers Academy on Tuesday, January 25th and taking part in their Professional Speaker Series.

If you’d like to attend a free class and join us for that workshop, you can sign up here: www.speakerslam.org/class


Photoshoot or Podcast?

Some of my favourite photoshoots feel like a private podcast just for me. Not a stuffy, boring podcast, but a juicy one where the people are incredibly honest and willing to dive deep together.

I love it when people honestly share their dreams, past failures and grand visions for the future. 

Within two minutes of meeting Melanie Sodka (AKA Mel) at my studio I knew she wanted to go deep.

Working with Mel felt like two old friends just hanging out. She has so much passion and wisdom to share. We talked about everything from books, to podcasts, to family life, burnout and even basketball. 

Of course we talked about many other topics too, like Mel’s dreams, her visions for her future, and some really amazing stories about how she became the person she is today. 

In addition to being a sought out speaker, writer and professor, Mel’s got a new podcast coming out soon called the Hustle Hypocrisy. It tells the stories of highly productive people who share their personal strategies on how they both respect and abuse their own capacity and boundaries.

I was honoured when she asked me to be a guest. Recording the episode felt like part two of our epic deep dive convo that started during our photoshoot. She asked many great questions. 

I can’t wait to hear our convo. 

For now, I will share a few photos from our HEARTshots session. 

Big love, 

D

PS: I've got a great promo this month. If you are interested in making something beautiful together with me in the next year, let's chat.