Happy Canada Day!

Sunny (left) being interviewed during the evening wear segment of the contest before winning the title of Miss CHIN bikini.

Friday July 1st. Canada Day. Part of the tradition of celebrating Canada Day is going to the CHIN picnic where you can see everything from food eating contests, music, and the ever popular Bikini contest. There's also a show for the opposite sex called the Mr. CHIN for anyone that's interested.

Years ago I made the front page of the Toronto Star (or was it the sun) as I was the pack mule for my father and all his camera gear. Back then I shot with a Kodak brownie. I think I was in grade 4, 5 maybe even grade 6 at the time. The shot was of me standing next to my Dad. He had a camera and was concentrating on the contestants while I had all the camera gear wrapped around my neck.

Back then I don't think I really understood the full appreciation of good bikini design and the girl wearing it. So now making up for lost time I have to say that a good bikini really isn't that hard to find if one knows where to go or look. Not every girl can wear them just like not every guy can wear a thong. Sorry for putting that picture in your head.


Bikini example worn by Sunny

Bikinis have been around for about 59 years. They were first introduced to the world by a guy from France named Louis Réard on July 5, 1946. And who said this blog wasn't educational? I wonder if they have a statue of this guy somewhere? Before that bathing suits had a lot more coverage and were made of of a minimum of six pieces of clothing. So was it that Louis wanted to see more skin? or was it that he didn't want to carry his girl friend's outfit when swimming? Hmmmm....


Photographers gather around to get some photo time with the winner (Sunny) and the runners up of the Miss CHIN bikini contest.

The attendence for the bikini contest was packed seating at the CNE band shell. The contest was about two hours long and if one wanted good seats (near the front middle) one would have to get there early by about an hour to do so. So for about three hours you were sitting in the hot sun. Luckily I met up with other people. While I sat in the sun waiting and holding their seats I could get them to get water and food.

Not an easy task as angry people showing up later on would complain saying that you couldn't save seats. It's amazing how people can get real ugly when good looking women in bathing suits are involved. One old guy sat down and refused to leave when politely asked to. Another guy sitting directly behind him was more forceful and verbally abusive. The old guy moved somewhere else a little pissed off. It's a good thing people don't carry sticks and/or clubs with them.

After the title of miss CHIN bikini was announced, Sunny, and her runners up walked around the CNE grounds with the official and not so official photographers following them. Something I noticed was the the offical photographer always shot them with the sun at their backs. I would think this would make for a sillouettte shot unless you were using a flash. And if you were using a flash wouldn't that make them look flat?

Someone told me that the photographer didn't like sharing his models. If that were the case then shooting them with the flash into the sun would eliminate most hobbyists as they probably wouldn't know enought to use a flash and if they did they may not have enough flash power to lighten the girls significantly with their less than professional gear. Sneaky. You know I could be analyzing this way to much.


Simon Mah (photograher to the Stars) and his model friends.

One photographer I met at the show, Simon, knew some of the contestants and spent some time talking to them giving support and advice and was included in the odd family photo. As with most people photographers I noticed Simon is quite a nice guy who is very personable while still maintaining a level of professionalism. Most guys would be hollering or hooting some kind of wolf calls. It was that type of demographic that we were surrounded by. Not a great example of the male character perhaps.

As a photographer you have to be at least a bit personable to make the subject feel at ease while shooting them. So yelling out "Nice Tits!" might not go over well. At least not with most of the women there. But what do I know? If you can't make a person feel at ease then shooting people, especially nude people shouldn't be your thing. I'm probably putting my foot in my mouth right now as the exceptions are putting up their hands.

You can see Simon's work at www.pinuppotentials.com and the odd copy of Urban Male Magazine. Be warned that there may be nudity and obviously may not be suited for under aged kids... at least not until they're in grade 4, 5, or was it 6.