Mario did alot for us in the name of “big brotherhood”.  He was always the one to give up his cookie or candy or desert, so me and my other brother could have one and not cry ourselves to sleep cause there was only two left, but three of us kids to share it.  When we walked to school, he had to walk with us to make sure we got there safely, even though I’m sure walking with two kids a few years younger was definitely not seen as “cool”.  When we played “wrestling” in the basement, it was always me and my other brother tag teaming against Mario, (and boy did we kick his BUTT! well…maybe not).   When it was TV watching time, if me or our other brother cried hard enough, we got to watch what we wanted to, and Mario was either stuck watching Charlie’s Angels or Battle of the Planets.    We were supposed to call him “Junior” but somehow we turned it into something that sounded like “Joan” and still does.  When he asked us to stop calling him that we tried our hardest, but it still came out as “Joan”.  Really COOL for him I bet.

He had some crazy ideas and because he was our idol and big brother, we went along with them.   Taking pictures of him in his “inside-out” gold colored-lined trench coat, with his hair up to HERE, doing his Prince moves, cause he was going to be a STAR!  I remember one of his piano recitals and he told my parents that “no”, he was not going to perform Mozart or Bethoven or the likes, instead he was going to perform “Root Beer Rag”.  My parents said “HUH?” and I know most of you just said “huh…what the heck song is that???”  But man he rocked it out.  I miss hearing my brother play piano.  He is one of those people born with a natural talent.  His is playing piano. 

  My brother played that, and it was awesome!  Billy Joel was his piano playing idol, and then he became mine too. 

Anything my brother liked I liked.  It’s how I became a Bruin fan.    I still to this day remember exactly how I became a Bruin fan.  I was about 5 at the time and we as a family were gathered around our TV set.  Montreal was playing Boston.  My parents and my other brother being the Montreal diehard fans that they are, were teasing my brother about being a Bruin fan (I won’t ever fully admit it, but I think Montreal was beating Boston pretty badly at the time!) So, I could still hear Mario cheering on Boston and I remember thinking, I’m not going to let my Big Brother be teased all by himself, so I may have at that moment squeaked out a “Go Boston Go”, not knowing a single darn thing about hockey, cause at the time there was no “Hockey-playing Barbie doll”.  And at that precise moment another hardcore Bruin fan was born, strictly out of defence for my Big Brother!  My brother bit his nails…and sadly, I did too (Thanks for that Big Bro!!) He played piano, and I tried too, but I never got over my fear of performing in front of people. 

So here’s to my big brother, the defender of the little people (me and my other brother, and our toys).  Thanks for always having our backs, and for always being someone we can count on. 

GQing it! I wanted him to wear the gold trench coat…but well I think the 80s called and reclaimed it…

And for something a little different…love it…

Even better, how he managed to get in front of the camera with some of the other models…hmm…talented, funny, helpful and Smart…(smart enough to get some pictures with the beautiful female models!) 

Here he is rockin’ it out with Hailey…he is the photographer and not the model in this pic, but you really wouldn’t know that except for the camera in his hand, I mean look at that posing! GQ all the way!

Here’s one with Alex,  he’s pretending to chimp, but really he just wants to be in the picture! I told you, complete camera HOG!!

I really like this next photo, except…umm…Adam’s in it! AGAIN! LOL!  Now he’s just outright blocking the model too.  Go figure!

Look at the relieved smile on his face below! No models all up in his space, trying to steal his thunder! 

And just in case I hadn’t proved my point enough, one last shot of Adam getting up close and personal with Hailey!  Thanks again Adam for letting us use your studio and allowing me the opportunity to play with your Canon gear!

Hailey, who is a Toronto Argonauts Cheerleader, was somewhat “new” to the world of modeling (but in a sense, they do it every day…but differently).  She really was a natural, and really a heart of gold.   We worked her for hours on this day, and she never complained once, never asked for a break, never stopped smiling (unless asked to).  

Told you she is gorgeous!!

The above photos were taken in a stairwell, with a great natural light window and one strobe to the right of Hailey…Now we move to the red ladder just hanging out of the ceiling…you know, cause red ladders just naturally hang out of the ceiling! (Did I mention what a great studio we got to work out of! Tons of locations to shoot, always something different!)

And as they say in the ‘Big Leagues’ : “That’s a Wrap!”  Coming up next, change it up a little, Adam!

More to come tomorrow! Stay Tuned…