Grip the Mat Bendy Brunch: Cuteness at 600F!

Unless you've been under a rock recently (or just haven't read my blog in the past year), you know that I do a lot of freelance photography for the awesome yoga event start up Grip the Mat.

I'm not going to harp on all the wonderful work I've done for them (you can scroll through my archives if you want to hear more about that), but I did want to share a few new images I have from another GTM event I worked at this spring at 600 F in Chinatown.

This was the first time I've ever shot an event for GTM where there was a cute little kid (co-founder Christy's nephew) participating in the yoga as well.

Needless to say, the shots were magical. Or at least, I thought so!

Yogi-tastic Photos from Grip The Mat at A Baked Joint

Can I just start by saying how much I love the name of the DC-based bakery, A Baked Joint? I shot a Grip the Mat Vinyasa to Vino event there a few weeks ago and can still can't get over how amazingly appropriate the place's name is.

Considering the shop's sister store is the beloved Baked & Wired (where I basically lived on Mondays during college), I shouldn't be surprised they chose such a fun name for their second location.

Unlike Baked & Wired, which is small and charming, A Baked Joint is large, airy and has plenty of breathing room for lounging and hosting fun events, like Grip the Mat's yoga events (see what I did there)?

I loved shooting this event although, I'll be the first to admit the low-light situation was super challenging. Hello ISO, nice to meet you.

Maybe I should learn off-camera flash...

Either way. I think the photos turned out okay. Not my best. But acceptable.

That Time I Wrote About the Fit Bottomed Girls For Spright

You know those websites that you stumble upon and just fall in love with? That was Fit Bottomed Girls for me.

The first time I ended up on their site -- probably because of some fitness hashtag I was scrolling through on Twitter -- I was enamored. Here was this website that was completely devoted to everything I was about: staying active, eating in moderation and still enjoying life.

I couldn't believe something like this excited. I told my friends about it. I kept reading. It was like I struck internet gold.

Flash forward a few years from now, and I'm still a FBG follower -- despite the fact that my online-fitness fan girl love has spread to other healthy-in-moderation-type websites. Some things never change...

Why, do you ask, is any of this important?

Well, a few weeks ago I reached out to the FBG team to see if I could e-interview them for a series that I've been working on for Spright, about how fitfluential people are just normal people looking to find balance in life.

And, to my delight, the FBG said yes to my interview request.

I don't want give away too much of my interview with the ladies, but I will say this: it was very grounding for me to hear that all these wonderful, inspired and influential ladies are really just like you and me. Sometimes, its these kind of stories that help me to remember that everyone is really just trying to do and achieve the exact same thing and, at the end of the day, we're all just trying to be the best versions of ourselves.

Anyway, here's a snippet of my story about them, which you should totally check out on Spright!

If you’ve been around the fitness internet, you may have encountered a site called Fit Bottomed Girls. Yep, the name is inspired Queen song “Fat Bottomed Girls.” The site, which also features the catchy tagline “Keeping a Lid on the Junk in the Trunk,” was launched by friends Jenn Walters and Erin Whitehead in 2008 in order to provide practical fitness and nutrition advice to real women trying to live a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

Now seven years since its start, the FBG empire has grown to include two sister sites (Fit Bottomed Mamas and Fit Bottomed Eats), a newly published book (The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti-Diet), a third member of the FBG core team (contributing editor and writer Kristen Green Seymour), and a tens of thousands of loyal followers and fans. Talk about a busy few years in business!

Despite the FBG brand’s growing popularity, the dedicated trio of Jenn, Erin, and Kristen has managed to find that sweet balance between running a highly successful health and fitness site and achieving their own fitness, eating, and personal goals.

I reached out to Jenn, Erin, and Kristen to hear more about their lives as the Fit Bottomed Girls core team and how they, as everyday women, find the balance between fitness, food, and fun in their lives. Here’s a look at what they had to say:

(Read more!)

Spright Updates on Working Out in the Heat & Summertime Fun

90 degree heat? Check. Watermelon overflowing at the grocery story? Check. Feeling like you live in an oven? Double check.

It's official: the dog days of summer are in full swing here in Washington, D.C. Lucky me.

In all seriousness though, this summer has gone by in a blur. Between traveling to Canada to visit family, visiting with friends, traveling to weddings, its so hard to believe there's only a few more true weeks of summer left before my graduate school classes begin at Georgetown. Sigh.

At least this summer has been very productive for me in terms of Spright.com & USO work -- that's at good thing right?

I'm not going to spoil all the wonderful things I have in the books for you to enjoy on Spright over the next few months (trust me, I have a TON of things coming!), but I will say that one of my stories -- about working out in the heat -- hit the site last week and I couldn't be happier.

I loved that I was able to reach out to my alma mater's own Dr. Todd Miller for advice in writing this story. He really helped me understand all the interesting ways the body adapts to temperature changes without making me feel like I needed to re-take my freshman biology class.

Anyway, here's a little snippet for you to enjoy:

Exercising outside in the summer months can feel a little like self-inflicted torture, especially for those first few workouts. Your face gets red. Your skin gets sweaty. Your breathing gets increasingly labored as you push yourself to finish your final set. Even recovery can seem to be more difficult than it would in cooler months.

However, after a few consecutive days of exercising in the heat, you’ll probably start to notice that dealing with stifling outdoor temperatures while you work out isn’t as difficult for your body as it was a week or two ago — all thanks to process called temperature acclimation. Simply stated, temperature acclimation is an adaptive bodily process the body undergoes to become more tolerant of working, exercising, and living in the heat.

I wanted to learn more about what goes on inside the body during the temperature acclimation process, so I  reached out to Dr. Todd Miller, an associate professor of exercise science at the George Washington University, to talk more about how the body adapts to working out in the heat. Here are the major takeaways from what I found out...

Read more here!

Stay tuned for more fun things to come!

California Dreamin' in San Francisco with Jackelyn Ho

In case you were wondering, it's totally possible to become besties with someone who lives on a different coast than you who you've never actually met in person.

Don't believe me? Enter the awesome Jackelyn Ho.

You might know Jackelyn from a Nike fitness class, or perhaps for a guest appearance in a Blogilates video, but I know her as the founder and awesome editor and chief of the 2014-2015 online publication, Fiterazzi Magazine.

Jackelyn and I first met through Fiterazzi Magazine, when I first applied to be a writer in January 2014, and everything just took off from there.

From helping brainstorming crazy story ideas, to coming up with the next best thing for Fiterazzi, I had a total blast working for Jackelyn. She totally fostered my crazy and pushed me to be the best fitness writer/photographer I could be! Eventually, when I became Fiterazzi's Assistant Editor, we got to work on more strategic plans together too which was so so cool and helped us to become pretty good friends.

It's so cool when you get to meet other people who love the things you do and have a drive to do something awesome too, right?

Even now, with Jackelyn working at Spright (the site the acquired Fiterazzi), I still get to talk to her on a regular basis, which is fab. I'm telling you, finding people who you can be friends with AND work with is so rare and awesome! I'm super lucky to have met and gotten to know Jackelyn -- she's gonna do great things!

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I got to go to the West Coast and finally visit Jackelyn and her man in San Francisco, which was awesome!

We did all the silly touristy things like Golden Gate Bridge (silly Karl the fog)....

... seeing the Full House house....

... eating...

... and selfieing...

... and eating....

... and hanging out and just having a BALL!

It was so cool to be in a new place with awesome friends just enjoying all the awesomeness that is life.

Hopefully, Jackelyn and her man will have some time to come an visit me and Mr. Man here in DC -- I think I can show them a good time, don't ya think?!

My First-Ever Live Event for Fiterazzi Magazine at Wonderbread Factory, DC!

Sundays are for waking up late, snuggling in bed with coffee and, of course, Grip the Mat's Bendy Brunch!

If you don't know what Bendy Brunch is ... think yoga, unlimited mimosas by Vinolovers, KIND Snacks, Buffalo and Bergen fresh juices and a gourmet brunch by Spike Mendelsohn. Noms.

Anyway.

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Bendy Brunch at the Wonder Bread Factory in DC not as a photographer for Grip the Mat, but as an ambassador/booth host for Fiterazzi Magazine -- something I've never done before!

Let me explain.

We loved hanging out at our @fiterazzi social polaroid photo booth today at @gripthemat's #bendybrunch in #DC! Thanks @spikethechef, @buffalobergendc, @thevinolovers and @kindsnacks for the fab food & drink! Hugs our helpers and everyone who came to this awesome #yoga #fitness event!

A photo posted by Sandi Moynihan (@sandimoynihan) on Jan 25, 2015 at 11:57am PST

See, Fiterazzi had been wanted to partner with Grip the Mat ever since we found out about the company in the fall of 2014. After a bit of brainstorming, we decided that we would sponsor our very own Fiterazzi Social Polaroid Photo Booth at a Grip the Mat Bendy Brunch.

The idea was that people would leave with a fun Polaroid photo memory of the day -- but only if they took a photo of the booth, tagged Fiterazzi and Grip the Mat and shared the photo on Instagram and/or Twitter. We wanted to help boost both Fiterazzi and Grip the Mat's social footprint in a way that was still fun and not SO labor intensive that it turned people away, and I think we totally accomplished that.

Having so much fun at the @fiterazzi social photo booth at @gripthemat with @christynoele and @abraun2 #dc! #yoga #fitness #bendybrunch

A photo posted by Sandi Moynihan (@sandimoynihan) on Jan 25, 2015 at 9:44am PST

Besides playing host, handing out flyers and taking snaps of people, I also got to practice yoga at the event -- something I normally don't get to do when I'm busy taking photos. It also helped that my awesome buddy Alisha was there to help me out so I didn't go totally crazy brained during the day -- kudos girl.

Loving the @fiterazzi social photo booth at @gripthemat #bendybrunch in #dc! #yoga #fitness

A photo posted by Sandi Moynihan (@sandimoynihan) on Jan 25, 2015 at 9:12am PST

I think we had about 40 people come through the booth to take photos, which was totally awesome!

All in all, it was a really fun event and I can't wait for an opportunity to host a booth again for Fiterazzi. Here's to the next time!

@fiterazzi social photo booth is kicking off at @gripthemat #bendybrunch in #dc! #yoga #fitness

A photo posted by Sandi Moynihan (@sandimoynihan) on Jan 25, 2015 at 9:09am PST

Behind the Shoot: Grip the Mat Cover Shoot for Fiterazzi

In the creative world schedules are never predictable. Shoots happen at 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. People are late. Cameras break. Things go wrong.

But sometimes, just sometimes, everything goes right.

That was exactly the case for my recent (well, sort of, late-January kind of recent) photo shoot with the lovely ladies of Grip The Mat for their recent February cover on Fiterazzi.

Now that the cover is finally published, I can share my awesome photos with you and tell you a little bit about the shoot.

I've blogged about Grip the Mat before and how I've photographed their yoga social events, but this shoot was extra special. See, although I've written and photographed for Fiterazzi for over a year, I've never had a cover photo or cover story before.

Add that excitement to the fact that I totally love the concept behind Grip the Mat and you've got the formula for awesomeness.

 

We toyed around with the idea of doing the shoot outside in the winter cold (stupid, I know), going to an art gallery or doing it in someone's apartment, but none of those seemed fitting. As the deadline of the cover story loomed closer, I realized the perfect place for the shoot: Tryst Coffeehouse and Bar in Adam's Morgan.

Bingo.

The ladies of Grip the Mat and I arrived bright and early at Tryst at 7 a.m. morning before work and basically struck gold.

I mean. The lighting. The colors. Everything was spot on, for the most part. In retrospective, some of angles are a bit off, but hey, I can't win everytime.

... or can I?

That Time I Shot an Event at Hierarchy DC for Grip The Mat

Happy Monday! I hope you're having a fabulous & warm start to your week, especially if you're in the Northeast area (stay save in this crazy blizzard weather!).

I'm coming off quite a high from last week's craziness. Not only did I have a bunch of my stories for the USO publish, but I hosted my first-ever booth for Fiterazzi at a Grip the Mat Bendy Brunch event -- but more about those things in later posts.

First, I want to take you back in time. Back before New Years toasts and Christmas morning hugs to those sweet weeks of anticipation before December 25th...

Before I headed off on my amazing tropical Christmas vacation, I had the privilege of shooting another yoga event for Grip The Mat. 

One of the duo's signature events is called Vinyasa to Vino, which is essentially a combined happy hour and yoga class.

I believe they've hosted all of these at Hierarchy DC (where I was at), which is a hip little art gallery in Adams Morgan.

While the space was tight and the lights were few and dim, I managed to capture some really nice moments and even got to whip out my new Canon 7d (woop!) for its inaugural run.

I know it's not a Mark III, but hey, I'm progressing as fast as my bank account will allow me.

I'll admit, I don't have shooting a yoga event down pat. I'm still learning which poses and angles are fabulous in pictures and which ones are super awakard for both the shooter and the shootee. I'm pretty confident I'll get there though.

In the meantime, I'll keep snapping pics and you, my friends, will give me all the feedback in the world.

Behind the Shoot: Fiterazzi Leggings Test Photo Shoot

One of the best parts about writing for a new magazine like Fiterazzi is the chance to involve my friends and acquaintances in my work, and my latest project was no exception.

Last month, I released a HUGE review of 13 different fitness leggings brands to try, and, before doing so, hosted a wonderful afternoon photoshoot for the story at Union Station with two fab fit models and fellow Alpha Delta Pi - Pi Chapter sisters Pamela Fitzgibbons and Pavla Ovtchinnikova.

I hadn't caught up with either of these ladies in the longest time, so I was thrilled to have them be my models for an afternoon -- plus, who doesn't love taking pictures of their friends?

Not only did we shoot some fabulous pictures, but I got to hear all about their busy awesome lives and, let me tell you, they're both going to set the world on talent and look fit and fab doing it!

Besides the awesome company and fresh faces for this shoot, this was also one of the first indoor shoots I've done for Fiterazzi.

I don't normally host shoots inside for my fitness pieces because the lighting is so much better outdoors, but because the weather has gotten so cold (it was 30 degrees outside the day of the shoot), I've been scoping out more interesting indoor spots, and thought Union Station's bright but corporate look would be a nice change of pace for the shoot.

I think the shots turned out alright. Thoughts?

Behind the Shoot: Spooktacular-ly-awesome photos for Fiterazzi Magazine!

Happy almost Halloween! I hope you're as jazzed about the festivities tomorrow as I am!

This past weekend I hosted the fall shoot for Fiterazzi Magazine with a few of my fit-minded friends. the idea behind this shoot, in comparison to the summer shoot was to capture some fall foliage/scenes and showcase some new fitness moves in the cooler autumnal weather -- andd talk about autumnal weather, we scored the JACKPOT on Sunday. 60 degrees. Sunny. What's not to like?

My four lovely models and dear friends -- Alisha, Sarah, Autumn and Sara -- donated their smiling faces and strutted their stuff on camera for me about two hours total.

It's funny, before the shoot,  I don't think any of the girls new each other, but they all knew me, and by the end of the session, they were all laughing, smiling and getting along splendidly.

I met each of these ladies in a very different way and each at a different time in my life.

Autumn, the lovely African-American sporting the charcoal sweater, met me when I was 18 when we were both starting out playing on the GW softball team together

Alisha, who's gorgeous dark complexion makes her pink jacket just POP, I met earlier this year while playing dodge ball at a local social sports league, USS, here in the city.

 

Sara, the fierce gal rocking the short hair cut, has been my creative competitor and close friend for years, since we studied journalism and video production together at SMPA.

And the other Sarah, who's wearing my favorite pair of BODYPOP watercolor print leggings, was one of the first real-world friends I made when I was working with her at Post TV -- the video outlet of the Washington Post.

Each of these women has been a friend to me in her own special way -- which is why I was so glad they all got to meet each other and help represent Fiterazzi with me, looking fit and fabulous in on the streets of D.C. on that spectacular fall day.