Month: December 2016

On most days I photograph high-end luxury penthouses in Medellin, Colombia. That’s what keeps the lights on and puts food on the table!

I may shoot luxury penthouses, but at the end of the day I return to my modest little apartment.

Sometimes I think that I am doing something wrong. How could I live in such a regular little apartment when others are living in lavish penthouses with rooftop jacuzzis overlooking the city?

Why am I watching Netfilx on a 13″ MacBook Pro when others have dedicated 70 inch curved Panasonic TV’s in their living rooms?

Who knows…Some of these people may have been born into wealth, while others worked hard and earned every cent they have. Either way, seeing all that luxury distorts reality and sometimes makes me forget how rich I am relative to about 95% of the world’s population.

Based on several reports I have read, it seems like a pretty undeniable fact that 1% of the world’s population now controls about 50% of the world’s wealth. That means the other 99% of the population divide the other 50%.

To break things down bit further, check out this chart below which show’s that 71% of the world’s population live on less than $10/day.

Source: PewResearch Center

I Just Found Out – I AM RICH

I have come to the shocking realization that I am part of a very elite group of people called – The Rich! We are the 7 percenters….those who make more than $50 per day.

Over the past 4 weeks I have become very appreciative of what I have. I’ve been working with a family of four from Cauca who were displaced by the war to get settled in Medellin. If you’re interested, you can read their story in a complete blog post written by my friend Andrew Macia: http://medellinbuzz.com/the-perez-family-displaced-by-war-in-colombia/

To make a donation to this project please click on the donate button below to go to PayPal.

These are some photos I took today of the place that they are renting.

The prices that the Perez family pays for different recycling materials. They are currently paying more per kilo than any other recycling business in the neighbourhood.

One of the best possible outcomes from empowering others to make real changes in their lives is that they in turn help others to better their lives. We’re extremely happy to see that this is the case with the Perez Family. They’ve has already started to Pay it Forward by hiring others in the neighbourhood to help with the recycling. 3 more individuals how have a way of making money and putting food on their tables.

The Scale: One of the most important tools needed to run a recycling business.

Many visitors and foreigners trying to relocate always ask me – “So what’s is the best gym in Medellin?” Although I don’t actually workout at one, I always give the same answer, the “Mas Fit” gym chain, or Smart Fit as it now called.

About two years ago, while shooting a beautiful penthouse, I got into a conversation with the owner of the property. It wasn’t the first of his properties that I had shot, so we were already on pretty familiar terms and would regularly discuss business and life in Medellin.

As always, he politely asked me what was new. I told him of my grand plans to make a big impact on the real estate photography and marketing scene in Medellin.

When I asked him what was new in his life, he gave me a one-word answer – “Gyms”. Gyms wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but nonetheless it came as a very pleasant surprise.

Mas Fit Gyms – Zero Excusas

He told me that his plan was to open a gym chain that would service the 75% of Colombia’s population that couldn’t afford the outrageous rates gyms were charging. At that time, the average cost of a monthly gym membership in Medellin was about $75 to $150 USD/month (depending on the location).

Some of you are probably thinking ‘that’s not that expensive’, but keep in mind that the current minimum wage in Colombia is about $225USD/month.

He broke out his iPad and showed me logo options and renders of the first Mas Fit gym – It was already secretly under construction. I was impressed with the concept, design, and his ambition to challenge the titans who controlled the market – namely Forma and Body Tech.

He asked me how much I was currently paying for a gym…

At the time, I was a member at the posh ULTRA WELLNESS CENTER in the hotel Charlee. Rumor has it that registered models train there for free. At the time, I couldn’t afford the monthly fee but I was fortunate enough to photograph one of the investor’s beautiful luxury penthouses. In addition to paying me, he hooked me with a friends and family membership, entitling me to a 50% discount. I was paying about $45USD/month with my discount.

He said, “Ultra is a really nice gym, but guess how much our gyms will cost?”. He didn’t wait for my response, he just told me – “Our gym will cost 49,000 colombian pesos per month”. That’s about a third what I was paying with my discount.

He patted me on the back and said, “Joel you’re going to see Colombia with us…we’ll be opening all over the country”. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that a company would actually fly me around to take their photos.

Mas Fit Opens in Medellin

The first Mas Fit gym, Bosque Plaza, opened in a very strategic location – steps from the Universidad Metro station, the University of Antioquia, and RUTA N. As a matter of fact, one of its biggest advantages is that everyone passing on the metro can see directly into the gym. Naturally, I was there to photograph the flagship location.

I photographed about 5 more gyms that year – ending with the roll out of the Monteria Mas Fit location.

Smart Fit Colombia

About a year later, I photographed the Smart Fit gym in the Envigado sector. I noticed that the colours were a bit different but didn’t give it too much thought. When I turned in the edited photos, I was asked not to publish any of them on my social media accounts for a few days. The owner sent me a link on Whatsapp and said “keep it a secret for now”. It was the first time I saw the name Smart Fit.

I have photographed 3 new Smart Fit locations this year, including the flagship locations in Cali and Bogota. Next week I have a few others to photograph to close off 2017.

If you are considering getting a gym membership in Colombia, I highly recommend Smart Fit. Not just because I photograph the gyms, but because the equipment is new and modern, the facilities are spacious, the price is unbeatable. There is even a option to pay an extra $4USD to gain access to all of the Smart Fit gyms in  Colombia.

The Smart Fit Hours are pretty much the same for all gyms locations.

Monday to Thursday: 5am-10pm
Fridays: 5am – 9pm
Saturdays: 7am – 5pm
Sundays: 8am – 5pm

If you’re interested getting more details or signing up, check out the Smart Fit Colombia website.

Smart Fit Envigado Address:  Cr 41 #38 Sur – 56 – Envigado – Antioquia
Smart Fit Bogota Address: CLL 3 SUR # 71C – 19 Bogotá – PLAZA LAS AMERICAS
Bogotá, D.C. – Bogotá, D.C. | Centro Comercial Plaza las americas