Before you hire a fitness photographer there are 3 things you should consider before putting a deposit down. Identifying these 3 traits will help you find a seasoned fitness photographer.
Look for these 3 things, before hiring a photographer
The first and most common mistake a rookie fitness photographer will make is over exposing the picture. Looking at the fitness portrait here it may look like it is good to the untrained eye. However this poses several problems. First the background lost a majority of its details if not all the details. This look some call airy or whimsical, however this is a product of improper exposure. In some cases even the details on the person gets washed away. You’re probably saying “that’s what I want! Hide my pimples and wrinkles!” If there are things you don’t like, discuss this with your photographer before hand and they will make sure to edit this as a part of the process or in production they will shoot to the very limit where they can get optimal details but make it a breeze in the editing process. Lastly the person looks great but gets lost in the picture as there is hardly any separation. When looking at a professional photo or watching a show/movie, your eye will draw to the person immediately then take in the scenery. That’s not what you want. You did the workouts and calorie deficit so the eyes need to be on you first.
Example of over exposed picture
The next mistake that photographers will make is under exposing the picture. This is usually the middle ground that occurs when a fitness photographer understands there is value in the details but tries to save the picture in the editing process. The photo will often be dark and so will the person. While this process is better than the previous, it still yields problems. Again the peron gets lost in the overall imagery. Next when posting pictures like this on social media platforms the compression that happens to all photos is applied differently. The darks and shadows begin to fall flat or totally blacked out, making the photo really hard to see details. Again not the approach you want for your fitness photos.
Example of under exposed picture
Finally my favorite mistake of them all. It’s not that common but you can see that the photographer is starting to develop and eye and realizes there is something that needs to be done but isn’t quite there yet. The photo will shot and in the edit is where things go haywire! The photographer will know your fitness photo should showcase your body so they bump the brightness on you and darken all surrounding details. In dismay the picture will look odd or out of sorts. I guess the informal term would be “it looks photoshoped.” Yes, it does! It looks like the person was placed into the area after the fact.
Example of bad picture editing
Finally, what you should see when you are looking at a photographers portfolio. The photo should actually be a hybrid of the 3 previously mentioned. The harmony in the fitness photo still should call the attention to you as the subject. Yet at the same time there should be a balance to the scenery or background. Last but certainly not least, the details in your body should be seen!
Example of properly exposed picture