Are your photo goals just as dialed in as your gym goals?
The picture here was shot with 3 artificial lights (flashes) and natural light from the window in front of the subject.
Before you go to the gym, you’ve already planned out your workouts. If you’re like me, you’ve probably designated each day of the week for certain body parts. None the less going in with an idea of what you want is the way to set yourself up for success. I want to help you understand what is exactly you should be identifying before searching for a fitness photographer.
To set the record straight for this blog I’m not pointing out right or wrong. Instead I am showing what is optimal compared to run-of-the-mill photography.
A majority of photographers that would like to think they shoot fitness style portraits are hitting the mark but not quite the bullseye. What do I mean by this? Well, 3 out of 10 photographers know how to shoot with flash, otherwise commonly known as flash photography. In the photog world the lingo would be “OCF”. Off Camera Flash. This may sound like it’s over your head but I’ll break it down in due time.
For now, let’s talk about the 7 photographers that don’t shoot flash photography (I’ll use this term since it’s easier to identify). For those 7 photographers, about 4 of them shoot using natural light, or what we call available light. This is the most common practice that everyone, including cellphone photographers, understand. The more light in your scene will usually equate to a more in focus photo.
Example of a photographer using natural light for this fitness coach headshot session. Photo by: Nick Gonzales of nixpix_
For fitness photos, you need to control the light or be at the mercy of the natural light.
Again, I want to state that I am not saying that there is a wrong way or right way, but merely there is a more effective solution. Or let’s put it plainly and say more bang for your buck for your fitness photos.
The photo above of the gym coach, she is doing a double bicep pose and showing her back. If you know what you’re looking for, you can see she has nice definition in her posterior deltoids, her upper back/traps, and lats. I put the emphasis on if, because she is a fitness coach. Therefore her target audience will be those who need guidance because they do not know. It’s like that saying, if you assume, you make an a$$ out of you and me. Now, compare the first top photo of this blog and this photo here of the gym coach. Which of these look like they are a certified gym coach? If you said the first one, congratulations you nailed it! However, they are both certified coaches. Now, to understand this our minds identified the most suitable image to our pre conceived figure of what a coach should look like. Is it that one is more fit than the other? To the eye it would appear that way, but I’m here to tell you that the second picture with the right angle and lighting it would have been tough to make your decision.
Flash photography is essential for your fitness photos!
The first photo was photographed using 3 artificial lights, aka flashes/strobes. The benefit to using flash is that as a photographer you can place the light to spill how you want it to with the right technique and modifiers. A lot of times we catch our pump or definition in the gym restroom or dressing room of a department store and it calls for an obligatory selfie. Now imagine having that kind of ‘good’ lighting for your fitness photos. Let me be clear that not all recessed lighting is not equal. Example to follow…..
Example of using available light from recessed lighting. Photo by Nick Gonzalez of nixpix_