Today I am going to focus on Gym and Outdoor Fitness Photography Session Tips and Ideas, at the request of many of my Instagram followers (@adinapreston)

Are you a fitness instructor, athlete, yoga instructor or a fitness model or bodybuilder looking to elevate your brand through high quality photography that will help you get clients, show your potential and build a stellar reputation? Then this post is for you!

This is a short guide on how to prepare for your fitness photography session and show up prepared. If your fitness photographer is a pro, I’m sure he/she will guide you and offer tips while shooting your gym or fitness photography session, but this blog post will give you some insight on what to expect.

As a Fitness and Sports photographer, based in Navarre Florida, I work with athletes that have different goals when it comes to their fitness session, and depending on what they want to achieve or get from their shoot, or the feel and look of it, we either photograph at a local gym – either in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre or Destin, or schedule our fitness session at the local CrossFit box. Our sports sessions can also take place outdoors, no place is denied, and the beach is one of our favorites, especially for a fitness model, like the one I featured in the gallery below.

I like to have a plan when I dive into working with a new athlete, so there are three main things I do before we schedule the fitness session to ensure we maximize our time and results. Planning is key!

No.1. First, I go over the athlete’s goals. What, where, when and how are the four things we focus on our initial meetup. Each shooting location will be different, so it’m important to discuss what would be the best place for those key poses you’re looking to have. Shooting at a gym will entail a couple additional things – the lighting setup will be more elaborate because generally gyms are dark or have weird lighting, but we can get more interesting, dynamic and dramatic shots, making good use of mirrors, angles and equipment on hand. Photographing outdoors at a track or at the beach doesn’t always require off camera lighting, so sometimes only a reflector will do the job.

No.2 What to prepare for the shoot, from outfits, hair + makeup. A female fitness photography session vs a male fitness or sports photography session will be definitely different from one another. Women athletes and fitness models worry more about what they’re going to wear, their hair and makeup and they put more of a modeling emphasis on the look they’re going for. A female or male fitness instructor will focus more on exercise poses, as well as their muscular build – witch is the strategy behind showing their current and potential clients know that with hard work and dedication, they can also achieve those dramatic results. To enhance the athlete’s muscles and athletic built, I place my lights in key locations throughout the session to ensure the best angles for the shoot.

No.3 We focus on different body shapes and ultimately, and how to exude competitiveness and fierceness through facial expressions. What I see with my naked eye is not always what the camera sees. I like to correct certain things as I go, like body positioning, hands, arms, how to flex, good form, etc. I have to tell you, it helps a lot being an athlete myself and knowing the exercises, what to do and how to do it. Because it comes in handy when making sure that the athlete’s form is perfect. Bottom line, make sure you hire a photographer that knows what they’re doing because they will help you look your best.

I’d love to be your Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre or Destin fitness and gym photographer. Here’s more information on Fitness Photography packages -> head over to the fitness page here. Email me your goals and we’ll get you where you need to be!

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I hope my Gym and Outdoor Fitness Photography Session Tips and Ideas will help you achieve the results you want! Reach out with questions, I’d love to hear from you!

Adina