What's your style? When someone mentions "Fitness Photography" various images may come to mind. Similar to other genres, fitness photography is rich with variety. Here I'd like to quickly show a few of the more popular styles of fitness photography that I shoot, to show that no matter who you are or what shape you're in, there is a style that can capture your accomplishments. These basic styles are:
Below are some examples and a brief explanation of each.
| Artistic, Dramatic |
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This style is very popular with many of my clients as it is one of the best ways to highlight muscle tone. Usually shot against a dark background, this style places you in dim light with shadows emphasizing the shape of your physique and the depth of muscle tone. This is a great style to use for artwork, perhaps printed and mounted on a wall, or framed, or in a photobook or portfolio.
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Here are a few other examples of the Artistic style (see my fitness portfolio for more):
| Impact, Commercial |
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Typically shot against a white background, this style is commonly used for magazine covers and other publications, so it's often called "commercial". This style emphasizes high energy, laughter, and brightness (like the light used to shoot it). This style is commonly used for model and actor portfolios and corporate photos but is versatile enough to work anywhere a theme of positive energy is conveyed.
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Here are a few other examples of the Energetic/Commercial style (see my fitness portfolio for more):
| Fantasy, Fine Art |
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This style is a cross-over into the Artistic style, where surrealism meets human form. Similar to the Artistic style, Fantasy emphasizes muscle definition and tone, but is taken a step further with special effects, some simple (like geometric overlays) and others more complicated, like adding wings and scenery. As with the Artistic style, this also works great for printed artwork mounted or framed, or in a photobook or portfolio.
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Here are a few other examples of the Fantasy Fitness style (see my fitness portfolio and my fantasy portfolio for more):
| Stylized Portraiture |
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Unlike other styles of fitness photography, Stylized Portraiture is usually less revealing, with an implied accentuation of the physique, where clothing complements the human form. This is a cross-over style between artistic fitness and standard portraiture.
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Here are a few other examples of the Stylized Portrait style (see my fitness portfolio and my portrait portfolio to see more):
Photography is a boundless art with unlimited possibilities. While I've been able to cover a few basic styles of fitness photography there are more, such as anatomical (for human-form studies) on-location (typically shot in gyms) and journalistic as well (coverage of events and competitions). To see more examples of the styles I've discussed here, you can check out my fitness portfolio, fantasy portfolio, and portrait portfolio as well. And always feel free to contact me anytime if you want to discuss how I can help you capture your accomplishments.
And don't forget to follow me on Facebook to stay updated on shots like these and blogs of how they were done.
-Nathan
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