FITNESS FRENZY, DEDICATED MUSCLE

Let me just begin by saying something about movie remakes. In large part, they tend to be destructive, insulting and demeaning. It is blatant proof that film has lost a lot of what makes it an art form. It has become an infernal machine that only functions to produce green gold. When i think of just a view movies that i feel belong only in the time era it was made, i am truly saddened to see good memories polluted.

My best advice regarding this: If you treasure a movie and there is a remake, rather not watch it.

Quote of the post

“Don’t force your habits, beliefs and personal opinions unto others. Its a sure way to make any conversation, social, friendship and relationship, go sour”.

This post will mainly concern fitness and a few practical points when approaching a fitness shoot. I did a shoot on sunday with fitness model ,Jaco de Bruyn. He is in preparation for a number of upcoming competitions. This meant that his shape was impeccable and it was the perfect time to do a shoot solely focused on fitness/ physique.

Here is a quick behind the scenes video:

I will end off this post by adding a few images from the previous shoot we did. I will post images of the most recent shoot in the next few weeks.

I believe that as with any shoot, you need to consider what is necessary to get the best out of the session. Because this is mainly a fitness shoot, the focus will be mainly on the person’s physique. You can also take headshots, its not set in stone that you just have to shoot body. But its important to know what you are looking for with the shoot. Do you want to take a fine art approach? For example, shooting close up of arms, chest, abs, etc, or implied black and whites?

Or do you want to take a more sporty approach, by making use of soccer balls, tennis rackets, etc?

A great aid in helping you make this choice, is to look at work done by other photographers in this field. There are many that will serve as brilliant inspiration . Google names like Luis Rafael, Rick Day, Richard Gerst, Bruce Weber, Tony Duran, etc. This should set your mind firmly outside the box and give you tons of ideas to work with. Don’t feel restricted. Go with what you feel is best for the shoot. Just don’t forget to discuss any and all ideas with the person first.

Then of course, use your own inspiration and creativity. Consider the model/ subject/ person and think what you could do to bring out the best in them. Remember, when you’re shooting a fitness athlete/ model or individual, they’ve worked extremely hard to be in the shape that they are. You need to take this into consideration, because if the body looks bad in the photos, then you’ve definitely lost what you set out to do.

The next thing you need to consider, is lighting. Do you want to use natural light, artificial light or a combination?

There’s no definitive answer and this largely depends on personal taste. You can achieve brilliant results with any of the above. Once again, you need to experiment and find what works best for you.

If you’re shooting studio, do you want moody lighting or just someone fun, sporty and bright? Try using a gridded softbox, reflector or beauty dish. For the latter, try using a white background (make sure its properly lit), and one or two lights to illuminate your subject.

If you’re shooting outdoors, and its a nice, sunny day, just take a reflector and play around with bouncing light.  You can even shoot midday. Just make sure that you don’t get ugly shadows under the eyes- unless its something you’re looking for. It can look shit, so be careful. Otherwise, just find a shady area and shoot there. You can always bounce light with a reflector, although you might need an assistant for this.

Fitness is fun. Don’t worry too much about technical jargon and all the bullshit. I studied medicine for years, and believe me, more than half the course is irrelevant. You just sound clever in conversations.

Just a quick checklist:

plan some of the shots or at least, have an idea of what you want to do. Random shooting can be fun, but if time is of the essence, its best to know beforehand where and what you want to shoot.

Research, research, research. Look for inspiration. That’s why there are photographers out there that know more than you do.

Make sure you have everything you need: reflector, lights, batteries, back ups, stands, sandbags, etc.

oil. To give the body a shine and “pop” the definition. Don’t overdo it, unless you’re shooting something porno or kinky.

Props and clothing. For example, old t shirts, jeans, shorts, polo pants, rugby gear, soccer gear. This will largely depend on what you’re going for.

camera

model

Lots and lots of creative freedom

This should give you a rough idea of what to do when doing a fitness shoot. I will do many more posts on this, and will go into more detail concerning specific areas of interest.

I leave you now with a few photos from an earlier shoot. And yes, i am aware that the headshot is not a physique shot. Release the shutter. 🙂