Bodybuilding – Imgcr8tive Photography

Karen Personal Branding

Sharon — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 03:52:40 +0000

Karen is a personal trainer based in Virginia Beach. We’ve created a lot of images through the years and now she has a variety of content in her brand photography gallery to choose from. This is a sampling of the types of shots she wanted. The mix of fitness shots in the gym, in her studio, and outdoors illustrates how she incorporates her workouts anywhere. She also shows her style and personality through other images that are not always fitness related.

Unique Photoshoot Location: Red Rock Amphitheater

Sharon — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 20:23:37 +0000

Unique photoshoot location: Red rocks amphitheater

The Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison Colorado is always a great place to do a photoshoot especially when you want to portray that mountain lifestyle. There are a lot of beautiful spots with mountain ranges in the background, the steps at the amphitheater and, of course, the red rocks. I often prefer to start at the upper most lot called the plains view lot because it is mostly private compared to other lots. There is also a covered picnic area where clients can change and put their things. The covered area works really well for multiple outfit changes that often happen with branding photoshoots. The nearby outhouse is also convenient when you really need to go. The steps at the amphitheater are great for getting fitness photos. Best of all is that there are no fees to pay do a photoshoot here.

I can’t help it, I love to take my off camera flash. I like to shoot natural light as well as light assisted. If there is too much wind then I would have to have someone come help hold lights. It can get really windy up here. Golden hour never disappoints but just keep in mind where the sun will be. I like to use a sun tracker app called Sun Seeker. I will also bring a pop up tent in case anyone needs to change outside of their car. I would start off by parking at any of their designated lots and see where you can explore from there.

All the areas are easily accessible. I like to show up on days when there are no concerts scheduled (check that ahead of time!), but keep in mind that there are often hikers and families that like to sight see so it might not be as private as you’d like. More people means that parking in smaller lots might be an issue. However, larger lots have plenty of parking and sometimes meeting there then taking one car to another location also works.

There are a lot of Rangers doing security at this location so staying compliant to all the rules posted is a good idea. On quieter days I’ve been able to pull my car over to the side and shoot in certain spots I liked. On busier days and weekends it’s harder to do, so it helps to be quick. Do not park too long in areas where you are not allowed because the rangers will kick you out. I hope my images on this short blog will show you the type of shots you can get at this near Denver location. I’ve been sharing more of my locations because, as a photographer, it’s often hard to get out and scout places all the time and having recommendations of where to start looking would have helped me when starting out.

Fitness Photoshoot Ideas: Bodybuilding Photography

Sharon — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 01:47:26 +0000

My Gym Fitness Photoshoot
with IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Dorian Haywood

By: Fitness Photographer, Sharon Lewis

I’ve known Dorian for about 6 years. If you ever follow the sport of bodybuilding you see the consistent progression of each competitors physique and can’t help but have great respect for it. Muscle creation, definition. proportion, maturation all takes time and a lot of patience (years of bulking and leaning) to achieve award winning results. Dorian has been working on his physique for 20 years and being with him in a gym, in his element, shows you what a real pro he is. Dorian is a trainer and chiropractor working out of the “Mile High Mecca” of bodybuilding gyms, Armbrust Pro Gym in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Luckily I caught him just after he did an IFBB Pro Show the past weekend. This shoot was unique in that I shot Dorian as he did his normal fitness workout for the day. It was an arm and shoulder day so we got some great upper body shots. There was no posing and everything captured was authentic and in the moment. He would sometimes flex and do his routine after a set. As a competitor, I know that this helps us see the areas that need improvement and practicing the posing is always a good idea.

Although I love to shoot at Armbrust Pro Gym, we decided to shoot at my gym, VASA, in Centennial Colorado because we had planned to do a leg workout right after. One of the main benefits of doing a gym photoshoot is that you can fit in a workout after you finish shooting. When doing a gym fitness photoshoot at a place that is more of a “commercial gym” like VASA, you need manager approval and must schedule at a quieter time of the day. Most gyms are quieter from 1pm-3pm on weekdays and 1pm-8pm on Sundays. I tend not to schedule anything Saturdays because it can be a mad house with too many people at any time. If people work during the day and I have no other choices, later in the evening also works (after about 7:30pm).

You want as little people as possible in the gym because you don’t want to have to photoshop them out of the shot or get their permission to be included in the image. If you want to get invited back to shoot at that gym it’s also best to not anger the clientele. Since lighting is crucial, the space that it takes to shoot is pretty big. Even thought I try to not be in the way, shooting is always going to be a distraction. Regardless, I positioned us at one of the ends of the free weight section. I placed one light on either side of Dorian towards the back angled towards the rim of his shoulder (these 2 lights act as the rim around his body and will give some definition to his form). . Another light was placed towards the front of him positioned at about 45% facing him and angled down to hit some of his face and torso.

As I test the lighting, Dorian is doing his workout. He does each set of exercises 4 times. The last set is often the hardest and most dramatic so that’s the one where you will aim to get “THE” shot. Also, during the last set, the athlete’s muscle is already pumped from the previous sets. It’s when you want to capture them at their fullest. This is often how I shoot guys during gym shoots. The situation is slightly different for girls depending on what the girl wants to showcase (lots of pumped hard strong muscle or slightly softer look).

If the lighting is done right, the best part is, there should be very little editing!

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