Fitness photography can and does inspire. It should inspire. Not only other people, inspiring them to get out and make a difference in their own minds and body, but to ourselves to show how far we’ve come on our journey and inspire us to maintain and improve on ourselves.
Each person’s fitness journey is completely different from somebody else’s, and usually, so is the reason for undertaking it. Perhaps you’re a professional athlete needing to maintain optimum condition, or maybe you’ve been hitting the gym this year after gaining some pounds during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, or you’ve achieved huge weight loss and have continued to work hard to get yourself to peak fitness.
Whatever your reason for getting super active and showing off your ripped physique, you should be proud of yourself for your achievements, and we applaud your decision to capture this stage of your journey using photography. And once you have your images, you simply must share them on Instagram.
The Meta-owned social media platform is an amazing outlet for fitness fanatics and professionals to share not just their own experiences and journey, but to also share best practices about how to make similar gains. It is the social platform of choice for many fitness influencers, which isn’t surprising, given the ability to share phenomenal pictures and engaging videos to anybody that wants to find them, and alongside Tik Tok, it is the platform that generates the most engaged followers.
So, you’re ready to begin to put your body in front of the camera to get some amazing content, but where do you start?
Before a Fitness Photo Shoot
If you’re a bodybuilder, like Picture Perfect Photography’s very own intrepid leader Collette Evans, then we have a great guide to preparing for a shoot that you should absolutely read up on, it has plenty of tips to ensure your images come out as spectacular as you are.
Whatever your activity type, you should plan your photo shoot in detail; don’t just walk into the gym or the studio and hope for the best. Great fitness photography should highlight your best physical assets and condition, with effective lighting to accentuate your physique and hard work.
Think about the lighting you’re going to use. Overhead LED lighting in the gym is okay for a quick selfie and a check-in, but to present you at your best it will not do any kind of justice to the work you’ve put in.
What you wear will be important too. It would be wise to have a few outfit choices so that you can experiment to find out what looks best in front of the camera, and complements your body.
Working with an experienced professional photographer, particularly one who specialises in health and fitness, will help to put you at ease, and take plenty of thinking and creative work off of your shoulders. Strategy sessions can help to really maximise on the time you’re spending in front of the camera, so that you walk into your shoot with a firm idea of what you’re going to do, and focus on enjoying your time in front of the camera while getting the results you want.
Five Great Ideas for Fitness Photographs & Videos for Instagram
The Abs Reveal
Lift your shirt or vest to show your abs off. You worked hard to achieve them, and what better way to highlight your dedication and effort than to show off that washboard stomach? Fitness photography is intended to show off physique and athleticism, so don’t be shy. Black and white photography is a great idea here; monochrome removes the distraction of colour and puts more focus on the textures and patterns, which draws the viewers’ eyes to the defined contours of what you’re showing off.
The Training Shoot
Lifting, pressing, pulling, or working the battle ropes. Some of the most spectacular fitness photography comes from capturing the subject hard at work with the equipment that helped to build up their physique. With effective lighting, your photographer will capture every inch of your muscle definition with amazing results that you can share on Instagram.
The Group Shoot
Whether you’re a part of a fitness group that trains together or you’re a PT with a regular group of clients, the group shot is a great way of demonstrating a variety of techniques and body types within a single, spectacular image. Or why not have each person in the image performing an activity in sync? Your journey to super fitness is guaranteed to capture the attention of followers and draw new Instagram followers to your profile, so consider multiple group photography & video sessions to capture the transformation of your bodies along the way and help your followers to become invested in the journey.
The Flex
Time to really strike a pose and show what you’re most proud of. Whether it’s your bulging biceps, tremendous triceps, or quality quads, get in front of the camera and contract and flex your physique. You’ll be gaining and inspiring new Instagram followers in no time.
The Product Shot & UGC Content
If you’re an influencer of any level, or you’re an aspiring influencer, then the chances are you’re either working alongside a health and fitness brand, or you would like to. High-quality UGC content is one of the most effective ways to get a brand to sit up and pay attention to who you are and what you’re doing is to include their products within your photoshoot and tag the brands on your Instagram feed. Your outfit, drinks, shakes, or supplements is all an opportunity to gain exposure at the same time showing your physique. For extra brownie points, think about their branding and match your outfit or environment to it.
A quick guide to posting Fitness Photos on Instagram in 2022
So, you have your professional photos that perfectly sum up the peak physical condition you have reached and you’re delighted with them. How will you post them? There are a few ways you can use your content on Instagram, but let’s concentrate on two.
Instagram Stories
With a short lifespan (your stories will remain visible for 24 hours), your Stories are a real-time way of sharing your news, videos, and images. Add captions and tag your photographer, your PT, and any brands that are on show within your photographs, and they may well just re-share your story with their own followers.
Stories are the first thing that a person will see on their Insta feed, and they are an easy way to scroll through the content of the accounts they follow. If you don’t post Stories too often, Instagram’s algorithms will feel that you have something important to say, and therefore place you closer to the top of the pile for your followers.
Instagram Feed
Your most engaged followers will see your images when they get online. Why not push additional engagement by asking them to choose their favourite photos? Hashtags will need to be relevant to what you’re sharing so that Instagram can rank them and deliver them to people in their Search facility. Again, tag your photographer, gym, PT, or any brands featured in the photos. If they’ve had a direct influence over your physical prowess or captured the photos, they should be happy to share.
If you have a low follower count and want to increase it as you go, then engage with accounts like yours and with people who share your interests. Eventually, they will become friends, and they’ll be invested in what you have to say and share.
With championship-winning bodybuilder, Collette Evans at the helm, backed by powerlifter, model, and social media influencer Jen Hammonds, the team at Picture Perfect Photography is the perfect partner for health and fitness fanatics looking to take their personal brand to the next level. We have gained rave reviews from PTs and fitness professionals for our attention to detail, enthusiasm for the project, and dedication to fulfilling a brief.
We listen to your needs, give creative advice, and deliver high-quality images that boost your brand image and reflect the work you have put into your body, and as a special limited-time-only offer in the run-up to Black Friday, we are offering an amazing discounted bundle deal that will not only show you what we’re capable of here at Picture Perfect Photography, but will give you a selection of images that present your body in a way you’ll be delighted with.
