Si smil – an article on the basics of photo shoots
What would bodybuilding and fitness mean without the thousands of stunning physique photos that fill websites, magazine pages and advertisements? What would the sport even look like without these images of beautiful, fit bodies? It would not mean what it does today. Bodybuilding and fitness, together with the business surrounding them, are more visual than any other sport in the world. Yet none of the images on products that motivate us and leave their mark on bodybuilding history appear by themselves. Every photograph, every piece of physique art, is the result of a successful photo shoot. And photo shoots are exactly what this article is about.
Photo shoots – why bother?
In European bodybuilding and fitness, there is little tradition of professional photo shoots outside competitions. Proper photo shoots tend to be the preserve of athletes who have won competitions and already have solid sponsorship deals and a substantial fan base. Other competitors wait for a call from a bodybuilding magazine, and until then are content with stage photos and snapshots taken by friends and other so-called “photographers.” Given the importance of the visual side of bodybuilding and fitness, this is a real shame: having high-quality photographs taken in ideal conditions and showcasing the perfection of your physique is the most effective way to promote yourself.
What have you done to earn a good sponsorship deal? Did you enter a county bodybuilding competition and then email a company director with a few random stage photos, announcing that you had won? Compare that with this approach: you book shoots with three of the best physique photographers and pay them for the rights to use the images. You then put together a personal portfolio featuring a range of photographs to show what you have to offer and what you can do, and immediately offer a series of images for the company’s product campaign. Get the picture?
Whether or not you succeed in competitions, if you also want to achieve the greatest possible success away from the stage, you need to be seen and heard. The higher the level at which you compete, the more this matters. Professional photography really is as integral to professional bodybuilding as the competitions themselves. The media, particularly magazines with their thousands of subscribers, offer an excellent opportunity to gain exposure and promote yourself. Magazines work with photographers. That means you need to work with photographers to work with magazines. The men and women who make magazine covers are not necessarily title-winning bodybuilders. They are the ones who work hard and actively collaborate with photographers, who in turn sell their images to magazines. Timea Majorova and Milos Sarcev are far from the most successful competitors on stage, but by posing for Alex Ardenti, they managed to create what was probably one of the best series of cover images of all time.
The internet and social media play an extremely important role here. Just imagine how little attention your personal website or fan page would attract without high-quality photographs. Everything you show the world is your calling card.
Photographs can capture the perfection of your physique far more fully than memories or written descriptions can. Photos last forever; memories, unfortunately, do not. Who could forget the stunning photo series Artie Zeller created in the 1960s and 1970s that helped promote Arnold Schwarzenegger? Why not have a few photographs of yourself in your best shape? Remember, you do not have to be a fitness model or a competitor to book a photographer. If you stay committed to your goals, a photo shoot is a great way to reward yourself from time to time.
With all these reasons in mind, let’s walk through what makes an ideal, productive photo shoot.
Booking a photo shoot
The first step towards a perfect result—a fantastic work of physique art—is to book a photo shoot. “Who should I book?” is probably the first question that comes to mind. This is especially relevant in America, where thousands of creepy fans call themselves photographers and offer photo shoots simply to spend time with hot fitness girls. Do not be naive! Owning an expensive camera does not make someone a good photographer. Every serious photographer has a website with a personal portfolio showing their previous work. Start by doing thorough research, and insist on high quality. It also helps to consult other physique athletes, listen to their advice and put together lists of things to avoid.
There are plenty of highly skilled, reliable photographers who focus mainly on weddings, dogs or family portraits. The photographer you choose must have experience with the type of images you want to create. If you want high-quality bodybuilding photographs, as I assume you do, you should not choose someone who photographs horses or flowers. They can certainly take decent, sharp, high-resolution pictures of you, but physique photography is a specialty in its own right. As well as knowing how to take photographs, your chosen photographer needs to understand your sport, know what to look for and recognize what matters most. For the best possible results, choose a reputable photographer who works with athletes like you and already knows what to look for.
Book your photo shoot early, as the best photographers are usually already booked during the busiest part of the competition season. The reason is simple: we need to be in our best shape for photographs, and that is exactly how we look when competing. If your off-season condition is a long way from your stage condition, it is all the more important to schedule your shoot just before or after a competition. Remember, though, that photo shoots should not interfere with your competition preparation.
Preparing for a photo shoot
Once you have booked a session with the best photographer, you can start preparing for the photo shoot. Preparation here means several different things. First, make sure your physique is ready for bright lighting. But remember that photo shoots can serve different purposes. A competition-ready physique is not always a model’s physique. Often, the two are very different. If the photos are for an advertisement for diet pills aimed at moderately overweight women, your physique should look a little softer than it would in an ultra-lean stage-ready condition. Whatever the purpose of the shoot, never pose when you are out of shape.
Toned abs and glutes account for just ¼ of your appearance. Everything shows up in photos, and the moments the camera captures are there to stay. Even the smallest details can stand out if your preparation is less than perfect. This is why all models, both men and women, should set aside time before every shoot for quality makeup, tanning, body and nail care, and hairstyling. Do not forget your clothing, either. You owe it to yourself to take care of your appearance—even a heavenly photographer cannot turn a devil into an angel.
Just as buying a great camera does not make you a good photographer, having a fit body and good looks does not make you a good fitness model. No matter how good the photographer you have booked is, they need something to work with. You cannot turn up at a photo shoot expecting to be told exactly what to do and how to do it. You need to work on this yourself beforehand. Turn in front of a mirror and get to know your body from different angles, including your strengths and weaknesses. See which side of your face looks better, too. Learn to vary your facial expressions and poses. But do not try to imitate someone else or copy their signature poses. To be as successful as possible, you need to bring out what makes you unique.
Preparing for a photo shoot also involves paperwork. Draw up a written contract setting out the terms governing the use of the images. Are you paying, or are you being paid? Who can use the photos? Where can they be used? Online, or only in print? Who decides which images go on a magazine cover? You presumably do not want to end up on gay websites without your knowledge or fall out with your sponsors. Insist on having all of this put in writing before you sign.
Whether you have booked the photo shoot for personal reasons or a magazine or sponsor has arranged it for you, always take a moment to talk to the photographer before shooting begins. What do you want and expect? What do they want? Understanding each other’s wishes goes a long way toward achieving a great result. Talking beforehand with your collaborator—the photographer—also helps create a more pleasant, friendly atmosphere during the shoot.
The day of the shoot
Photo shoots are demanding, so you need to be well prepared. But if you have done all the preparation properly, this is also your time to shine and show what you have.
The best advice for a photo shoot is to watch your behavior. Arrive on time, make sure everything is in order, and act professionally. A photo shoot is no place to behave like a diva, however attractive you may be. Respect the photographer’s time and do not demand repeated bathroom or smoking breaks. How you use the time during a shoot reflects your professionalism. Word gets around, and you alone determine whether your reputation is positive or negative.
As mentioned earlier, even an experienced photographer needs something to work with. To achieve the best possible result, you need to do your part—vary your poses and facial expressions to suit the purpose of the photos. Take an active role, but do not overdo it. Since the photographer can see how everything looks, it makes sense to listen to them and their suggestions.
Above all, you are responsible for what you do in front of the camera—what you wear, what you show, and how much you reveal. This topic often comes up when successful competitors end up in near-pornographic photos. Of course, you may feel sexy when every detail is in place and you have a jaw-dropping body, but you will have to live with those pictures for the rest of your life. Imagine that in 3 years, your teenage son’s classmates put revealing pictures of you up on the school walls—would you be happy with that? How will those shots of your backside affect your reputation as an athlete? Do what you want; it is your business, but you alone are responsible for it. You build your own career as a bodybuilder and shape your own reputation.
Once all the work is done and hundreds of photos are waiting to be edited, a smart model also asks the photographer for feedback. Modeling for photos outside competition is an art in itself, and you can only master it through practice and feedback.
After the photo shoot
Just one task remains before you can call your photo shoot perfect—honoring the terms of the contract. Simply use the images as agreed. It is outrageous to see athletes posting proofs on their Facebook pages without crediting the photographer, and even worse when they have made amateur edits themselves. A great result from a photo shoot is not down solely to you and the work you have put in, but above all to the photographer and their work. Believe me, the photographer did more than press a button: they spent days creating the ideal conditions and years learning everything about lighting. Give them credit, because they deserve it. You can do this by respecting the terms of the contract you signed.
The period after a photo shoot is also ripe for disagreements. What if the results are not great? What if you are disappointed? For example, you take part in a magazine cover shoot, but when the magazine comes out, you discover that the worst possible photo has been chosen. What do you do then? Complain that the magazine is unprofessional? Sometimes you simply will not be happy with the result. But there is nothing you can do after the fact. All these problems after a photo shoot can actually be prevented—put all these terms in the contract beforehand. Take responsibility and do not blame anyone else, because no one forced you to do anything.
Once you have completed one photo shoot, start planning and preparing for the next ones. The fact is that the most dedicated, hardest-working people achieve the best results, and the same applies to photos and photo shoots.
Summary
All these photos, all these elements of the art of bodybuilding, give you the best possible means of promoting yourself, attracting sponsors’ interest, gaining media recognition and, most importantly, achieving the greatest possible success outside competition. The higher your ambitions, the higher the standard of quality and professionalism required of you in your photo shoots. By making smart choices and preparing thoroughly—not only in terms of yourself, your appearance and your posing skills, but also your choice of photographer—you can present the world with breathtaking images that show you at your best. By keeping your behavior in check and taking care of detailed paperwork beforehand, you can enjoy the results and take pride in them without problems arising after the shoot.
Recommended by: Kaupo Kikkas
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