Recently I was picked up to do some promotional photos for a personal trainer. After COVID it’s been slow getting going on this stuff and I’ve been looking to pickup some fresh shots for the portfolio and doing some YouTube content.
Went for a harsh, cooler look given the grungy aesthetic of the gym. These were lit with a Godox AD200Pro with the optional round flash head, bare no modifiers. I’m really a fan of environmental portraiture so the first one is probably my favorite of the whole set. I’m only showing a select few here, I delivered about 25 finished shots to the client.
This was all shot with my Fuji gear (X-T2 and X-H1) and was my first run with the 50mm f1.0 on a job. I really do like that lens but I am a bokeh nut. All edits were in darktable 4.2.1 which despite recent consternation otherwise seems suitable for pro and pro-adjacent work to me. Used a filmic on a few shots and sigmoid for others. The both seem to have strength and weaknesses to me.
Also brought my Godox LC-500R to do some special effects. These turned OK too I think.
Is she working in a gym or is the a personal trainer coming to your house?
I ask because I see the heavy weights and benches in the background and the personal trainers I know don’t bring them on assignment, so I would not include these shots in a portfolio that shall attract clients booking her for home gigs.
In that case I would try a session with her on a balcony or in a sparsely furnished living room next to a fit looking client doing exercises. But - as stated above - I don’t know what or where.
I like the first two shots better than the second half where she looks more preoccupied with herself and not with me. And I like the light ;o)
She only works out of gyms and fitness centers. Next shoot is going to be some action shots I think but she really just needed head and publicity shots for her new location after a move.
She’s not my trainer, I was just hired to take the photos. Thanks for the feedback!
What I wanted to say: If she’s looking for gigs, show her next to a client, not working out herself. Show her correcting the pose of a client using one of those torture-machines. If I was a potential client I wanted to see what service she could offer to me, not how she pumps herself up in her spare time.
Right that’s what I understood you meant. Right now she just needed updated stuff for social media and whatever scheduling program she uses due to a move. Wasn’t time to schedule a client or model client for involvement, but that’s on the list for next time.
