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Paul Aiken

This is an in depth photography course teaching you the fundamentals of fitness photography. An intermediate to advance photographer who understands off camera lighting will gain much more from this course than a beginner. You should have an understanding of basic camera setting, lens types, aperture controls, remote flash triggering. I will demonstrate how to produce great work with the least expensive equipment and to do it quickly to save time.

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This is an in depth photography course teaching you the fundamentals of fitness photography. An intermediate to advance photographer who understands off camera lighting will gain much more from this course than a beginner. You should have an understanding of basic camera setting, lens types, aperture controls, remote flash triggering. I will demonstrate how to produce great work with the least expensive equipment and to do it quickly to save time.

We will cover, the fundamentals of lighting athletes for drama, action or art, essentially to either highlight his or her physique to sell themselves, a product or a business. Also covered will be some basic marketing techniques that I use to get athletes to work with me and how you can get started. There will be assignments involving submitting work from an athlete you convince to shoot with you using the lighting or posing techniques I recommended.

At the end of the course you should be able to produce expressive photos with little effort and also start building a new revenue stream with your new photo genre.

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What's inside

Learning objective

You will be able to not only capture great athletic photos but also know how to create business with fitness clients from personal individuals to large health & fitness companies.

Syllabus

You will know for sure if you are ready to start shooting with the equipment you have and if not what are the least expensive options are available for purchase.
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Is this course right for me?

Here I will introduce you to some low cost equipment that I use. These are only what I use, however you should always remember my moto :- "Find a way to work and make money with what you have until you can buy what you need".

Ensure you are fit for the job.
Your Hygiene

Appearance - Please look the part when entering the fitness arena.

Learn who your main clients can be and the advantages and disadvantages for each

The pros and cons of working with magazines

The pros and cons of working with Sports teams & Commercial Retailers

Identifying your customers Part 3 of 3
A lecture warning about the dangers of image distribution to clients and the 6 major criteria you should use to price your work.
Why Most Photographers fail
Here I will highlight some of my fast and most used lighting techniques to highlight an athletes muscularity
Lighting Techniques for Mucularity
Demonstrating a simple shoot done with three speed lights.

All that is required is 3 inexpensive speed-lights to produce quality commercial work for a small business.

Walking you through some of the challenges you will experience while shooting fast and efficient in a working gym. I will go through 10 images over 3 lectures.
Shooting in a dark gym with personal trainers. Part 1 of 3
Shooting in a dark gym with personal trainers. Part 2 of 3
Shooting in a dark gym with personal trainers. Part 3 of 3

This is a fully comprehensive video on a shoot done with an amazing bodybuilder, who wanted shots for his modeling portfolio. Here I will go through everything from light setup, equipment used, scouting ideas, use of colored gels, posing instructions, use of products and mood and more.

How to use photoshop to edit a body builder
Camera Raw & Photoshop to edit a Bodybuilder Part 1 of 3
Photoshop & Camera Raw Work flow of a Bodybuilder Part 2
Photoshop & Camera Raw Work flow of a Bodybuilder Part 3 Final
Understanding how to see a see a creative shot to capture and challenge your skills. And how to followup with another photoshop editing lesson.
Creative Volley Ball on the beach Shoot Part 1 of 3
Creative Volley Ball on the beach Shoot Part 2 of 3
Creative Volley Ball on the beach Shoot Part 3 of 3
Students will experience shooting two athletes in the desert for a magazine cover with a simple lighting setup

A detail look at a shoot conducted in a desert area at sunrise. working with two models and the Editor of the Magazine and a Health supplement company on set.

A very quick dramatic action shoot conducted in the desert at sunrise with just one light. This is another example of how to make great images with very little equipment. All you need is a great athlete, a beautiful landscape a TTL high speed sync light and some good communication skills for your athlete. 

Quick additional update lecture video showing a fitness shoot done quickly and efficiently in a difficult are to shoot.

I will introduce you to a new small and quick lighting setup so that you can shoot quickly in a private or public that is awesome but may require permission. Sometimes you have to get in, shoot a few frames and get out before security arrives. Well here are my lighting gear and sample of a shoot. :-) Enjoy

This is a full detailed video where you can follow me or work with me (raw image provided)  as I edit a shot taken from the Running and Gunning shoot.

Get a much better understanding on how to work in detail with your model on posing and expression to capture the exact image you would like to create
Shooting in Studio with Jo
Shadow Me and learn more communication skills and lighting combinations to produce a series dark dramatic shots for marketing and social media content,
Setting up and Shooting a variety of Fitness Shots in my Living Room
Posing is one of the most difficult things to do after you have got your lighting perfected. You will have a better understanding on how to deal with posing your clients.
Lecture on Posing

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Teaches the fundamentals of fitness photography, making it suitable for intermediate to advanced photographers who understand off-camera lighting
Provides insights into marketing techniques for getting athletes to collaborate and starting a new revenue stream
Emphasizes the importance of proper hygiene and professional appearance for photographers working in fitness environments
Covers various topics related to fitness photography, including lighting techniques, posing, and editing
Includes assignments involving practical application of techniques
Explores both the creative and commercial aspects of fitness photography

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Secrets of Fitness Photography Revealed with these activities:
Review 'Lighting for Digital Photography' by Scott Kelby
Review an introductory text on lighting to solidify basic understanding of the fundamentals
Show steps
  • Purchase a copy of the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local book store
  • Read the first three chapters of the book
  • Attend the first two weeks of lectures
  • Re-read chapters one through three and take notes
  • Work on the first assignments
Join a fitness photography group on Facebook
Connect with other fitness photographers to share ideas, get feedback, and learn from each other
Browse courses on Facebook
Show steps
  • Create a Facebook account
  • Search for fitness photography groups
  • Join a few groups
  • Participate in discussions
  • Share your work
Explore lighting techniques on YouTube
Seek out online tutorials and videos to expand your knowledge and skills
Browse courses on Lighting Techniques
Show steps
  • Create a YouTube account
  • Search for videos on 'fitness photography lighting'
  • Watch at least 5 videos
  • Take notes on the different lighting techniques
  • Practice the techniques in your own photography
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Practice lighting techniques with a model
Apply your lighting techniques in a practical setting to improve your skills and build confidence
Browse courses on Lighting Techniques
Show steps
  • Find a model willing to pose for you
  • Set up your lighting equipment
  • Practice different lighting techniques
  • Take photos of the model
  • Review your photos and make adjustments to your lighting
Create a portfolio of fitness photography
Build a collection of your best fitness photography work to showcase your skills and attract potential clients
Browse courses on Portfolio
Show steps
  • Gather your best fitness photography images
  • Edit and retouch the images
  • Create an online portfolio
  • Share your portfolio with potential clients
  • Attend networking events to promote your work
Create a marketing plan for your fitness photography business
Develop a plan to market your fitness photography business and attract clients
Browse courses on Marketing Plan
Show steps
  • Identify your target market
  • Research your competition
  • Develop a marketing strategy
  • Create a marketing budget
  • Implement your marketing plan

Career center

Learners who complete Secrets of Fitness Photography Revealed will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

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