Advertising Fitness Photographer

Commercial Fitness Photography - Advertising

Fitness Photo Shoot - Workout - Health

A number of years ago I received a new assignment email from a long time client wanting some fitness photography. That’s not out of the ordinary, but their specific request was. They wanted some “bright and happy” fitness shots. My immediate response that I actually said out loud while reading the email was “why are you contacting ME?” Normally with advertising photography, clients/brands/art directors etc. are painfully specific about who they choose for a shoot. There’s a running joke/story out there about a food photographer who was showing his “fruit” portfolio to a client that needed his services. His work was exquisite. More beautiful images of fruit you could not find. The client loved what he did with apples, oranges, bananas, mango, kiwi, pineapple, etc.. After going through the whole portfolio though, she asked him “but can you photograph a yellow apple? Are you fuckin kidding me??? That sums up a lot of the photography industry . Most people aren’t capable of making the mental bridge and want a photographer to be so specific that they specialize in shooting “yellow apples” or whatever the fuck the case might be. I probably botched the story itself, but you get the point. Until receiving that email about a “bright and happy” fitness shoot, it was something that I’d never done. My style was always dark and gritty and probably the thing I was most known for. I thought, what the hell, let’s give it a go. So I took the assignment and ended up really enjoying it. Since then there have been a number of clients who have hired me to make images in a similar style for them. It’s been fun and I look forward to that change in pace/style from the dark and gritty. Currently working on a new gallery for the website of bright fitness images. Until then though, enjoy these shots which were made for a few different clients over the past year or so. They are a mix of indoor/outdoor and shot with natural light, strobed, bounced, diffused, etc, etc, etc


CREMO

Haven’t shaved my face in years, but on occasion I’ll take a straight razor to the dome. A while back I picked up some CREMO shaving cream at CVS and thought it was really great stuff. Very impressed. Fast forward 6 months or a year or whatever the hell it was, and we wind up collaborating together on a shoot. Said this before and won’t ever stop, it’s imperative to collaborate with clients that you have a natural connection with. Otherwise, what’s the point? A paycheck? Not worth it. If you’re shooting something strictly for the money, it will show in the images. A while back I came to this realization, that paychecks aren’t worth much. There has to be more. A connection. A relationship. So much of my focus the past couple years has been connecting with clients that I’m a fan of. Companies whose products I would use anyway. Products that fit directly into my lifestyle. Can’t say that I’m a huge groomer, but I dig what CREMO is doing. Not just with their products either. They gutted a 1948 Spartan Trailer, made it into a mobile barbershop, and have been busy driving it all over the country delivering haircuts along the way!! Talk about a natural connection. Our shoot day was really fun. We took the trailer up and down Highway 1 in San Diego to get some images that would show the Southern California vibe (they are based in Laguna Beach). And I think we accomplished just that. CLICK HERE to see more of the images and read the write up they did about our shoot as well as my book “Barbershops of America - Then and Now”. And go get yourself some CREMO products. FYI: I’ll also vouch for their bath soaps.


Kobe Bryant

Today Kobe Bryant would have turned 42. What an incredible loss he was, not just to the basketball community, but the world at large. An icon that raised the bar for everything he did. Kobe was one of those people that expect to live forever. People like him don’t die??!! I feel very fortunate to have shot with him twice in my life, during a time that I was shooting a lot of professional athletes. This one was back in 2013. It’s impossible to every put your finger on your “favorite” shoot, but this one certainly will never be forgotten.

Click here to see more of athlete images.

Fly Fishing The Colorado River - Photography

Colorado River Fly Fishing

Bunch of random images from a fly fishing trip on the Colorado River. Great times out there. Can’t wait to get back. It’s no secret that fly fishing is a relaxing sport, but it still not lost on me the effect a river can have on your brain. No matter how much time you spend out there, where it’s 30 minutes or 3 days, you’re a different person afterwards.

Click here to see more of my fly fishing/adventure images.

Raleigh Fitness Photography

Multiple Exposure Fitness Photography

The box jump is an exercise that I find strange to photograph. For some reason the images always just seem boring. So why not play around a little?

Click HERE to see more of my fitness photography