Preparing for Your next Fitness Photo shoot

Whether you are a personal trainer or model, a physique competitor or participating in a body transformation competition, or if it’s your first time, or your 20th time, preparing for a fitness photo shoot can be a daunting task and something not to be taken lightly.

There are many ways in which fitness fanatics and competitors prepare and I will touch on only a couple of scenarios.

For some of you who may have been competing in a body transformation contest the preparation is fairly straightforward and built in to the hard yards put in under the instruction of your trainer throughout the transformation, and the results are clear in comparison to your photo at the start of the competition. For many people, and rightly so, that is more than enough. I will go into some extra steps you may want to do prior to your photo shoot if you are participating in a body transformation competition.

And for some people there are more intense process’ they are prepared to go through, and although some of the methods I will talk about may seem extreme, for many people it is simply a logical next step, from all the hard work put in over the months and years prior to their shoot.

I suppose you could compare it to a building. After the long construction process, where all the foundation and the internal structure has been put in , the building is almost finished and then all that is needed is the finishing touches on the outside, the external aesthetic that will only make all the hard work done before look that much better.

Something to accentuate the foundations already there.

Body Transformation Competition

Let’s begin with body transformation prep.

So you have just finished your transformation and you are looking great! You are extremely happy with your results and the first thing you want to do is rush out and get a photoshoot!

I don’t blame you, I would too, and I get many bookings for this exact reason.

It is the perfect way to capture in high definition, your amazing results, for ever.

You might want to book your shoot the same day as the last day of your transformation or even a couple of days before or after the end.

Booking your shoot on the last day of the transformation is the best, if you can arrange it.

Your body is in the best shape comparatively and every day that goes past is likely to lead to changes in your body after you begin to ease back on your strict routine, and possibly spoil yourself and give in to a few well deserved burgers or whatever you might be craving.

Call your photographer a few weeks ahead of time or even book it in at the start of your transformation so you know you have it locked in. At Ian Spencer Photography we are happy to book you in and confirm the date with a small deposit or we can pencil it in until you are ready to commit. This also gives you the time to communicate with us about the style of shoot you would like and potentially find a cool location for you.

At least 2 weeks before your shoot it’s a good idea to think about whether you want a professional hair and makeup artist, if you do then you might want to book that in asap so as not to miss out.

1 week prior.

Get a spray tan. Spray tans generally give your body the illusion of deeper shadows and therefore the appearance of more definition. It is worthwhile doing for a fitness photo shoot, just make sure you go somewhere with a good reputation! Re-touching a bad tan is a nightmare for a photographer.

Shaving is something else to consider and should be done about 3 days in advance, to give the skin time to settle before the big day.

Talk to your Coach.

Don’t forget to ask your coach for advice on what you can do to look your best on the day of your photo shoot.

It’s likely that you will be doing everything you can already, but it’s a good idea not to overlook the experience of your coach who has no doubt helped many clients through a similar transformation. He may suggest a slight change in your diet or water intake and even give advice on some poses.

Also don’t be afraid to share your ideas and thoughts for posing and the type of shoot you want, with your photographer.

Search online until you find examples of what you like and ask the photographer what he thinks.

Most likely they will be able to accommodate or at least arrange for something similar that you are also happy with. Your photographer may also make recommendations regarding posing based on your body type.

Not all poses and set ups work for everybody, due mainly to the fact we all have different body proportions, and shapes, regardless of how ripped or fit we are.

Physique Competitors.

For those of you who are looking to take your body  change a lot further, this means you are probably wanting to squeeze that extra mile out of your body and muscle definition for your photo shoot.

This is where the science of manipulating your muscles through water intake amongst other things, becomes an integral part of your final preparation.

Specialist coaches will guide you on the fine art of carb loading followed by carb depletion,   

As well as water loading and depletion. I am not a specialist nor am I giving instruction or advice here, as to how to execute this process and we at Ian Spencer Photo takes no responsibility for your actions. The following is just an outline only to give you an insight.

Water loading is often started around 3 days prior to the shoot. This involves increasing your water intake by a significant amount. The goal of this is to influence your body into a routine of frequent water elimination.

Then closer to the shoot , water intake is cut drastically. Because your body is used to the process of eliminating water, This will continue regardless of the reduction in water intake.

The result is that the majority of your subcutaneous water is discarded leaving you looking edgier and more defined.

A second and equally popular process is called carb depletion followed by carb loading.

This process helps bulk up your muscles and as your muscles take up the left over subcutaneous water, giving your skin a dry thin appearance accentuating your muscles even more.

As you can tell these are processes that should be carried out with the supervision of a professional and care should always be taken not to jeopardise your health. But the results are without a doubt dramatic.

Good luck with your next fitness photo shoot and I hope to see you in front of the camera soon at Ian Spencer photo.

Ian