brisbane photographer

Empowering woman to love their bodies! BTS Vlog on tips & tricks for your first fitness photoshoot...

I am so lucky in my job that I get to work with unbelievable women that are inspirational, driven and have undergone emotional journeys to reach their goals. I get to be a big part of this journey, helping them plan their photoshoot, creating a vision to capture this moment in their life, documenting it for a lifetime, bringing their ideas to reality while also becoming a friend!  

One of the most common things I hear is "Is that me?". So many women have no idea how beautiful they are and how unbelievable they look in the skin their in. Yes I photograph males and females at the peak of their conditioning for competitions, but I also photography body transformations, weight loss journeys and boudoir photography, embracing the body in its everyday state. Everyone is on their own journey.... and we pride ourselves on creating a fun and personalised experience, offering very specific styling, posing and planning guidance easing the nerves and stresses of planning a photoshoot. 

A photoshoot is not always about looking lean and 'shredded', it's about capturing your beauty and creating an end result that you're proud of! 

I recently got to work with the stunning Sophie, guiding her through the process of how to plan and prepare for a photoshoot including supplying location galleries, Pinterest boards for styling, outfit planning and creating a visual of what her end result would be. 

This was Sophie's first photoshoot and to capture this experience, we created a behind the scenes vlog of what is involved in a fitness/boudoir photoshoot. We give you an insight into a 'day in the life of Life Portraits' showcasing our gold package (1-2 hour portrait package) with Sophie and what happens on a fitness photoshoot. 

See some of our favourite images from the shoot below as well as the vlog. Sophie is such a beautiful woman who priorities a healthy lifestyle (not competing) and embraces her everyday gorgeous body! 

Em x

Brisbane Fitness & Fashion Photography
www.lifeportraits.photography/fitness
info@lifeportraits.photography

7 tips to Nailing your First Fitness Photoshoot - Brisbane Health, Fitness & Boudoir Photography

So you’ve achieved a weight loss goal, you’ve just competed or you’ve reached a health milestone and you want to capture your efforts and physiques with a photoshoot…… GREAT DECISION!

A fitness, boudoir or fashion photoshoot captures this time in your life and documents your hard work, sacrifices, motivation and time through imagery. We take a moment in time and freeze how you felt and how strong you are as a person to reach your goals. We all need to remember to celebrate our successes and reflect on our journey and investing in a photoshoot is a wonderful way to do so.

Having competed in figure bodybuilding in the past, reaching this high point in my physique and then not capturing this moment was the biggest regret I ever had! So if you’re daunted by the cost, how to be prepared, what to wear, where to shoot….. we can help you! We’ve gone into 7 tips to nail your first photoshoot below:

1. Prepare for the investment of a photoshoot it’s worth it! Budget this into your competition costs or weekly budget or opt for interest free payment plan

We find with a lot of clients that price is off-putting and people do not see the value in spending the money on capturing this moment in time. After all the hard work you’ve put in, time, sacrifices, hard hours in the gym… what are you doing to document you reaching this goal? Yes you can tick it off the list of things you’ve done and write about it on social media, but nothing outweighs the captured image and freezing this successful moment in your life. In order to prepare for the cost of a photoshoot, budget this into your costs for competing, or when you start a weight loss journey, start putting money away each week for this. At Life Portraits, we allow our clients to pay $150 upfront and then fortnightly/monthly payments, leading up to your shoot. The cost is worth the value and joy it will bring to your life looking back at these moments for years to come, and for generations to come!
Download our pricing and see our work on our fitness page HERE!

2. Watch our BTS Vlogs on tips to prepare for your fitness photoshoot
These Vlog features how to prepare, tips on posing, outfits and behind the scenes fun. This will give you a good idea of how we work at Life Portraits.
Watch them both BELOW:

1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOo6bh9XuIA
2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp0IEBlyquY&t=3s

3. Narrow down the style of imagery you want - Boudoir, fitness gym, fitness fashion, beach, lifestyle
The first step to planning a photoshoot is to determine the style of imagery you want. Once you have secured this style we can then guide you in choosing your location, outfits and types of posing. We provide a pinterest gallery of examples to help you decide what you’d like to do.

4. Find a location that suits your style and your personality
At Life Portraits we provide our clients with a full suburb breakdown of locations around Brisbane for options for their photoshoots. Sometimes, choosing a location is the hardest part of the photoshoot process as their are so many themes you can channel. Once you have the style of imagery that you want, we can then match a location to this style. Common locations include; gym, beach, graffiti walls, coloured walls, street style, lifestyle greenery open spaces, apartments/houses for boudoir. You can see lots of great examples on our instagram page

5. Narrow down your outfits to 2/3 options that matches the style of imagery you want and your location
Once you’ve nailed steps 2 & 3, we will guide you with pinterest boards and through email communication what outfits to use for your photoshoot. Common ideas include bikinis, one pieces leotards or body suits, booty pants, fashion wear, fishnets, lingerie, sports wear, leather jackets and boots, body crystals etc. We help you match your outfits to the colours of your location.

6. Preparing for the photoshoot day with hair, makeup & tan
You’ve done all the hard work to get to this point, now you want to look a million dollars for your photos! We always suggest to our clients that you get your hair, makeup and tan done professionally so that you are looking 10/10 for your photoshoot. Having this done reflects in your photos, looks a million dollars, boosts your confidence. We work with some great professionals in the industry, one of our most recommended is Shique Beauty in Brisbane - specialising in hair, makeup, tans, nails etc.

7. Photoshoot day - Have a bag packed with outfits, snacks, water and MUSIC
It’s photoshoot day! Make sure you have a bag packed the night before so you’re not rushed for the photoshoot and you’re calm and ready for the day. We always suggest that you play music on your shoot to help you relax, get into the motion of posing and enjoy the experience. We will guide you with posing, positioning your body in the best way possible to make you look your best.


Now all you need to do is relax and enjoy the experience! If you’ve been thinking about a fitness photoshoot in the Brisbane or Gold Coast area, we’d love to hear from you. Life Portraits specialises in portraiture, weddings and commercial but has a sub brand LP Fitness where we work with fitness competitors, weight loss transformations and capture people in a state of celebration of their health and wellness.

We’d love to hear from you! Email us at info@lifeportraits.photography to book your shoot. Or contact us on our website.

Capturing the Beauty & Motion of a Dancer: Brisbane Health & Fitness Photography

Capturing the Beauty & Motion of a Dancer:
Brisbane Portrait Photography

Over my years of photography, I have never had the opportunity to capture a dancer in studio, performing, dancing, letting their body guide them to music. This is something I have always wanted to capture! I was honoured when the beautiful Rachel, enquired about a photoshoot with us. This talented woman is a dancer, actor, singer, choreographer and teacher - and she’s a Brisbane Broncos cheerleader!

We had a one hour studio session where we created a number of different looks for her dancing portfolio, social media and for promotion for herself. It was mesmerising to watch Rachel just let go to the music and move…. I felt a sense of relaxation, I had goosebumps, I was moved! Here are some of her finals below that we captured!

Em x


Brisbane Portrait Photographer | Brisbane Dance Photography | Brisbane Dancer




The Elegant & Graceful Bodybuilder: Brisbane Fitness Photographer

"What you get by achieving your goal is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals"

I was lucky enough to shoot with Bec twice over her bodybuilding competition season and loved watching her grown as a person and her confidence shine.

In our 2 seperate 2 hour sessions we created an incredible set of imagery….

.....Fitness, Fashion, Boudoir, Beach & Poolside!

Bec is so beautiful, humble and a pleasure to work with, she blew me away. She's had a very successful season in figure and also getting back into competing in weight lifting and so glad we could work together on creating a variety of content for her social media as well as memories to keep for a lifetime.

Em x

Hair/Makeup: Shique Beauty

Brisbane Fitness Photographer, Brisbane Fitness Photography, Brisbane Swimwear Photographer, Brisbane Portrait Photographer, Brisbane Boudoir Photographer

The beauty of the female figure: Featuring Jacquie Mync IFBB Figure Competitor

For those that don't know me well, I have been training seriously in the gym now for about 5 years - and by that, I mean lifting heavy, training hard and focusing on particular muscle groups to develop and grow them. I have been fascinated by the female physique for some time now and intrigued by how we can transform our bodies with a combination of dedication, hard work at the gym and a balanced diet. 

I competed in figure in 2015 and was amazed and proud of by what I achieved, placing 3rd and 5th for my first competition. This love for fitness, muscles and the beauty of the female physique has lead me to one of my most loved styles of shooting - bodybuilding and fitness portraits. 

I was lucky enough to photograph the beautiful woman, Jacquie, just before she stepped on stage for the IFBB Arnolds in figure - already placing first in the QLD titles. She has the most beautiful figure shape with a wide back, small waist, and muscular legs. 

Working with a fitness/bikini/bodybuilding competitor takes some prior knowledge to be able to really achieve the best results for the athlete. When working with my clients I direct them with poses that bring out the best in their muscles and body shape, help them activate certain muscles, position them in a way that best complements their shape and physique. I LOVE the art of lighting a subject - revealing abs, showing lines in their legs or glutes they never knew they had, showcasing their back muscles while still keeping a beautiful poised face. 

Check out some of the stunning images created with Jac at Next Hotels in Brisbane at the rooftop pool. She was a pleasure to work with and together we produced some stunning images. These images were a combination of ambient light with a beauty dish used to highlight the subjects' muscles and bring more contrast/clarity back into the image. Big thanks to my business partner Andy for holding the beauty dish for a lot of these shots haha :)

Em

Matts' remarkable 20kg weight loss! Celebrating his improved body with a photoshoot

Matt made a goal for himself some time ago to change his life, his health and his mindset. He wrote down his goals, made a promise to himself to only make changes in the mirror but also creating healthy life habits. 

Now 20kg down from his heaviest, he is living a healthier life and happy with the skin he's in. I am so inspired by these stories and being a part of this journey in capturing this unforgettable moment was an honour. 

Matt had never been photographed like this before and blew me away with his enthusiasm and the final result of our shoot. As a fitness photographer, I try to teach my followers that getting a fitness photoshoot isn't just when you're competition ready, it could be a celebration of a weight loss milestone in clothing that you're comfortable in and showing the new you. It's not always about abs and muscles, but also about showing off a happy new you! 

Check out the amazing result of our photoshoot below. If you're interested in a fitness photoshoot or boudoir see our work here: www.lifeportraits.photography/style-portraits

40+, fit, healthy and an inspiration to other women

Kelli is a BEAUTIFUL woman! She was so lovely to work with, grateful and enthusiastic about her shoot. Being recently awarded as the Oxygen magazine 35+ winner, now in the running for the  front cover, works a full time corporate job, has 2 children and now getting ready to compete in a powerlifting compeition - the Mackay Push/Pull GPC Powerlifting meet. Unbelievable! Good luck Kelli, it was a pleasure photographing you and a big thank you to your Partner Johnny for his support during the shoot. Check out some of our favs below!

I am so inspired by the woman I get to photograph. They set out to achieve a goal and SMASH IT! The fitness industry is so much more than just 'looking good'! There's months and months of dedication, training, sacrifices in your social life, no naughty food and a clear goal in mind, only to get up on stage after 12+ weeks for a few minutes to show off your hard work. That is why I want to capture these wonderful athletes so they can remember this point in their life for the rest of their lives. 

As a figure competitor myself, I understand the body, posing, what to do to bring out more muscles or assist in looking better during your photoshoot. I believe I bring a very personalised approach to my fitness shoots and have a real passion for photographing my subjects. 

Contact me about bodybuilding packages or a personal fitness shoot via email on info@lifeportraits.photogarphy or download our information pack here. 

Let's create something beautiful!