fitness

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.

A Fitness Goal Can Change Your Life, No Matter What Age! Brisbane Fitness Photography

I have learnt first hand from personal experience competing myself and through the amazing people I get to photograph, that bodybuilding and fitness is more than just showing of your body….

It’s about prioritising your health, staying accountable, motivating yourself, making sacrifices to reach a goal and much more. However, what a lot of people don’t understand about the industry, is that it gives you focus when you may be experiencing hard times, up and down emotions or lacking motivation in life. I have heard many stories from clients and friends of how their health journey has helped their lives, their confidence and get over traumatic experiences in life.

This brings me to my photoshoot with the amazing Mel. She is 43, she’s been through some life experiences and fitness has helped her focus, stay positive and show herself that she can reach her goals.

This was her first photoshoot and a very big thing for her. I was beyond grateful that I was able to capture these moments and be a part of her journey. Travelling all the way from Gladstone, we created some beautiful and strong imagery of Mel’s physique, a celebration of her body and how far she’s come in her life!

Congratulations again Mel, so proud of you for doing this.

“Your body can accept anything you put it through as long as your mind is limitless”

Em x

Brisbane Fitness Photography | Brisbane Glamour Photography | Brisbane Gym Photography

Why invest in a fitness photoshoot? Brisbane Fitness & Weight Loss Transformation Photography

Last week I captured the stunning Stacey after recently competing in Sydney at the WBFF bodybuilding show. She has one of the most unreal physiques and proportions I have seen and an absolute pleasure to photograph. 

Being a past figure competitor, I know what it takes to get to this level of fitness and conditioning. A takes a lot of hard work, heavy weights, meal prepping, tracked macros and calories, posing practice, sacrifices in your social life, long days at work followed by exhausting gym sessions..... And the list goes on!

But when you reach your goal of stepping on stage and you reward yourself with a photoshoot to capture your journey, you realise..... it was all worth it! Capturing this moment in your life where you have put so much focus, time and determination is worth the investment - not only for yourself but for future generations, your kids, your family. This is part of your legacy. 

See some of our favourties below from our shoot together in Brisbane. 

Em x

Brisbane Fitness, Fashion & Boudoir Photography
www.lifeportraits.photography/fitness

The Raw Emotion of a Bodybuilders Competition Day

Have you ever looked at a bodybuilder and been fascinated by their physique, their dedication and motivation? Life Portraits, Brisbane Fitness Photographers, take you behind the scenes into the bodybuilding world....

Life Portraits are taking their viewers on a journey behind the scenes into the bodybuilding world by offering portrait fitness packages in the form of candid competition day photography, capturing the true and raw emotion of the competitor. We showcase their hand crafted physique by capturing behind the scenes candid moments on competition day, documenting those health and fitness memories for a lifetime.

I recently was commissioned by competitor Jordan and his family to capture the behind the scenes moments of his first competition at the ICN Bodybuilding Competition. I came away from the day feeling motivated, my happiness tank full and so honoured to be a part of his day. It was Jordan's first competition and he did an amazing job and should be so proud! 

Take a journey through the emotions, the preparation, the tanning, the posing practice, the pump up, the intense focus and the presence he brings to the stage in the images below. I love being a part of this journey and capturing such a personal aspect of someone's fitness journey. Having competed myself, you are so stressed and focused on getting on stage that once the event has passed, you forget the moments in between and what you looked like. That is why I love to capture this, as the competitors put in months of dedication to their comp prep, why not capture this for a lifetime?

LP Fitness captures personal fitness photoshoots, weight loss transformations, behind the scenes of bodybuilding competitions, couple fitness portraits and fitness branding. See more at Brisbane Fitness Photography at www.lifeportraits.photography/fitness

Em x

Bodybuilder turned Harley Quinn - Epic Fitness Photography Photoshoot

This week I had the honours of photographing the stunning WFF Pro,Bree, after her pro debut at the WFF Commonwealth Classic, placing an amazing 4th. We had been planning our photoshoot together for over a month and I wanted to portray Bree as a strong fitness woman with style, in an edgy location with graffiti, really highlighting her muscles. She also had a Harley Quinn outfit which I got very excited about! 

For anyone that has photographed with me, I get excited when I'm photographing as the ideas in my head come to life. Let's just say there was a lot of WOWS in this photoshoot as both Bree's ideas and mine came together perfectly to create this AMAZING, strong and beautiful set of images. A big thanks to everyone involved below: 

Hair & Makeup: @shiquebeauty
Location: @5thwavemma
Graphics: @streetartconcepts 

Available for fitness photoshoot bookings in Brisbane and the Gold Coast now! Email us at info@lifeportraits.photography to book. 

Brisbane Fitness Photography
www.lifeportraits.photography/fitness

Behind the Scenes on a Fitness Photoshoot

Last week I was lucky enough to work with the beautiful, glowing and vibrant Sheoni. Connecting through Instagram, we collectively came up with a unique idea to document her post IFBB bikini competition body with a styled, colourful and energetic set of images with coloured plain walls with matching clothing and lipsticks. 

I LOVE colour, and this look was the perfect match for Sheoni's personality. Being a graphic designer I thought I would experiment with this set of images creating a new style of fitness photography - photo-graphic art. Taking a plain wall and editing in graphics to create more of a story and scene. 

We went with a tropical summer theme throughout and the images are to DIE for! See our behind the scenes fitness photography video below, taking you into the world of a fitness photoshoot, what goes on, posing, and lighting setups. See our set of images below from the session. 

Em x

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

Let's create something beautiful!