A taste of the shoot. More photos are in the full gallery further down the page. Click any photo to see it large.
Nathan was starting a new group training business, North Shore Group Training, and needed photos to launch it. He could have bought stock photos. Instead he asked me to photograph one of his real classes, outdoors on a harbourside lawn in Sydney, so the brand would look authentic and credible from the start. Here is how that personal trainer photography shoot worked, and what I'd photograph for any fitness business.
The brief: people exercising, and people having fun
The photos were mainly for social media. Nathan was also planning a website and local advertising, so he wanted a library of photos he could keep using for different jobs.
His brief was clear:- The whole group training together.
- People doing specific exercises.
- Nathan teaching people.
- People enjoying themselves and having fun.
- A mix of close-ups and wide shots that showed off the location.
Why a real class beats stock fitness photos
Stock fitness photos are easy to spot. The gym could be anywhere, and nobody who sees them will ever train with the people in them. For a start-up brand, that's a problem. Someone choosing a trainer wants to see who runs the session, where it happens, and whether the group looks like a place they'd fit in. That's why Nathan chose a real session over stock photos.
How the group fitness shoot ran
I photographed a live class. Nathan's clients came along, and he invited some friends too, so the class was bigger for the photos. A fuller group makes the wide shots look like a busy session.
The shoot was a mix of three kinds of photo. In-situation shots of the class working through exercises. Set-up shots, such as the whole group posed together with their gear. And lifestyle shots of the moments between sets.
The location did a lot of the work. The class trained on a park lawn by the harbour, with a marina, moored boats and a sandstone cliff in the background. Putting that backdrop behind the group shows people exactly what a class with Nathan looks like.
What I photographed
- Group exercises: dumbbell presses, kettlebell lunges, planks, side planks, glute bridges and medicine ball work.
- Boxing with gloves and pads.
- Nathan demonstrating moves and helping people with technique and stretches.
- Close-ups of individual people, and a few posed portraits.
- The equipment laid out on the grass.
- Breaks: water bottles, chats and plenty of laughing.
Close-ups of individual people are useful on social media. Each one shows a real person from the class, not a model from a photo library.
Nathan wanted people enjoying themselves, not just working hard. Group training sells the people as much as the workout. So I kept shooting between exercises, when people were chatting and laughing.
Where the photos were used
The photos were meant for social media, so Nathan had real class photos to post. He also said he would build a website, and he did. Some of the photos from this shoot went on it. The screenshot below is the homepage, with the class photos across the top.
A shot list for personal trainers and fitness businesses
If you run personal training or group fitness classes, this is the list I'd start with. Match it to what you plan to post and to each page of your website.
Your sessions
- Wide shots of the whole group training, with your location in the frame.
- Each signature exercise or class format you offer.
- Partner work, such as pad work or assisted stretches.
- Close-ups of effort, hands and equipment.
You as the trainer
- You demonstrating a move to the group.
- You correcting someone's technique one-on-one.
- You laughing with your clients.
- A portrait for your About page and social profiles.
The feel of your class
- Breaks, chats and high fives.
- A posed group photo with everyone smiling.
- Your equipment set out before the class starts.
Ask your regulars to come, and invite a few friends if your class is small. Check everyone is happy to appear on your website and social media before you start. And shoot in portrait and landscape, so you have photos for posts, stories and website banners.
Real photos of your class show people what they'll get before they book.
Group fitness photography in Sydney
Business photography starts at $495 for up to an hour, with up to 10 edited photos and a commercial licence. See business photography in Sydney for what's included.
Shoot details
Client
North Shore Group Training
Industry
Group personal training
Where
A harbourside park in Sydney
Photographed
A live outdoor group class: exercises, boxing, teaching, breaks and group shots
Used for
Social media and the business website
The full gallery
More photos from the North Shore Group Training class. Click any photo to see it large.
Need photos of your training classes?
I can photograph your class, your coaching and your location in one session, anywhere in Sydney. Business photography starts at $495 for up to an hour, with up to 10 edited photos.
