Nobody likes stock photography. Especially the kind you'd use on your fitness website, but without a big budget to hire a professional photographer, a lot of personal trainers are left wondering how to take high-quality photos for their website.
Photography equipment is expensive, and learning the software takes time. But if you have a smartphone with a good quality camera, you probably have everything you need for website quality photos already! This article will show you how to make the best of the equipment you already have to get your personal trainer website populated with relevant, quality images that are obviously personal and Google loves.
1. Use Gridlines To Help Compose Your Shot
Getting the balance of the image right at the time you take it is easier than trying to fix this in the editing stage. So turning on gridlines in the settings of your phone’s camera can help to create a sense of balance as well as straighten wonky lines in the image.
2. Set Your Focal Point
The focal point is the part of your image which is sharply in focus. This ensures your image isn’t blurred, and that the viewer’s eye is drawn to the part of the picture you’d like them to be looking at. In some camera settings, it can also create a pleasant background blur called “bokeh”. To set your focal point, simply tap the phone screen on the part of the image you’d like to be sharply in focus before taking the photo.
3. Have A Clear Subject In Frame
If you’re taking a photo of your client celebrating after a workout, framing them properly in the shot by looking all around the edge of the image and making sure you’ve not chopped off the top of their head or their arms will be important.
4. Use Negative Space
This is the area of your image that does not contain your subject. It could be a large wall or an expanse of open sky. Put the subject of the photo in no more than one third of the image and leave two-thirds blank for a dramatic effect.
This is especially important if you're going to use the image as a website header image because you'll need some room for the header text and call to action. Like this:
This is especially important if you're going to use the image as a website header image because you'll need some room for the header text and call to action. Like this:
5. Repetitive Patterns
These create a strong graphic element to your photo. Look for lines, geometric shapes or colours which repeat. They create a striking photo, and inside a gym you might find it in lined up equipment, stacked barbells and plates or even repetitive floor tiles.
6. Experiment With Leading Lines
These are lines within the picture that “lead” the eye to a particular part of the scene. They can be circular or straight, but direct the eye through the image. You could find them in a gym by shooting up a staircase and putting the bannister in the foreground or create them by shooting along a barbell.
7. Leave Your Zoom Function Alone
Inside of staying still and zooming in on your subject, try to get physically closer instead. This keeps the image from becoming pixelated and blurry. When you zoom to magnify an image, all the tiny movements of your hand become magnified too so it’s much harder to get a good quality shot. If getting closer isn’t possible, you could take the image from a zoomed out position and then crop it down later.
8. Change Perspective
Rather than taking the image at eye level, consider changing it up. Lying on the floor and shooting up to make your client look like a hero, or climbing up high to get a shot from above can give context and add a story to the photo.
9. Use Natural Light
Don’t be tempted to overdo the flash. If you’re shooting in low light conditions - touching the screen where you want it to focus will allow the phone to balance the light itself. You’ll get better results leaving the flash out of it.
10. Use Reflections
Look for opportunities to use reflections - such as puddles, mirrors and metallic surfaces to get a photo of your client that really stands out. The added bonus of this is that they often feel more natural because the client isn’t looking directly into the camera.
11. Consider Symmetry
Symmetry can create a sense of proportion and balance in your image. It’s one of the most simple ways to create a pleasing image - and if you mastered gridlines, this one is easy to achieve. Look to create two equal halves in your photo that reflect each other.
12. Clean Your Lens
You’ll have your phone in your sweaty pockets and it will be covered in fluff. Before taking your photo, cleaning your lens will make a big difference to the clarity of the image. Ideally, use a microfibre cloth, but for your phone lens, even a wipe on your t-shirt will be better than nothing.
13. Focus On The Details
Making the focal point of your shot a minor detail, such as the intricate knurling on a barbell, can create a compelling sense that the viewer can almost feel the bar themselves. They’re able to project themselves inside that image. Adding a little sharpening in your edit can enhance this effect even further.
13. Use a Tripod
A small, Gorillapod style attachment can attach to your phone and be set up just about anywhere. Freestanding like a normal tripod, but flexible to be attached to a rig or pull up bar, you can get some really creative shots using a tripod - and these are small enough to be left in your gym bag all the time.
15. Learn How To Edit
Taking some time to learn the basics of editing software can make the difference between a good photo and a great photo. VSCO is a powerful place to start, with options for mobile versions of Photoshop and Lightroom available for a small monthly fee if you need more powerful creative options.
Conclusion
When uploading any images onto your personal trainer website, remember to optimise them for loading speed by shrinking them and add metadata for SEO. For more ways on how you can make your personal trainer website look professional, check out this article.