Coming from SLR Lounge and Pye Jirsa is a great breakdown on how to use a three-point lighting setup to achieve more dramatic fitness or athletic portraits.
While drawing up a lighting diagram and some b-roll, Pye Jirsa tells a story from a fitness photoshoot he previously had shot with celebrity Tarek El Moussa that ended up going viral.
Fitness portraiture, although similar to most portraiture, has some subtle differences that can be difficult to master at first. If fitness is something you're interested in shooting or want to expand your editorial skill set, then check out this behind the scenes video. Jirsa does a great job explaining the reason for each step of the photoshoot, including positioning the model, the gear used, and even a little about the post-production.
The lighting setup itself is fairly simple and could be reproduced with just about any gear or in any location. With a beauty dish as his main light and two strip boxes on either side, the goal with his lighting positions is to create deep and dramatic shadows that sculpt and help define the body of the subject. Jirsa even gives some suggestions on different types of gear you can use if you do not have access to the same gear he uses.
What tips and tricks do you have for shooting fitness portraits?
Loved the out of camera info you showed. Really cool to learn from. Thx.