Thinking of flexing your muscles on social media? Sharing your efforts and achievements in personal fitness can be achieved by taking photos. However, shooting that perfect fitness photo requires some special techniques.

The seven tips below will allow your photo to attract eyeballs, and possibly, the likes and views you deserve.

1. Play with the lighting

 

Photo: Sport Singapore

Lighting is everything in getting an Instagram-worthy picture. Using natural light will give your photo a healthy looking element. On the other hand, down lighting will give one the illusion of full, enormous muscles. The best time to shoot with natural light is during the early morning and late afternoon.

The key thing to remember when taking any photo is that no amount of editing can save a photo that is poorly lit. So whether you decide to use natural or artificial light, shoot one that has sufficient light to showcase your physique.

 

2. Pump it up!

That’s right. Flex your muscles and give them a glorious pump. This will definitely create an illusion of bigger muscles and vascularity.

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Photo: Sport Singapore

 

So how do you do this? Take a photo while performing generally low weights. This will force more blood into your muscles, making it increase in size. Try it the next time you take a photo and watch your social media views grow.

 

3. Shoot from different angles

Even the most normal fitness photo can look divine just from shooting at a different angle. Playing around with angles will give you unusual viewpoints and a unique photo.

It is easy to achieve this using techniques such as taking photos from the ground level. In addition, you could take the photo from high vantage points. Angles incite and provoke interests in those who view the photo. 

 

4. Express it!

 

Photo: Sport Singapore

Expressions mean everything in a photo. Using expressions to demonstrate emotions will add a very rare quality to your photo-context. Use your eyes to demonstrate determination, and your face to show satisfaction or even exhaustion.

People associate smiling with positive attributes such as friendliness. It is human nature to judge a photo based on its facial expressions. In light of this, apart from lifting weights in a photo, do drop a smile to complete the image.

 

5. Give your picture a tan

Judging from the fact that human beings are visual beings, it is in your best interest that you provide them with that element. The tan effect provides separations, enabling features to look more defined.

Tanning your photo makes your physique clear. Things such as veins appear more superficial, while muscles appear fuller and bigger. Use this effect to give clarity to your features.

 

6. To edit or not?

There is nothing wrong with editing. You can remove unwanted background, crop out the parts of your fit body you do not want highlighted. You may even edit to make the composition work for you.

However, there is everything wrong with poor editing.

Over-editing for example, is unappealing. It takes away the natural look of your fitness photo. If you are taking a fitness photo, chances are that you want all of it to appear real. Using too much filter will bring out the opposite effect.

For best results, use editing features sparingly. In that way, you still maintain the natural spark.

 

7. Caption the moment

Fitness photos represent a moment. Adding captions to your photo for Instagram will attract engagement. Captions allow people to bring in a part of themselves or personal experiences, hence relating with your photo. They may also inspire emotional feelings such as hope.

For example, a photo with a ‘before and after’ captioned-Where there is will, there is way- will attract people to notice your progress.

Captioning a photo does not require lots of brain work, it could even be a quote from your gym instructor.

With these tips above, your fitness photo is set to thrive on social media. Try them today!

 

 

This article was contributed by George Minton. George has been a camera enthusiast since 2008 and shares his interests and experience on his personal blog, Cameraseals, where you will find useful topics for both beginners and experts alike.