Why I Enjoy Fitness Photography…
Arnold Schwarzenegger, gaining the edge over his competition by employing a ballet instructor to help his posing routine - photo George Butler.
While fitness and gym related photography isn’t the only type of photography that I enjoy shooting - it does combine my love for strength training, my knowledge of the fitness industry, and my passion for the artistic and creative side of environmental portraiture and photography.
When I was growing up I was an avid reader and always loved high quality illustrated/photo-heavy glossy coffee table books and while I devoured novels, I always loved the combination of artwork and graphic design with the written word. There are two books that I can remember which had an impact on me, one I can’t remember the name of but I bought it at a school fete and was a photographic history of Hammer Films, the classic gothic hollywood film studio who made household names of the likes of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Oliver Reed. If you’re in any way knowledgeable of film and horror history then you can imagine the powerfull stills contained in the book.
The other coffee table style book that had a significant impact on me as a young boy was Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Potrait by George Butler. The book was released in 1990 and I got my copy for Christmas the following year, by which time I was (like many boys growing up in the 80’s and 90’s) fully obsessed with all things Arnold Schwarzenegger. This was at the peak of Arnold’s popularity, Terminator 2 had just been released and taken over the world, on the back of his hot streak of Predator, The Running Man, Twins, Total Recall and Kindergarten Cop. Arnold was the biggest movie star in the world both figuratively and physically, but what I hadn’t realised at that point in time was exactly what had propelled Arnold into that action movie icon stratosphere and upon reading the book I come to understand that without bodybuilding and the monumental physique that Arnold had built in his younger years, none of the movies I loved so much would have been possible.
Do yourself a favor and track this down if you can.
The book is both written and illustrated by Arnold’s good friend and Pumping Iron director George Butler. George was a photographic journalist who first met Arnold when he was assigned to cover the Mr Universe competition in the 70’s, and bear in mind that at this time Bodybuilding was a nothing sport and probably more looked upon as something equivalent to a circus sideshow. George, as a photographer, was immediately fascinated with the impressive physiques that the men displayed and found the melodrama of the stage show entertaining but it was clearly Arnold who captured the limelight. His physique was unmatched at the time, coupled with an exotic name and a ton of charisma, Butler knew he’s stumbled upon a star. He then raised money to make Pumping Iron and the rest is history.
The book told a fascinating rags to riches story, but it was Butler’s black and white photography that truly captured my imagination, every single shot told a story and were all composed beautifully. The book is full of a mixture of candid behind the scene shots and both posed and relaxed, environmental portraits. The photos showcasing Arnold’s physique were lit superbly and every shot is in focus with no distractions.
It was my first exposure to a portrait photography book and while I didn’t realise it at the time, it would have an impact some 30 years later when I decided to get a camera and start exploring the artform for myself. Like every other person on the planet, 2020 was a crazy year for me and after losing my job and sitting around on the couch for a few months I decided I needed to explore something creative. Playing music in a band, which I’d done for many years prior was not an option, and with a tax return came the opportunity get myself an entry level Canon m50, a crop sensor camera that does a fantastic job of imitating a larger, more professional DSLR. I began consuming a ton of content on youtube and got in the habit of taking the camera everywhere with me as the world began to open up, including the Strongman gym that I attend here on the Gold Coast. As a strongman competitor myself I knew the angles and the shots that I liked and began shooting at the gym in earnest, taking photos of my coach Coco who is a World’s Strongest Man competitor and Australia’s Strongest Man champion, as well as the members training and hanging out about the gym. Before long I began contributing to the social media content for the gym and once I had become a little more confident in my abilities both with the camera nd in the editing process I began shooting competitions at the gym.
It made sense for me to blend two of my passions, having a sound knowledge of strength sports, the fitness world overall and being an avid sports lover, I understand how the body moves, what angles look good, how to capture unique moments of power, aggression, reflection, focus, disappointment, elation and all emotions in between. I can definitely feel George Butler’s influence when it comes to the intention he put it into each photograph and the gentle balance between intensity, intimacy and more candid moments.
I hope to bring a little bit of George Butler magic with me to every shoot.
