Page 144 - Demo

144 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || JUNE 2015 || EDITION 1FMM: How did you get started in photography?BL: I went to school for Graphic Design and took black and white photography classes there. It was my first experience doing what I love to do.FMM: Are you a self-taught photographer? How difficult was it to learn the skills on your own?BL: I did take photography classes in college, but interestingly enough they really talked more about being an artist and the black and white film development and printing techniques than anything else. I taught myself everything I know about light and shadow, exposure, using lighting and mixing my lights with ambient light. They never even broached that kind of thing in college. I have found that most of what I do is instinctual. It%u2019s not rocket science, but you need to be a problem solver with vision. You cannot be lazy and just accept that good is good enough. You have to want perfection. FMM: Are you an exclusive fitness photographer or do you shoot other styles as well? How would you describe your style?BL: Far from it-I am a commercial photographer so I shoot advertising, food, products, head shots, etc. as well as fitness. I would describe my style as clean and commercial. I like to shoot and process my images so that they are bold, but with a clean look to them-lots of contrast and interest. I tend to shoot like a designer with layout or usage in mind when I shoot. I don%u2019t generally just shoot and see what I will get. I really don%u2019t shoot what I would call artsy style images either. I like my work to look like I actually know what I am doing. The intentionally strange looking images that are sometimes popular are not my style at all.FMM: Do you remember your first fitness shoot?BL: My first fitness shoot was with a fitness competitor who wanted to do some magazine submissions. She and I both wanted to push into the fitness magazines. It didn%u2019t happen at that time though. It took a few tries before I got an editor to look at my stuff. Print space is a premium and editors do not give it out lightly.FMM: What do you look for in a perfect fitness model?BL: For a female fitness model I look for a combination of a great physique, a pretty face, and a good attitude. The perfect fitness body and the perfect mindset will produce beautiful images.FMM: Do you only shoot professional models?BL: Not at all-a lot of the fitness models that I shoot are not really models at all. They are athletes with the potential to model. I am good at getting new models to give me the poses and expressions I want in order to achieve whatever the goals are for the shoot.FMM: Are you mostly an indoor or outdoor photographer?BL: No. I shoot both indoors and outdoors. I have a studio in Millersville, Maryland where I shoot as well as in gyms and on location all over the world. However, my ability to light things the way I want and the control that a studio affords is why I love the studio.FMM: Do you teach photography in your studio?BL: I do. I have given one on one lessons as well as group photography workshops of all kinds in the studio and on location.