Hey Yogi's and Photographers! If you came here to get some tips on shooting beautiful yoga photos then you are in the right place. I'll get into some of my favorite tips in a minute but first let's talk about the planning involved.
Planning a photoshoot can take time. Time to plan the location, the concept, the lighting setup and so on. If your concept is pretty specific then you'll probably also spend time searching for a team to help assist you. If planning out details really isn't your thing then no worries. Sometimes going with the flow works out rather well! Plenty of my shoots have gone well with just having a general plan and an open mind.
Dean - @thetaoofdean
TIP 1: Allow time for the subject to stretch before you start shooting.
Personally, I feel like this is pretty self explanatory but for the sake of talking about an important tip, we are going to add it in. Just like athlete's, Yogi's have to warm up their muscles and joints. I typically allow my subject a good 15 minutes to stretch out and get warmed up. This way my Yogi will be able to get deep into postures with much less trouble. Also, safety first!! While they are stretching, you can spend time setting everything up.
Mel - @melliecay
Bev - @threeebeverley
TIP 2: Detail shots go well with full body shots.
This might sound like not a big detail to pay attention to. I assure you though, getting a good detail shot will only add greatness to your set. For example, getting a shot of your Yogi with prayer hands to third eye center has a lot of visual interest. Everyone and their sister want to look like Instagram Yogi's these days so create a story through each photo. Moral of this tip is to use your creative eye to find those interesting detail shots.
Paris - @paris.coleman
TIP 3: Bring a list of the poses you want to shoot and refer to the list in between.
Preparation is KEY!! Putting together a list with your Yogi before the shoot will save you both time. Instead of scrambling to figure out the next pose, go through a list. This makes the shoot flow a bit easier. I always ask my Yogi what postures are their strengths and go from there. Start with simple on the mat postures and then work your way up to standing.
Check out the Behind The Scenes video for more fun below!