LATEST WORK: CrossFit: Personal Project

Shot 1: Brandon Caskey – Dumbbell Pushup Row – Nikon D800: 70-200mm f/8.0 @ 1/200th ISO 320

Last month, I decided to do something different and shoot CrossFit-the popular, if masochistic, fitness program that is whipping people into shape across the country. In just a single day we photographed local CrossFit athletes doing what they do best in a gym in South Lake Tahoe, and came away with some fantastic results. I’m pleased to share my favorite images from the shoot here. Also I want to tell you about the process that went into the production. This shoot was unique in that it wasn’t for an assignment, magazine or company. It was for myself.

Most of the work I do is on assignment for clients who want me to help them tell a particular story through motion, stills or both. This work pays the bills, and I’m lucky enough to really enjoy it, too. But I strongly believe that, periodically, it’s really important to take the time to tackle your own personal project: work that doesn’t have a home with a client. Creative work that is, simply, just for yourself.

Shot 3: Brandon Caskey – Portrait – Nikon D800                            Shot 2: Aisha Zaza – Rings – Nikon D800                                    16-35mm f/8.0 @ 1/200th ISO 320                                               24-70mm f/11.0 @ 1/200th ISO 200

Why are personal projects important? Well, aside from the obvious reason-that you’ll inevitably choose to tell stories that you’re inherently interested in or passionate about-personal projects are an opportunity to experiment and take some risks. To learn new skills and techniques. To stretch and flex new mental muscles, broaden your skill set, and diversify your catalog of work. If all goes well, maybe that personal project will lead to a new client, or at the very least, help existing clients think of you in a new light.

The idea to shoot CrossFit originated when I decided I wanted to shoot indoors and work with studio lights. Much of my professional work has revolved around hanging on a rope, shooting strong climbers in dramatic outdoor vertical landscapes and using natural light. I wanted to stage a shoot indoors where there would be no risk of falling snow or ice, no fear of my rope snapping and my feet, for once, would be firmly planted on the ground. Stripping away the layer of logistics and objective hazards that I normally deal with would allow me the space to just simply focus on my core camera work and creativity.

Shot 3: Del Lafountain – Kettlebell – Nikon D800:                        Shot 7: Justin Bruce – Rope Climb – Nikon D800:                         24-70mm f/4.0 @ 1/125th ISO 800                                              70-200mm f/11.0 @ 1/200th ISO 100

But I didn’t want to just shoot still lifes; I want to shoot something athletic and interesting. CrossFit, in this sense, was not a huge departure from my portfolio of adventure images, but more of a logical tangent to it.

We assembled a team on a shoestring budget. I asked six friends, who actively do CrossFit in their free time, to be out models. Our intern, Christian Fernandez, would serve as photo assistant, Marina, my wife, would be in charge of makeup and hair and Del Lafountain and his partners, kindly allowed us to use South Tahoe CrossFit, on a free Saturday afternoon. In exchange our friends at South Tahoe CrossFit and the models would be allowed to use the photos for their own purposes. The biggest expense was flying in my friend Bryan Liscinsky, a talented lighting tech from Southern California.

The process for this personal project was very similar to one I’d use if I were working for a client. I scouted the gym the day before, walking around with a pencil and paper and taking notes on how to make the most of this environment. I noted interesting backdrops and crucial foreground objects. I identified different things the models could be doing-kettlebell swings, squats, rowing, rings, etc. My challenge and goal (as always) was to create the most visually diverse set of images possible in this small indoor space.

Notes from scouting South Lake CrossFit gym and initial thoughts on a shot list and camera set ups.

My vision was to get a set of unique commercial-quality images with a high-contrast look-very dramatic, hard-edge light. We brought in four Profoto Pro-7b 1200 flash units, which gave us enough juice to run seven Profoto ProHeads and a Profoto ProRing. We set up Chimera Pro II medium strip lightbanks on the side, positioned lightbanks overhead and worked with an additional Softlight Reflector – a.k.a. “Beauty Dish”. We even set up a fog machine to create a moodier atmosphere.

We also experimented with using Litepanel LEDS to give us that extra bit of nuanced control over the ambient lighting.

A few behind the scenes video screen grabs from the Nikon D600. In addition to our Nikon System, we used Profoto strobes, Chimera Light modifiers, Litepanels LEDs, Photoflex LitePanels, Pocket Wizard units, Manfrotto stands, Westcott Scrim Jim, and grip equipment.

The day of the shoot was amazing. I learned a lot, honed some new skills and reinforced old ones. The team worked together well, and the models definitely enjoyed their “CoreyFit” workout. (“Can you lift that 50-pound kettlebell over your head just one more time, please?”)

I think the images speak for themselves, but the story behind them is really that I got to be my own client for a day. I am definitely looking forward to more personal projects like this one. In fact, swimming and racquetball shoots are already penciled into the calendar, and please take a minute to check out a special portfolio of fitness images on our website. I hope you are inspired to get out and enjoy your own personal project.

A huge thanks to all our friends who help us out on the shot and ultimately made this possible: Del Lafountain, Michele Gregory, Tim Anderson and the crew at South Tahoe CrossFit, Aisha Zaza, Brandon Caskey, Bryan Liscinsky, Christian Fernandez, Josh Marianelli, Justin Bruce, Julia Arcamone, Marina Rich, and Wynn Ruji. Special thanks to Adobe, Chimera Lighting, Litepanels, Manfrotto, Nikon, Pocket Wizard, Profoto, and Nik Software.