MOST Magazine Fitness JUN'15 ISSUE NO.2 | Page 144

FMM: 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’s
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’t generally just shoot
and see what I will get. I really don’t 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.

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FITNESS

M A G A Z I N E || JUNE 2015 || EDITION 1

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’t 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.