Welcome to the 3-part blog post series #WeAreAlpha, an ongoing fitness test shoot series of personal work.

“And we gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn…. We gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn…”

While those catchy Ellie Goulding Lyrics mesh with one of my favorite Burning Man videos, they also epitomize the feeling in my quads & lungs after an Alpha training workout… inspiring the concepts and images produced last Thursday at the Lifetime Fitness in St. Louis Park, MN.

I enjoy flexing creative muscles and look forward to concept shoots. After weeks of planning, the results showcase my skills, ambitions, and creativity to produce a consistent body of work with a tight turnaround. Any commercial portraiture production experiences similar real world challenges.

#WeAreAlpha

For the last 18 months, I’ve sweated and limped for days after workouts only to come back stronger than ever (I’ve beat all of my college PRs in squat, clean, deadlift, pull-ups, and clap pushups). The athletes that join me in bi-weekly Alpha Training classes have become not just steadfast workout companions, but we have forged friendships stronger than iron. Heck, the cross-fit style workouts inspired my Halloween costume with Willy.

The shoot started out with a friendly request for a headshot, “You know, just a few snaps.”

My response: “That isn’t what I do. I can do better.”

With a hefty dose of creativity, lighting magic, and a few tricks, what started as simple head shots morphed into a creative project of portfolio images, commercial in caliber, and documented the community of passionate athletes I call friends.

Create . Share . Sustain . Grow

I modify steal Chase Jarvis’ model “Create Share Sustain” by adding the important word: Grow. Money doesn’t buy longterm creative happiness. To avoid hitting a plateau, creatives should always be fearful of the slow death spiral. You never hit a plateau: you either grow & improve or become weak. This parallels: business, life, friendships, health, fitness… and creativity.

Creating work I love sustains me. It allows me to showcase my abilities to future clients, as well as grow my creative muscles and business. Win. WIn. WIN. WIN!

In sum, self-producing a body of images helps me find joy in creativity!

The Challenge & Solution

Our campaign was designed to foster a sense of place and community within the Lifetime Fitness Alpha training program. Who knows- Images hanging in the facility and viewed on social media may increase awareness, with possible growth to the bottom-line.

• The challenge: the Alpha program hasn’t grown since inception as much as a business plan might predict, and an instructor may wish. In fact, when a participate called to check times for a Sunday workout, facility staff had never heard of the program (not good!).
• The solution: improve awareness of the program’s unique INDIVIDUAL benefits in a series of images to motivate and inspire. Something that would resonate in their own community… A vehicle for delivery could occur on two platforms: 1) leverage social media (#WeAreAlpha) 2) Hang a print campaign in the facility promoting the people that participate.

Think Lululemon inspirational decor meets Outside magazine gear ad. The camaraderie. The intenseness. Images hanging in place where the real work (and business) gets done.

>> Click here to read part 2: New Portraits.

Gear for this Shoot

Camera: PhaseOne 645 DF with PhaseOne IQ 160 digital back
Lens: Schneider Kreuznach 55mm and 80mm f/2.8 LS lenses.
Main Power source: Broncolor Move 1200 L power pack
Main Modifers: Broncolor Para 88 reflector, Two 1’x4’ strip banks with grids, beauty dish with white diffuser
Fill Power source: Two Paul C Buff Vagabond Mini Lithium power packs
Fill Modifers: AlienBees ABR800 Ringflash

Credits

Concept / Design : R. J. Kern {Me}
Lighting / Photography:
Athletes: Brian Fox, Ryan Appleby, Brooke Robertson, Andrew Long-Middleton, Rhett Gaddes, Charlie Adair, Ryan Deshler, David Scherber, and R. J. Kern
Stylist / Hair / Makeup: {Me}
Tonal & Color Post-Production / Retouching / Layout: {Me}