Hey everyone! Ashley is back today with a few tips for taking better yoga photos. Having quality images to promote your classes, workshops and other offerings is huge when it comes to marketing, so knowing a few tricks of the trade can be really helpful in building your business. At Namaslay® YTT we send each graduate home with marketing photos, and include a mini-yoga photoshoot with the Business and Marketing Intensive Workshops, too. Having a professional photographer and a DLSR camera is great, but you can get some great shots with your smartphone and good lighting. I hope this helps! If you want to come take some photos with us at Namaslay® YTT (and the breathtaking backdrops in Santorini) or the Business and Marketing Intensive Workshop at Namaslay® Studios, we have a spot for you! xo - Candace
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I’ve never loved being in photos myself, but I have always enjoyed finding a nice frame. Until I started teaching yoga and working with YBC®, most of my photos have been of flowers, animals, and shots of the beautiful places I’ve visited. I would always just snap a picture with my phone, maybe edit it with a filter, and call it a day, but after attending two Namaslay® Yoga Teacher Trainings, two Business and Marketing Retreats, and hosting a weekend of workshops at Namaslay® Studios, it’s becoming more and more clear I need to up my game. My mom was kind enough to let me borrow her Nikon D3400, so I can learn how to shoot manually for our future events. I’m not a pro-photographer yet, but I’m finding it, like most things, takes practice. Between talking with experienced photographers and my own experience assisting Candace, I’ve come up with a few solid tips to help you take better yoga photos.
1. Use natural light whenever possible.
Whether you’re on the beach, in front of a foreign landmark, or in your own back yard, the lighting is the biggest factor at play in a beautiful image. Overhead lights and fluorescents can cause weird shadows that are tough to overcome without some editing skills, so try to schedule some time during golden hour, that window of time just after sunrise and just before sunset, to take some photos in the softer sunlight.
Namaslay® Studios teacher, Kait Ferguson
2. Consider your audience and try a variety of poses.
Are you teaching an arm balance workshop soon? A handstand or flying pigeon pose will look great to market your event and will instill a sense of credibility for potential students. Trying to promote your weekly Yoga for Beginners class? You might opt for something a little more accessible. A seated twist, a meditation shot featuring your favorite mudra, or anything expansive, like a Warrior II, looks great on camera and communicates your teaching isn’t all about the advanced inversions. Choose postures and photos that embody the aspect of your teaching or practice style you want to feature. Oh, and if you go for the backbend photo, be sure you warm up first. Don’t risk your body for the ‘gram!
3. Do you to feel confident.
Being in front of the camera can cause anxiety for some of us (me!), so I’d recommend wearing something that makes you feel radiant/beautiful/confident/fierce/insert high vibes feeling here. (These leggings have me shaking my booty in the bathroom mirror.) Solid white is tricky on camera and can wash you out, and logos can be distracting, so unless you’re sharing a certain brand, solid tops are a good choice. When it comes to makeup and hair, be yourself. If you love lipstick and a full face, go to town with your brushes! But if that doesn’t really feel like you, and people wouldn’t recognize you all done up for a photo, keep it to your usual aesthetic. Whatever you decide, once you’re finally camera ready, give yourself a few turnabouts in the mirror to remind yourself how FINE you are, and remember beauty radiates from within. Take a moment to close your eyes, breathe, and feel all the love inside you come to the surface and wash over you.
4. Get creative!
Try new variations. Take photos in interesting places, or just play with your angles. I like to see photos taken straight on in a Dancer’s Pose, with the camera in the natural drishti, or a cool shot of hands, feet, the details. A silhouette can be beautiful, and a simple headshot is a must. Have fun. Don’t judge yourself for the double chins (we all have that one angle…). And know that it’s normal to get plenty of terrible photos for every good one.
I hope this helps! I’d love to practice my skills with you at Namaslay® Studios for the Business and Marketing Intensive in January, and if you do put any of these tips to use, tag us on IG with the hashtag #ybcyogis, so I’m sure to see it!