Should Photographers Have an Active Lifestyle?

"Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate." anon.

On my latest photoshoot, I was moving around a lot for a surprisingly small space. When I am in the middle of a session, I usually don’t think about how much I move—I just do. Big spaces, small spaces, inside, outside. I’m looking for angles, examining light, trying to balance my hands, and all sorts of other things. All the while, my body is being twisted, contorted, and bent into all strange positions; and although I don’t feel the body aches and pains right away, I certainly do the next day.

Based on how my body feels the next day, my photography sessions really tend to be a workout. Just like with exercise, if you’re not moving while photographing, you’re not doing it right. Of course, there are styles where being still is preferable, such as extreme wildlife (you don’t want the lion to hear or see you) and still portrait. Aside from these and few others, your photographer or you as a photographer will be moving.

Generally speaking, staying active is a necessity for any healthy lifestyle. You should keep a healthy lifestyle for maintaining your physical and mental well-being. While every job does not require strenuous activity being a photographer does require some activity; so, photographers should want to maintain an active lifestyle.

It goes without saying that most photographers stay on their feet. For this reason, endurance and energy are important. Exercise can be tiring but it does give the reward of improved energy and increased stamina. Both are vital to making it through a photoshoot. Could you imagine falling over at an elopement shoot thirty minutes in because you can’t keep your energy up? Yikes!

Exercise can also support strong mental health and well-being. Could you imagine walking on to a set or location to only meet a photographer whose serotonin levels are on 0? You want to come to a shoot that has a good atmosphere in place and work with someone who is kind. This intangible element is invaluable to having a great photoshoot and capturing stunning photos in result.

Finally, focus is also key—lens focus. You cannot recover a blurry photo. There’s only so much sharpening any program can do, so you want the photograph in focus in its raw format. A combination of points goes into getting that photo in focus and when taking away the technical (shutter speed), you’re left with the mechanical—a steady body and hands. Now, neither will get absolutely still, unless you’ve done training as a monk, but there is a noticeable difference between control and shaking. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help you with steadying your body and strengthening areas used for balance.

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Keeping an active lifestyle is a daily choice and one that has to be constantly pursued, but the benefits outweigh the burn and after a while, it won’t be so challenging. Keep some form of activity as a daily habit to not only stay fit but achieve that out-of-the-world shot.