BACKWORKS Product Photography for Pilates & Fascia Treatments
In 2016 we were approached to help create a complete branding package for BackWorks – a health and wellness company with a focus on Pilates, Deep Stretching and Nordic Walking. We met with our client, Tiina Aarnio, in early spring for our kick-off meeting. We were creating the branding from scratch, which meant coming up with a fresh new logo, designing business cards, product photography, flyers, posters, as well as a visually appealing and user-friendly website.
To convey a high standard and level of professionalism on the BackWorks.ch website we wanted use as much professional, custom imagery as possibly. To ensure that the images were both unique as well as aesthetically related we organized two photoshoots with volunteers to show the Pilates and Fascia sessions in action.
The first photoshoot was a Pilates Group Session hosted in a Fitness studio in Wädenswil. One of the first things we noticed when arriving on location was the clutter on the backside of the room: tables and shelves, sports equipment, stacks of chairs. All of these things were visible in the mirrored wall we would be shooting towards.
Even with a bit of cleaning and neat stacking, the elements didn’t fit with the clean and calm atmosphere we wanted to show on the images.
So, we flipped the tables and built a wall. Using a shallow depth of field we kept the background clutter out of focus.
Using a tighter angle and a shallow depth of field, we solve the problem of the cluttered background
Using available window and indoor light, a range of images was captured to allow for narrow banners, full-sized image blocks, half-page headers, as well as vertical poster formats.
Examples of the photos in use can be seen at the end of this post.
Photoshoot for Fascia Treatment
The next photoshoot was for the Fascia Treatment sessions, for which we had a small room with one tiny window available. The room had just been refurbished with wood floors and freshly painted walls, so the walls and corners were still rather bare.
We used what was available and staged a fitness/massage room with chairs, fresh towels, plants, some reading material and a few specific props like the muscle diagram and sports equipment in the background.
Our good friend and personal trainer John from DunkingJuice.fitness volunteered as a model for the Facia treatment.
Testing the artificial lighting (notice the flash silhouette) against the natural light coming from the window above.
The sunlight shining through the little window created very harsh light, so we softened it with a towel and kept it out of frame. To light the foreground we used strobes shot through diffuser umbrellas to light both the subject as well as the walls around them.
With a very basic setup, the wider angles didn't quite have the professional look we were looking for
By getting close and focusing on the details, the intricate methods of the treatment are highlighted
Details of the treatment in the foreground with plants, chairs, and towels staged in the background for ambience
Putting It All Together
The final step was to put together all of the marketing assets like flyers, posters, and website with the new imagery. A suitable selection for each medium was essential in making all of the marketing materials look unified, relevant, and enticing. Samples of the images in use can be seen below.
Pilates photos on printed flyers
Banners and header images on the mobile-friendly website
Making sure that all materials looks good across platforms and devices
You can see the final result on www.backworks.ch.
Thanks to the Tiina, the pilates volunteers, and John from dunkingjuice.fitness for modeling!
In the final section of this case study we will be looking at putting everything together in digital form to create a user-friendly website that is both informative but also aesthetically fitting pleasing.
For an insight into the graphic design and branding concept behind this project, check out part 1 of the case study here.
If you'd like to learn more about our projects and services, you can reach us anytime at hello@gipfelicollective.ch
