The following article is a guest post by Carolyn who recently experienced a portfolio photography session after reaching her amazing fitness goals. From the first phone call it was evident this was going to be a great and fun shoot – Carolyn had very specific ideas in regard to style of images, fashion and photography locations or sets for each of the looks she was after.
There is much more to the story than the photography session, here’s Carolyn to fill you in on her journey.
Everyone needs something to motivate them and a goal to achieve. After all that’s what life is about…
For me, being a busy working Mum with three kids, getting fit was always going to be a bit of a challenge. You lose your identity in the blur of nappies, meals, housework and so on.
Could I actually get to a level like that?
People say ‘oh you will get fit just running around after your kids!’ Well, you don’t exactly ‘run around’ you drive around a lot, you eat on the go, and there isn’t a lot of structured exercise in between!
So in 2008 when my youngest was about 18 months old, I took my first ‘baby’ steps into a gym.
I tried it out for a couple of months, just to see if I could make it work. I could manage to squeeze in a few sessions a week – Saturday mornings and some afternoons once my husband Michael came home from work.
So I thought I’d pay the membership for a year. Now I was committed. I don’t like to waste money, so I treated getting fit like a uni course. I paid for it, and I was going to get my moneys worth.
Let’s get physical
I joined a small gym, so made lots of friends and got to see some regular faces, in a way it was a kind of team. The owner of the gym was going to compete in a bodybuilding competition and this piqued my interest. Could I actually get to a level like that? Why not? So I went to a couple of local competitions and started to take my training and diet up a notch. I researched online and found the amazing Jennifer Wickham (who is the one that put me onto Impact Images!) an Australian figure champion and my mentor.
After meeting with Jenny, she put me in touch with TMB Training who immediately trained me like an athlete with his calm and professional manner. My training went up another level and I started to see a big transformation in my body.
My husband Michael provided me with amazing support during this time, even attending my training where he could so he could learn how to train me himself. He even ate the same foods I was eating in order to strip down for the competition.
My kids were also very supportive and even though I was training a fair bit, I don’t feel like I gave them any less attention. Instead of sitting for an hour watching television, I would train and then tell my kids about what I was doing and how important it is to stay healthy to be able to do more things with them and also to be around a lot longer to see them grow up.
In September 2012, after training with my personal trainer for 18 months, (but more intensively for 6 months) I competed in my first ever competition in Newcastle gaining silver in the Novice Figure category! I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t expect to place and there I was with a silver trophy in my hands!
I had not only ‘graduated’ from my fitness goals, but had done so with Honours!
To celebrate this achievement, I asked Jennifer Wickham if she knew any photographers that could capture my peak level of fitness. She immediately told me about Andrew Hellmich of Impact Images. I looked up the gallery to see the most fantastic shots of Jenny posing on a beach rock platform, glistening like a goddess in the sun!
The giddy school girl plans a shoot
So I started thinking about what I’d like out of a photo shoot, I definitely wanted some fitness/gym shots, but I also wanted some fun shots…in a dress! I really liked the pin-up look and came across Rachel King of ‘Oh Lucy!’ An online shop that sells pinup style clothes and accessories. I contacted Rachel and she agreed to come help with my shoot and provide some clothes! I couldn’t believe my luck.
Carolyn with Rachel and Lee who were responsible for styling and make up for the shoot.
For hair and makeup, I hired the brilliant Lee Hanly who I had met on another volunteer shoot previously. Lee has the ability to bring out the very best of what you have and also assists with the shoot, seamlessly fixing my dress position, touching up makeup. Extremely professional!
With Andrew’s awesome direction, I went from giddy school girl, to vixen vamp!
And that brings me to Andrew! Wow. Having barely been photographed like this before, I was quite nervous going into the shoot and knowing how to pose for the camera. Andrew asked me to send him some photos and styles that I liked beforehand and then managed to get me to pose just like that to replicate the look! With Andrew’s awesome direction, I went from giddy school girl, to vixen vamp!
Pin up style, sexy and fun was the brief… I think we achieved all three!
It was the most exhilarating experience getting such a professional shoot. And a perfect reward for the months of intense training that proceeded it. Some people would tuck into a chocolate mudcake – I got a perfect photo shoot that will last forever!
Many people wait for special occasion to get a photo shoot done. Or only ever get photos with their family. I say book a shoot just for YOU! And you don’t have to wait until you have completed a body building competition. Just get one to celebrate life!
Where to from here?
Well there is no limit really. I will continue to train and would like to compete again in a few years, in the meantime I want to learn new things, new activities and not hold back. Since the shoot, I have helped out a few friends promote their wedding coordinator business by posing as the bride and also posed for Central Coast Community College for their new company branding. I enjoy helping other people and I would love to do some promotional and fitness modelling work and tell people about my fitness journey, just like I have here!
Big thank you to Impact Images for providing me with a memento to represent possibly the happiest, healthiest time in my life!
Thank You Carolyn
Thanks so much for your contribution and kind words Carolyn – what an inspiration you are! I love stories of anyone that has a goal, sets out on the path and reaches it after some seriously hard work and commitment. To me, that is what life is all about and you, Carolyn are living it the way it should be… simply awesome!
Central Coast model portfolio photography sessions are becoming increasingly popular and often it’s for girls that have no intention of pursuing any work in the modelling industry. I’ve found that many of our shoots are for girls that simply want some great photos of themselves either for themselves or their partners. If, like Carolyn you find yourself in the shape of your life and want to capture some great images, don’t put it off, it could be the best thing you ever did.
Want to see more examples of this style of photography we can provide and the pricing, click here.
