Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Athletic Nudes with Tanya

Physique competitor Tanya came to the studio to take part in the Athletic Nude series. She had incredibly dense muscles that showed perfectly on camera. We did a lot of powerful poses to show off the different muscle groups. She was a real pleasure to photograph.

Back and leg flex

Rear Double Bicep

Back and shoulders

- The Athletic Implied Nudes series is an exploration of the human body under muscle stress— understanding the body’s strength, flexibility, and power. Clean backgrounds, hard lighting, and black & white photography work together to eliminate distractions and highlight the muscle groups and figure of my subjects.

Beginning with Mixed Martial Artists and Boxers, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly firing muscle groups at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to freeze my subjects at the peak of their motion. Discovering a better understanding of the human form with this project has transitioned into my commercial fitness work, maximizing composition and positioning to best showcase the human form.

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Pinup Shoot with April

International model April Hutchinson and I have been wanting to shoot again for a while and finally found the time. We did a couple of quick set, because when you work with a good model you only need a short time. Including her fight April and I have probably shot together 7 or 8 times now. Here are the edited images from the shoot.

Playing around with the new ceiling mount in the studio.

Getting dressed into bunker gear.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Dance with Hannah and Ashlyn

Hannah and Ashlyn came to the studio to play with some lighting so I could show one of my Fanshawe students a long exposure setup. The afternoon went really as both dancers were enthusiastic even though they had come from a 5 hour practice. We got some good images en pointe and had a lot of fun.

Long exposure twirl with fabrics

Starting with a flash

Setup of the above images. - Photo credit Jes Hernandez.

En point with fabrics

Double exposure dancer

- London Dance Photo - I am Mark Ruddick, an experienced photographer working in London, ON. I enjoy photographing dancers and really appreciate the athleticism and artistry involved. Coming from a fight photography background, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly moving subjects at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to capture my subjects at the peak of their motion in an artistic way.

Let me capture the photos that move you.

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Dance Shoot with Emma

Little Emma Lee came to the studio to show off her dance moves and play. Super cute kid. I love working with kids (former cub leader for 11 years) You give them the stage and let the poses just happen. I’m happy to design shorter sessions for young dancers with lots of pictures to share with family and friends.

You don’t need a lot of moves when you’re this cute.

Big smiles

Modelling is hard work

- London Dance Photo - I am Mark Ruddick, an experienced photographer working in London, ON. I enjoy photographing dancers and really appreciate the athleticism and artistry involved. Coming from a fight photography background, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly moving subjects at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to capture my subjects at the peak of their motion in an artistic way.

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Athletic Nudes with Gregory and Christina

I put out a call for interested parties in September for my athletic nude series. Gregory and Christina answered the call for right after their respective fitness competitions. They had some great dynamic poses and I really enjoyed working with them both.

Classic bodybuilding is such a great category.

Great lines from lats to quads.

Christina had great flexibility and strength

We did a couple of images together.

- The Athletic Implied Nudes series is an exploration of the human body under muscle stress— understanding the body’s strength, flexibility, and power. Clean backgrounds, hard lighting, and black & white photography work together to eliminate distractions and highlight the muscle groups and figure of my subjects.

Beginning with Mixed Martial Artists and Boxers, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly firing muscle groups at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to freeze my subjects at the peak of their motion. Discovering a better understanding of the human form with this project has transitioned into my commercial fitness work, maximizing composition and positioning to best showcase the human form.

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

5 Tips for a Perfect Fitness Photo Shoot

Are you preparing for your first fitness photo shoot and need tips on making the best of it? Or maybe you've had a few sessions before and you'd like to present yourself as a true professional.

To make it in the fitness industry, you need to create a brand around yourself. This includes creating professional images to showcase your body and all the hard work you put into it.

Before you book a photoshoot, you need to plan ahead, find the best photographer for you and choose a location.

Keep reading to discover 5 great tips on getting the perfect fitness photoshoot.

1. Come Prepared

Before you start looking for a photographer, get clear on what you'd like to achieve with your photos. Find inspiration online, in magazines or from your favorite people in the industry. Think about the message you're trying to send with the pictures and make a list of poses you love.

When you book a photo shoot, don't come unprepared. Bring multiple outfits, props, makeup, and most importantly, great attitude. If you're not fully involved in the session, your photos will reflect that, no matter how talented the photographer is.

2. Find the Right Photographer

When you're planning a fitness photo shoot, spend a good amount of time researching for the right photographer.

To make sure they're a good fit, look at their portfolio, services, and testimonials. If possible, get recommendations and read reviews online.

You should be comfortable with the photographer and trust they'll do the best job. Hiring the cheapest on the list may lead to disappointment and wasted time, so be careful in your choice.

3. Find the Best Location

You can have a fitness photoshoot either in the photographer's studio or at a location of your choice. On-set photoshoots are pretty straightforward, but if you're on location, you'll need to consider backgrounds, changing into different outfits and the overall vibe of the photos.

Make a decision based on the purpose your photos will serve. Do you need them to get started in the fitness industry or promote yourself as a brand?

4. Plan Your Poses

When you're preparing for a fitness photo shoot, make sure to plan the poses in advance. You don't want to get stuck on ideas when you get to the studio, so make a list and practice them a little beforehand.

The photographer will also help you choose the best ones for you. If you can, bring someone to help you adjust the poses, and fix your hair and makeup.

5. Be Authentic

The only way to get the perfect fitness photos is to be confident in yourself.

You've worked hard on your body and health and now you have the chance to show it to the world in its best light.

Be original and authentic in your poses and always smile naturally.

Are you ready for your next fitness photo shoot?

Whether it's your first fitness photo shoot or you've done a couple before, every time is new and special.

Book a professional trustworthy photographer who'll make you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Finally, be yourself and let your personality shine through the photos.

Find more fitness inspiration on my blog or contact me today to book your first photo shoot.


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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Athletic Nudes - Caroline

Caroline and I had been trying to set up a time to shoot this series. The last time she was in show prep, I was moving studios and couldn’t have the new one ready in time. However when she competed at the UFE Worlds in Toronto in November we set something up. Caroline trains with Team Starr and came into the studio with great conditioning.

This is what Caroline had to say about the shoot.

“Absolutely amazed by what Mark can do in his studio. He is a lighting magician and knows how to show of fitness bodies which is a complete art form, many photographers cannot master. Mark was so friendly and made me feel very comfortable and it was great to see the results/images so instantly!!! Thanks again :-)”

Caroline had beautiful natural poses.

Obligatory rear double bicep shot.

Showing off her legs and core.

A different perspective on glutes, back and delts.

- The Athletic Implied Nudes series is an exploration of the human body under muscle stress— understanding the body’s strength, flexibility, and power. Clean backgrounds, hard lighting, and black & white photography work together to eliminate distractions and highlight the muscle groups and figure of my subjects.

Beginning with Mixed Martial Artists and Boxers, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly firing muscle groups at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to freeze my subjects at the peak of their motion. Discovering a better understanding of the human form with this project has transitioned into my commercial fitness work, maximizing composition and positioning to best showcase the human form.

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Athletic Nudes - Acro Yoga

A lot of time, I help models pose for this series as I often have images in my head I want to express. Sometimes, I just sit back, shut up and press the button. This session with Rob & Chloe of Anahata Yoga was the latter. These guys hit jaw-dropping poses one after the other. I was happy just to be there.

Massive strength in this move.

Watching Rob and Chole get into this pose was insane.

Applied physics

- The Athletic Implied Nudes series is an exploration of the human body under muscle stress— understanding the body’s strength, flexibility, and power. Clean backgrounds, hard lighting, and black & white photography work together to eliminate distractions and highlight the muscle groups and figure of my subjects.

Beginning with Mixed Martial Artists and Boxers, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly firing muscle groups at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to freeze my subjects at the peak of their motion. Discovering a better understanding of the human form with this project has transitioned into my commercial fitness work, maximizing composition and positioning to best showcase the human form.

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Lawrence Boom Memorial Boxing Show

On November 3rd we honoured Lawrence Boom with a boxing show at Boomerz x Warriors Boxing in London, ON. In addition to the boxing we raised over $2,000 for ChildCan. It was a great night of fights and the place was completely packed.

Fight #1

Fight #2

Fight #3

Fight #4

Fight #5

Fight #6

Fight #7

Fight #8

Fight #9

Fight #10

Fight #11

Fight #12

Fight #13 - easily fight of the night

Fight #14

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Photo Shoot with April - Teaser and BTS

International model April Hutchinson and I have been wanting to shoot again for a while and finally found the time last night. We did a couple of quick set, because when you work with a good model you only need a short time. Including her fight April and I have probably shot together 7 or 8 times now. Here’s a quick edit from last night and some behind the scenes pictures.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Fitness Session with Rob

As soon as Rob walked in I was a little surprised. Physique guys are supposed to be that big and they aren’t supposed to have well developed legs. That’s the category at the national level now. Rob got second place at the Canadian National Pro Qualifier in Masters Physique. He looks like he’d be ready to step on stage in the classic bodybuilding category. All that aside Rob was a great guy to photograph, super hard working and friendly. Thanks to Showtyme Fitness for hosting the photo shoot. Here’s a few images from our shoot.

Rob is coached by Elite Physiques.

Getting a pump on.

Showing off the core.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Dance Session with Aaron

Dancer Aaron Lemay was brought into the studio to test some lighting schemes with jumps. He performed great and I got the images I was looking for.

Leaping away from the light.

Making shapes in the air.

Strength and grace

Russian jump

- London Dance Photo - I am Mark Ruddick, an experienced photographer working in London, ON. I enjoy photographing dancers and really appreciate the athleticism and artistry involved. Coming from a fight photography background, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly moving subjects at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to capture my subjects at the peak of their motion in an artistic way.

Let me capture the photos that move you.

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Dance Session with Bram

Dancer Bram from London Dance Ensemble came into the studio for some pictures. I had a couple of concepts in mind for the shoot.

First I wanted some big jumps isolating the dancer on black. I wanted to introduce some hard shadows into the images for a more dramatic effect as Bram was in very good shape.

The second was a hard single point of light to accentuate the dancer’s shadow on the studio wall. I played around with my modifiers until I got a hard shadow line like I was looking for. Once that was set we got big leaps and great shadows of the dancer.

Bram jumping with his shadow

Male dancer jumping

Floating

- London Dance Photo - I am Mark Ruddick, an experienced photographer working in London, ON. I enjoy photographing dancers and really appreciate the athleticism and artistry involved. Coming from a fight photography background, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly moving subjects at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to capture my subjects at the peak of their motion in an artistic way.

Let me capture the photos that move you.

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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Dance Images with Sarah

Sarah is a dancer with London Dance Ensemble. She came into the studio to get some portfolio images.

Makeup: Melissa O Make-up

En point in black and white

Head shot - Make-up by Melissa O Makeup

Showing off the leg line, down through the toes.

- London Dance Photo - I am Mark Ruddick, an experienced photographer working in London, ON. I enjoy photographing dancers and really appreciate the athleticism and artistry involved. Coming from a fight photography background, I have developed my technique to capture rapidly moving subjects at high speed in front of the lens. The resulting instinct for timing fight photography has lead to an ability to capture my subjects at the peak of their motion in an artistic way.

Let me capture the photos that move you.


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Mark Ruddick Mark Ruddick

Fitness with Claudio

Personal Trainer, Claudio came into the studio last month for some new images. I’ve worked with him before and he always is in really good shape with a nice commercial look.

Claudio posing and flexing.

- Mark Ruddick Photography is a full service London, Ontario photographer who specializes in fitness, bodybuilding and fight photography

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