Body of Art

Caroly absolutely adores the sport of bodybuilding and fitness. Although she only started two years ago, she competed soon after picking up the sport and won the Miss Fitness Bermuda twice, and then went on to place in the top three in the Central American and Caribbean Championships. With a goal to turn professional in this next year, this hard working athlete has not only a lot of training ahead of her, but also a lot of fun. So with so much to look forward to, Caroly wanted to capture where she is right now in  a nontraditional fashion through artistic photos. She realises what a piece of art the body is and so what better way to capture this new physique than with artistic imagery.

We decided to approach the shoot from an abstract, yet feminine angle. With some jewelry draped on select body parts, it was the perfect way to highlight all Caroly's hard work. Despite the early morning and late night training, plus weekends no longer really being her own, she feels it is a small price to pay for that feeling she gets when she walks onto that stage on the night of a show. The payoff for all her sacrifices suddenly make it all worth while.

What Caroly didn't realise when she decided to compete in a Fitness show were all the little things that go with the performance. Like the posing suits, the make up and of course that stage tan that shows off the sculpted body so well under the harsh lights. The spray on tan is definitely Caroly's least favourite part of the whole preparation, for the skin remains stained for weeks after the show, and even in these photos, it had already started to slightly blotch, but again, she feels it is all so worth the reward in the end.

After the jewels, I picked some wild roses from my garden and sprinkled them over Caroly's back. It was so beautiful to see her sculpted back and the delicate petals scattered across her. Love these images.

This last one is the same shot as the first one, just processed in a regular way, but love both versions.

Caroly - thank you so much for such a fun shoot - I really appreciate your trusting my creativity. It is not often I have a client walk into my home and simply say do whatever you will - I love your vision. So thank you for your trust and willingness to let me make some magic and thank you of course for being such an incredibly beautiful model - all your hard work has definitely paid off as these photos well show. I wish you the best of luck in all your training - may 2011 bring you much success, and even more happiness. xxx