Amber Richards Takes Miami: A Fashion-Meets-Fitness Studio Photoshoot with a South Florida Photographer
- Jean Paquingan
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
When a WBFF athlete flies in from Colorado to Miami in the middle of summer to step in front of your lens, you know she’s serious.
Amber Richards isn’t just “fit.” She’s building a WBFF-stage physique and a personal brand simultaneously. This studio session in Miami focused on the in-between space where high-fashion attitude meets gym-ready strength, sexy, edgy, and unapologetically fun.
Our job? Tell this chapter of her WBFF journey in bold, studio-driven visuals that feel just as powerful as the work she’s putting in behind the scenes.
A Miami Fashion-Meets-Fitness Photoshoot with Amber Richards
Amber came down to South Florida with a clear vision: document her journey to the WBFF stage and freeze this exact moment of her progress, strong, confident, and ready to be seen.
Instead of going to a classic gym or typical bikini-in-the-sand, we went full fashion-meets-fitness in the studio. Think:
High heels with athletic cuts
Fitness bodysuits styled like an editorial wardrobe.
Intense poses with a playful twist
Clean studio backgrounds that keep all eyes on her
As South Florida photographers working across fashion and fitness, this kind of hybrid concept is right in our lane. Miami is already a hub for competitors, WBFF pros, and influencers, so designing a session that feels editorial while still showcasing the WBFF-ready physique was the right approach. DSTNCT Art Media
Studio Setup: Sexy, Edgy, and Built for a WBFF Athlete
For Amber’s shoot, we stayed in a controlled studio environment in Miami so we could sculpt light around her muscle definition and curves without competing with the sun.
Gear we used:
Camera: Sony A1 (our workhorse for both fashion and fitness)
Lenses:
24–70mm GM for versatility and scene-building
70–200mm GM for compression, flattering lines, and those dramatic full-length portraits
Lighting: A mix of strobes and modifiers styled for bold, punchy contrast—perfect for a South Florida fitness photographer vibe
We played with:
Deep shadows to carve out shoulders, quads, and abs
Hard light for that “gym spotlight” feel on certain sets
Softer light for more sultry, fashion-forward poses
Because Amber is preparing for the WBFF stage, we leaned into lighting that would emphasize the conditioning she’s been working on, no flat light, no safe angles. This was all about attitude and shape.
Fashion Meets Fitness: Wardrobe, Posing, and Flow
Fashion and fitness can clash if they’re not styled intentionally, so we built a flow that aligned with Amber’s body and personality.
Wardrobe direction (high-level):
Athletic Glam:
Think sleek bodysuit or sportswear-inspired one-piece.
Heels instead of sneakers for that “runway in the gym” vibe
Intense, straight-on poses with hands on hips, chin up, eyes locked on camera
WBFF-Inspired Look:
Stage-style outfit that nods to the WBFF glamour and structure
Poses that mimic quarter turns but with more expression, smirks, hair play, and asymmetrical stances
Fashion-Forward Set:
Stylized outfit that could live in a fashion magazine, but her physique still leads
More movement: walking shots, mid-turns, over-the-shoulder glances
Throughout, we directed Amber into poses that showed:
Full body symmetry
Strong glutes and legs
Shoulder caps and back lines
Long, angular lines that feel editorial, not just “gym progress pics.”
This is where the “fashion photographer in South Florida” mindset meets “fitness competition photography in Miami.” The posing isn’t just about flexing—it’s about attitude, character, and how that strength reads in an image.
Lighting Choices: Sculpting Strength and Attitude
The Sony A1, paired with the 70–200mm GM lens, was clutch on sets where we wanted a compressed, almost cinematic feel. With Amber, we used that combo to:
Pull her away from the background for a more premium, editorial look
Highlight the curve of her waist, glutes, and legs without distortion.
Keep the focus razor sharp on her eyes and expression.
With the 24–70mm, we went wider for:
Full-body shots with more environment
Moments where she’s interacting with light stands, stools, or props
Dynamic poses where a bit of distortion actually adds drama
On the lighting side, we cycled through:
Hard light from above and slightly off-center to carve out the core and upper body
Strip softboxes from the side to emphasize obliques and leg lines
Colored gels in select sets to match the edgy, fun WBFF-prep energy
We’re all about bold, punchy, editorial lighting, and Amber handled every setup like a pro.
Documenting Her WBFF Journey, Not Just a Single Moment
Amber didn’t book this to have “pretty pictures.” She wanted a visual chapter in her WBFF journey, a way to look back on Summer 2024 and say, "This is where things really clicked."
So between poses, we checked in:
“What part of your prep are you proudest of right now?”
“What do you want people to feel when they see these images?”
Her answers shaped how we shot:
More power stances when she talked about pushing through hard training days
More playful, cheeky expressions when she spoke about loving the process
Close-up detail shots of her physique to reflect the level of discipline behind the scenes
For athletes and fitness competitors, this isn’t vanity, it’s branding. These photos become:
Content for social media
Images for sponsorship decks
Visuals for personal websites or coaching offers
Motivation when prep gets tough
That’s why gym & lifestyle fitness photography in Miami is so in-demand right now: it’s not just about looking fit, it’s about building a visual story around your effort and ambition.
Why Fitness Athletes Travel to Miami for Fashion-Forward Photos
South Florida, and Miami especially, has a specific look that fitness and WBFF athletes love:
Year-round sun, even when we’re inside the studio, affects the mood and energy
A massive community of competitors, coaches, and wellness brands
Experienced photographers who understand both fashion and physique
As a South Florida lifestyle photographer and South Florida fitness photographer, blending those worlds is our favorite type of project. Whether we’re shooting on the beach, in a gym, or in a studio, as in Amber’s session, the goal is the same: bold, confident imagery that feels editorial, not generic.
If you’re prepping for WBFF, FMG, NPC, IFBB, or any stage and you’re looking for photography in Miami that honors both your hard work and your personal style, this type of fashion-meets-fitness session delivers precisely that.
To see more of our work with athletes, check out our Lifestyle & Fitness portfolio:
And if your style leans more toward high-fashion, structured wardrobe, and editorial concepts, you’ll feel right at home in our Fashion gallery:
Behind the Lens: Working with Amber
Amber made our job easy. She brought:
Confidence without ego
Willingness to try bold poses
Trust in our direction
Because there were no significant challenges, no weather, no location issues, no tight sunset window, we could slow down, refine details, and experiment with micro-adjustments:
Tweaking chin angles to sharpen jawlines
Shifting hip position to highlight symmetry
Adjusting hand placement to keep lines clean
That’s the advantage of a controlled studio shoot in Miami: all the intensity of a high-production look, none of the unpredictability of outdoor chaos.
We also sprinkled in some video clips on the side, because in 2024, motion is just as important as stills for athletes building their brands. Short-form clips of Amber walking into her pose, resetting between shots, or throwing that WBFF-ready smile at the camera add so much personality to her final content package.
Ready to Plan Your Own Fashion + Fitness Photoshoot in Miami?
If you’re an athlete, model, or WBFF/FMG/NPC competitor and you’re thinking, “I want this energy for my own prep”, you absolutely can.
Whether you’re flying in like Amber or you’re local to Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or West Palm Beach, we design sessions that:
Highlight your physique in the most flattering, intentional way
Blend fashion, fitness, or lifestyle, depending on your brand.
Give you a mix of hero images, social-ready content, and detail shots.
Explore our fitness and lifestyle work here:
If you love the fashion-forward direction of this shoot, start here:
Ready to talk dates, concepts, and how to align your shoot with your competition timeline? Reach out through our contact page, and let’s start planning your own Miami studio or South Florida location session:
