Amy Ruggeri, Fashion Meets Fitness Studio Shoot | Miami Fashion Photographer

Amy Ruggeri visited our Miami studio in Summer 2024 with one mission: to document her journey to the WBFF stage and show the world the athlete and artist she’s become. Sexy, edgy, and unapologetically bold, this fashion-meets-fitness session was designed to elevate her portfolio, fuel social content, and give her promotional materials the cinematic punch she wanted for the stage season.

We worked in-studio in Miami, an ideal setting for controlled, editorial lighting that reads strong on reels, banners, and single-frame spreads. Amy was a pleasure to work with: dialed-in energy, quick with direction, and fearless with poses.

Concept: Fashion x Fitness; Portfolio Fuel for Pageant Prep

The brief was simple: merge high-fashion attitude with athletic detail. Think leather, metallics, sculpted swimwear, and structured athleisure, looks that read as both commercial and editorial. This is the kind of content that helps models and competitors convert followers into bookings and stage placements.

Why this matters: a brand-forward photoshoot is what separates scrolling content from booking-ready creative. For models, influencers, and fitness coaches, investing in editorial fashion or fitness lifestyle photography turns momentum into opportunities.

See more of our fashion photography at https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/fashion

Lighting & Gear: Bold, Punchy, Editorial

We shot on the Sony A1, leaning primarily on the 24-70 and 70-200 GM lenses to switch between intimate portraits and dramatic long-compressions. Lighting followed our signature approach, cinematic strobes with rigid rim light to carve muscle, soft front light for beauty, and pop-back gels on select frames for that South Florida color.

1. Key: Profoto-style softbox for flattering skin tones and controlled highlights.

2. Rim: Bare or small-grid modifiers to emphasize muscle separation, essential for fitness photography.

3. Accent: Colored gels and a handheld strobe to create edgy backgrounds and motion pops.

This toolkit applies across commercial photographer briefs, headshot work, and glamour sets, which is why brands and models hire us when they need editorial-grade visuals.

Explore our Miami swimwear shoots at https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/swimwear

Behind the Scenes: Directing Amy on Set

Warming up fast matters. We progressed Amy through three warm-up sets: slow posture holds, power-walk repeats, and micro-expression drills. Those first 10 frames get the stiffness out; by set two, she was owning facial pivots and hip snaps.

On-direction notes we used that day:

• Micro-adjust shoulders for a sharper jawline.

• Instructed a subtle torso twist to reveal abs and create S-curves.

• Asked for “one long exhale” to relax the jaw and deepen the gaze.

• Used music tempo shifts to switch from editorial stillness to high-energy movement.

These are the small commands that make portraits feel like performance. If you're a model portfolio photoshoot client, expect this kind of hands-on coaching; it’s how we get the images that stop feeds and win bookings.

Posing: From Pageant Presence to Editorial Edge

Posing balanced athletic truth with fashion attitude. We mixed:

1. Standard fitness stances that highlight musculature and symmetry.

2. Fashion-forward elongation: lengthening through the spine, small ankle flexes, and tension in the fingertips.

3. Movement sequences for short-form video: hair flips, band-resisted poses, and controlled jumps for dynamic stills.

Whether you want glamour portraits, beauty photographer-grade close-ups, or commercial brand photography, posing is everything. We give clear, visual direction so you don’t have to guess.

View more commercial work at https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/commercial

Environmental Notes: Miami Studio Vibe, South Florida Energy

Even in a studio, the South Florida spirit shows up: we borrowed the city’s heat in attitude, used neon tones that echo Miami nights, and referenced waterfront color palettes for select looks. If you’re a Fort Lauderdale photographer or a Boca Raton photographer looking to shoot with the same punch, this is the kind of editorial lighting and direction that travels from studio to beach without losing impact.

We shoot across the region, from West Palm Beach photographer clients to Boca Raton fashion photographer projects, tailoring each session to the market and platform.

See more portrait work at https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/portrait.

Key Moments & Highlights

1. Amy’s final set: a single-frame sequence where she nailed the smolder, posture, and micro-expression, the kind of image that works as a hero shot on a website or ad creative.

2. Wardrobe shift: switching from sculpted swimwear to an edgy moto jacket created instant contrast and doubled the usable content.

3. Fast turnaround: We prioritized a social edit for Amy so she could begin promoting her WBFF run immediately.

Amy was a pleasure to work with, collaborative, responsive, and open to direction. That kind of energy makes our job faster and the results stronger.

No Challenges, Just Focused Execution

This was a smooth shoot. No significant challenges, just excellent planning and a client ready to perform. That’s the ideal setup for anyone booking a professional photographer for models and influencers or a fitness photographer preparing workout and transformation materials.

Explore our lifestyle & fitness work at https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/lifestyle-fitness

Who This Session Helps

1. Pageant competitors need stage-ready imagery.

2. Fitness athletes and coaches are building brand content.

3. Models and influencers who want editorial-level portfolio images.

4. Brands seeking high-end commercial content or product-adjacent visuals.

If you’re a model, fitness pro, or brand in South Florida ready for editorial fashion photography, schedule a session that treats your story like a campaign.

Book your South Florida photoshoot at https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/contact

• Want glamour or headshot work with a fashion edge? See our glamour and headshot services at https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/glamour and https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/headshot-photography.

• Planning an event or need an event photographer for corporate or pageant coverage? Check https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/event

• Need food or beverage content for a South Florida restaurant? We do that too: https://www.dstnctartmedia.com/food-beverage

Ready to elevate your portfolio like Amy? If you’re a South Florida model, pageant competitor, fitness coach, influencer, or brand that wants bold, editorial work, let’s plan a shoot that positions you for bookings, sponsorships, and stage wins. Book us and bring the energy; we'll get the light, lenses, and direction.