Photography Tips · Brussels

Yoga and Wellness Studio Photography: Shoot in the Studio or Outdoors?

By Dmytro Derkach · Brussels-based commercial photographer

I'd take the main photos in your own room. That's where new students will walk in, and it's what they want to see before they book. Outdoor images are a nice extra for teacher portraits and Instagram, but they show a mood rather than your place, and Belgian weather gets a vote.

What a beginner is looking for

Someone searching for a class near home has very practical questions. Is the room bright? Are mats provided, or do I bring my own? Will I be the only beginner in a row of people doing headstands? Photos of your actual space answer most of that before they've sent a message.

A beautiful pose on a beach answers none of it. I'm not against those pictures at all. They just belong to the teacher's own profile and to social media, not to the page where someone decides whether to try a first class.

Inside the studio

I like to come at the hour when your room gets its best light, often in the morning. The empty room goes first, mats laid out as for a class, blocks stacked by the wall. Then the small things people wonder about: the changing area, the shelf with the folded blankets, the teapot if there's one at the entrance.

Then people. A real class gives the most natural images, but every participant agrees in writing beforehand, and some will prefer to stay out of it (that's completely fine). I put the volunteers at the front and shoot from the back of the room, so the others stay out of frame. Often it's simpler to invite a small group of regulars for half an hour.

Going outside

Outdoor photos make sense for teacher portraits and for announcing a retreat or a summer class in the park. Open space and movement photograph beautifully, and the images feel personal.

Two things to plan for. Keep a backup date, because rain doesn't care about your schedule. And ask in advance whether the place allows a commercial shoot, especially in parks or private gardens. If you don't actually teach outdoors, I'd use these images as portraits and not present them as your studio.

Portraits of the teachers

People choose a teacher as much as a studio. I'd photograph each teacher in the same light, calm and looking at the camera, so the schedule page has a face next to every class. A second frame of the teacher adjusting a student's arm says a lot about how they teach.

Independent teachers can use the same images for their own profile, if that's agreed before the session. How I plan that kind of personal shoot is described in personal branding photography for consultants. It works the same way for a yoga teacher.

A plan that uses both

For a small studio, here's what I'd suggest. One morning in the room for the space, a class and the portraits. Then, if you want it, a short separate outdoor session for the teachers on a dry day. The indoor set goes to the website and the Google profile; the outdoor images feed Instagram and retreat announcements.

What a commercial session includes is on the commercial photography page, and the formats are on the price list.