Fitness Photographers: Why Open Gyms are important for you

Before we get started, it’s important to teach you something about marketing. Every marketer knows about the Marketing Funnel. There are 4 stages, and each serves a different purpose. The idea is you have lots of room at the top (lots of inquiries/interest in your product, etc.). As your potential customers move through the different stages of the funnel some will fall off. By the time one arrives at the bottom, it is a fraction of the inquiries you started with. This is true for all business. Out of 20 inquiries, the average business will sell close to 3-4. Knowing this, we can continue.

Leo (@leonardo.fernandez) during the Alphaland Open Gym 11/29/25

1. How The MARKETING FUNNEL fits into Fitness Photography – Most businesses will allow you to experience their product before you buy. (Think about the apps on your phone – How many gave you a free 7-day trial? How did that influence your decision to go ahead and purchase the app amenities?) I know I have had several apps that allowed me a free trail and by the end I had decided whether or not I wanted to invest in their service. Photography is the same. When attending open gyms I am providing a ‘free trial’ to the athletes I ‘collaborate’ with. They’re experiencing what my services look like, how my process goes, etc. I treat these open gyms like paying clients – and what does that look like? I notify them of my progress on the gallery. I keep them up to date and give them a specific gallery completion date if applicable. I notify them when I finish and explain I’ve sent the email, to enjoy their pictures, and above all – Please tag me! (After all, I didn’t do free work for nothing!) Like the apps on your phone, some of them will remember you. Some of them will inquire for your prices, and some of them will tuck your information away in their pocket for when they’ve finally decided to pursue a shoot (mostly when they’ve cut down to their ideal body fat %.) I should also state here that some of them will never give you the time of day after that again. They will not appreciate your service, never post the photos, and if they do they will not tag you. I have met the whole gambit of types in this industry and remember, not everyone is your ideal client. 🙂
   

   Storm (@rosestormv) during the Alphaland Open Gym 11/29/25

2. NETWORKING – I always make a point to meet the gym owners. You can never network enough. Say hi, shake their hands, and if you want to you can gather their information (email) to send them the photos in case they’d like to use anything in their marketing. (However, I stopped sending the images to owners, as most gyms now have guests that own cameras (hey, free labor…), a media team member, or the owner takes their own photos. Sometimes they’re not 1/2 as good as what I send, and others are on par with my work. Nevertheless, I didn’t see any fruition from that side of things and in the world of business – if it doesn’t have an ROI, why keep doing it?) Of course, if you’d like to send the owner the photos go ahead – it can’t hurt you!!! As a caveat to this previous method, I now have business cards I hand out. (Seemingly a little outdated in 2026, I know.) I figure, if they want the photos they will reach out. My business cards have a QR code to my Instagram, my contact information, and my niches (“fitness, boudoir, editorial”.) Important to note, my wedding services market to an extremely high clientele, so I do not put “wedding” on my business cards. I have separate marketing materials for that niche and a different way of going about how I market myself in that niche. Not every niche is the same, and they should not be treated the same.
   

   Mitch (@mitchellstevenmatthews) during the Alphaland Open Gym 11/29/25

    

    

3. COLLABORATING – Now, when I first started I was ridiculously nervous to walk up to anyone. It took my friend (& mentor) Alex Addison continuously encouraging me to JUST DO IT. It’s easy – Walk up, say “Hi! I’m _____ and I’m a fitness photographer. Would you like some free photos?” It works like a magic spell from Harry Potter. In all my collaborations I’ve had maybe 1 (out of over 100!!!) say no. Most guys will not say no to good photos of themselves, especially if they know they look good. After a few people you’ll have this ‘elevator pitch’ down solid. It will come out like muscle memory for every new person you meet. And with every person you’ll get more comfortable. Make sure to get their instagram – this is important and not just to connect socially. At the end of every open gym I go down my ‘recently followed’ and send everyone a message thanking them for their time in collaborating and that I’ll need their NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, and it must be a GMAIL address as I’ll be sending the photos via gmail folder. Be prepared for some to not fully read your message and send you an icloud or yahoo email. Those are always fun. (Gmail will not allow you to share the gallery folder with them!) Make sure you double down on the gmail part. PRO TIP: Remember all of their names. There’s not a sweeter sound or better impression than someone they just met calling them by their name. People notice this and it helps subconsciously build a bond.
   

   Phil (@p.phillip_) during the Alphaland Open Gym 11/29/25

4.  GALLERY DELIVERY – I throw all the photos I’ve edited in one giant folder and send it as an open access Gmail Folder to all the collaborators. It’s quick, easy, AND… they can see the work I did for the others in the gym. It only strengthens your business.
   

   Mark (@officialmark.a) during the Alphaland Open Gym 11/29/25

If you’d like to ask me further questions feel free to send me an email, or a DM to @dressy.fitsphotography. Thank you, and happy marketing!