This health and fitness image was created at a physical therapy facility by Barnet Photography in Irvine, California. In this case, we provided the model, and it was someone who was familiar with gym equipment. However, sometimes a model with obvious physical challenges is preferred, in order to convey a more realistic situation.
These locations are not always "photo ready" or there might be other real patients in the facility, so using a long or telephoto lens as in this image, allows us to isolate the area and bring the viewers attention to the important part of the image. The colorful, round weights in the foreground, out of focus, help add interest and dimension to the image.
We always strongly recommend to our clients that they secure model releases from all the recognizable individuals in the images, especially if the images will be printed brochures, even if the subjects are willing to pose with no compensation. It could be that the relationship between our client and the person(s) in the images changes to the point that they request their likeness not be used. With a model release it's less likely that they would make that request.
Location: Irvine, California.