I don't think 9-year-old me would believe I got to do this photo shoot!
I recently had the opportunity to photograph Olympic gymnast and former Utah Red Rock Amelie Morgan's leotard collection with Dragonfly Leotards.
And I have to say, this might be one of my favorite photography projects I've ever worked on.
Not just because I got to photograph an Olympic gymnast, but because gymnastics has been such a big part of my life for so long.
From Being a Gymnast to Photographing Gymnasts
I grew up doing gymnastics in the '90s.
And if you were a gymnast back then, you probably know exactly what I mean when I say it was ROUGH. 😂
I absolutely loved the sport, but I eventually quit because of persistent mental blocks.
Even though I stopped competing, I never stopped loving gymnastics.
When I had a daughter, I knew I wanted to give her the opportunity to try it.
Holland started gymnastics, and eventually we found ourselves dealing with some of the same challenges I'd experienced growing up.
She developed anxiety around going to practice, and eventually it became so difficult that she stopped gymnastics altogether.
She was out for 10 months.
But she found her way back!
She's stronger than ever now, even though she still works through anticipation anxiety. I'm so grateful for the coaches at Momentum Gymnastics WX who have been willing to help her through those challenges.
And somewhere along the way, I started photographing gymnasts, too.
I love getting to combine two things that have been such a big part of my life.
Photographing Amelie Morgan's Collection for Dragonfly Leotards
When the opportunity came up to photograph Amelie Morgan's leotard collection for Dragonfly Leotards, I was SO excited.
Dragonfly is a UK-based gymnastics leotard brand, and this collaboration brought together an Olympic gymnast, beautiful leotards, and a group of talented young gymnasts here in Utah.
We decided to photograph the collection at Antelope Island, just outside Salt Lake City.
I love shooting there because of the variety of landscapes. There are rocky areas, open fields, beautiful natural textures, and some incredible light in the evening.
It's a really fun setting for gymnastics photography because we can create images that look completely different from traditional gym photos.
And these leotards looked SO good against the Utah landscape!
Of course, getting the shoot scheduled was a bit of an adventure.
We had gymnasts from Momentum and Olympus, all with pretty demanding practice schedules.
Then we had to wait for the leotards to arrive from the UK, work around shipping delays, and find an evening when everyone was available.
I even came home from a trip to Las Vegas early so we could get the photos done before the collection launched!
But we made it happen.
And I loved every minute of it.
Gymnastics Leotard Product Photography Is Different
One of the things I love about photographing gymnastics leotards is that the product is meant to move.
These aren't clothes that are designed to just look pretty on a hanger.
Gymnastics leotards need to look beautiful while athletes are doing handstands, leaps, jumps, turns, and all kinds of other skills.
So when I'm photographing a leotard collection, I'm thinking about two things at the same time.
First, I want to show the actual product.
The fit, the details, the colors, the fabric, and how the leotard looks on a gymnast.
But I also want the images to look like gymnastics!
I want to see beautiful lines, pointed toes, strong positions, and movement that makes sense for the sport.
Having a gymnastics background helps quite a bit with that.
I know what I'm looking for when someone hits a leap or a handstand. I know when a position isn't quite right. And I understand that sometimes getting the right shot means asking a gymnast to repeat a skill a few times.
I also know how hard these girls work!
That's one of my favorite parts of photographing gymnasts. I have SO much respect for the dedication it takes to do this sport.
A Pretty Special Moment for My Daughter
One of the best parts of this shoot was that Holland got to be one of the models.
She's the littlest gymnast in our group photo!
When I was her age, Dominique Moceanu and the Magnificent Seven were EVERYTHING to me.
I remember looking up to those gymnasts so much. We even considered using Dominique's famous "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" floor music for Holland.
I can't even imagine how excited I would have been to meet an Olympic gymnast at that age.
And here was my daughter, getting to model alongside Amelie Morgan for her very own leotard collection.
How cool is that?!
Amelie was incredibly sweet and kind to all the girls.
I loved watching her interact with them, and I've also loved following her career as she transitions into life after gymnastics.
After graduating from the University of Utah and retiring from the sport, she's starting a new chapter professionally.
I think it's pretty cool to watch someone who has accomplished so much in gymnastics figure out what comes next.
And I love that this project brought together so many different parts of my life.
Gymnastics Photography in Utah
If you're looking for a gymnastics photographer in Utah, I'd love to work with you!
I photograph competitive gymnasts, gymnastics teams, and individual athletes throughout Salt Lake City, Davis County, Utah County, and Northern Utah.
Gymnastics photography is a little different from traditional sports photography.
There are so many details that matter. Body position, timing, lines, flexibility, strength, and the ability to photograph skills at just the right moment.
And while I love traditional gymnastics portraits, I especially love getting creative with outdoor gymnastics sessions.
Utah has some incredible locations for this!
From the rocky landscape of Antelope Island to beautiful outdoor locations throughout the Wasatch Front, there are so many opportunities to create gymnastics photos that feel different from what you'd typically see in a gym.
Whether you're looking for individual gymnast portraits, team photos, or something more creative, I'd love to help you plan a session.
Gymnastics Leotard Photography for Brands Worldwide
This is an area of photography I'm especially excited to continue growing.
I love working with gymnastics apparel brands to create professional product photography, lifestyle images, and marketing content.
And while I'm based in Utah, I work with brands outside the state, too!
For companies that need gymnastics leotard photography, there are a few ways we can make that happen.
Brands can ship their products to Utah, where I can coordinate with local competitive gymnasts and photograph the collection here.
We can plan outdoor lifestyle shoots, more traditional product-focused images, or a combination of both.
And for brands that want their collections photographed somewhere else, I'm also available to travel for campaign and product photography.
Whether you're launching a new gymnastics leotard collection, updating your website, or creating content for social media and advertising, I would love to help.
I have access to competitive gymnasts here in Utah, understand the sport, and genuinely love the products and people involved in it.
Featured Leotards: Snowbird and Sundance
Two of the designs we photographed were the Snowbird and Sundance leotards from Dragonfly Leotards.
Snowbird Leotard – Amelie Morgan Collection
The white Snowbird leotard looked beautiful against the warm rocks and natural colors of Antelope Island. I especially loved the contrast between the clean white design and the rugged Utah landscape.
Sundance Leotard – Dragonfly Leotards
And then there's Sundance! The bright orange and pink combination was SO fun to photograph. Those colors really stood out against the neutral landscape, especially in the evening light.
I love that the two designs have such different personalities. It gave us a lot of variety within one campaign while still keeping the images consistent for the collection.
If you want to see the actual leotards from our shoot, you can shop both designs directly through Dragonfly Leotards!
Let's Create Something for Your Gymnast or Gymnastics Brand!
I'm so grateful to Amelie Morgan and Dragonfly Leotards for trusting me with this collection.
And I'm especially grateful Holland got to be part of it.
I don't know exactly where gymnastics will take her in the years to come, but I do know this is a memory we'll both have for a long time.
If you're a gymnastics family or gym in Utah looking for professional gymnastics photos, or a gymnastics apparel brand anywhere in the world looking for product and campaign photography, I'd love to hear from you!
Contact Lake City Photos to plan your gymnastics photography session.
