In the spotlight for this issue, photographer Gene X Hwang, or simply Gene X as he's known by most.
When it comes to female muscle, Gene consistently produces some of the best work in the business. His photography displays a creative flair and unique style that showcases fitness models at their best.
Well respected by his peers, Gene earned “Favorite Photographer” award every year we ran the Muscle Model Industry Awards.
How and when did you get your start in photography?
I started off as a kid shooting here and there since my dad took our family photos and I was always fascinated with his SLR. I bought a similar model (Olympus OM-2S) from savings from my paper route as a kid and started shooting on my own.
Did you start out shooting muscle and fitness or something different?
I started out shooting the usual stuff. Travel photos, friends, etc. In high school, I was on yearbook staff and then in college did the same and also worked for the school newspaper where I started to cover a few things. Muscle and fitness stuff happened later in college when I shot some gymnastics and then a gymnast was doing a bodybuilding competition, so I shot that.
Afterwards I shot a few more shows in the area and at the time there was no internet. Once the internet started to come around, maybe in 1996 or so, I started to post the shots and contest reports online since people would ask how a show went, and I wanted more of the competitors to get exposure.
Back then, the magazines had a two to three month lag from when a show happened to when the coverage would run and often, only the class winners would get coverage. So I decided to post all of the athletes since they all work so hard to prep and get on stage.
What advice do you have for models starting out in the fitness industry?
Mostly to think about what you want to present and do your homework. Look at the work of photographers and see what type of stuff they shoot and decide what you like. Talk to other competitors or coaches about who they might recommend and ask about what the shoots will entail.
Behind The Lens
With
Gene X Hwang