We’ve compiled a list of the top sports, fitness, and athletic modeling photographers to shoot your next gig. These talented individuals have a passion for their craft and you are about to learn why!
1. Tapiaphoto
First on the list is Ric Tapia. Ric is a commercial photographer with an emphasis in creating sports imagery. He has been recognized three times by the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio for Action Photography. Ric’s work has been viewed by millions of people and his clients include some noteworthy companies: Los Angeles Rams, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Kia, and the NFL. He has taken photos of some of the world’s best athletes which also include: New England Patriots two time Super Bowl winner Julian Edelman, Los Angeles Rams first overall draft pick Jared Goff, Men’s Tennis world number one Doubles Players the Bryan Brothers, and Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi. If you’re looking for the cream of the crop, then Ric Tapia is your best bet!.
2. Rplusmphoto
Are you a fitness competitor and need someone to capture every flexing muscle? Then Reggie is the photographer for you! They truly believe photography has nothing to do with cameras, but has everything to do with how life is seen through the eyes of a photographer. They believe you should live in the moment and their team will capture those precious moments for you. Their list of client types include high school seniors, youth sports, fitness competitors / athletes, gym facilities, actors, models, and motorsports.
3. Zbestfoto
Next up is probably one of our personal favorites. Adrian and Adriana are a husband and wife photography team located in Los Angeles, but pretty much service all of the West Coast! Their photos feature some of the best athletes and they have been featured on the most notable publications like People Magazine and 805 Living. Some of their work has even been featured on Shark Tank! They have worked with the best in the industry (Zumba Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, BollyX Fitness, and World of Dance U-JAM Fitness). When you work with this power couple you will easily see that it’s their mission to capture your passion in every single photo.
Joe Mikoli is not only one of the nicest people you will ever meet, but he will certainly capture that perfect pose. Joe Mikoli is a professional graphic designer and photographer working out of Los Angeles in Southern California. An experienced Professional Graphic Designer with over a decade of extensive hands-on expertise, he has collaborated with several top brands to help create beautiful, engaging images that tell a story and capture the audience's mind. Combining his graphic design skills with a passion for photography, Joe helps his clients bring their creative imaginations to life. He has also landed features in top magazines like Oxygen magazine, PopSugar Fitness, Muscle & Fitness UK and Today Show online.
Robert Randall is an award-winning photographer, director and executive producer. He specializes in the production, development, and financing of still photography, video and film for advertising, digital media, publishing and entertainment companies worldwide. He is the Founder and Executive Producer at Robert Randall Productions and Executive Director at R3 Capital Group/R3 Global Media. As a “location specialist” for over 20 years, his assignments now take him around the world. With production teams in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Denver, New York, London, Paris, and Mexico he has produced campaigns for international brands such as Speedo, CNBC, Marriott, and Nikon and been published in magazines such as Oxygen, Glamour, Islands and Natural Health. He has also photographed star athletes and celebrities such as Martina Hingis, Stan Lee & Cat Zingano.
6. Anakarotkaya
Originally born and raised in Minsk, Belarus, Ana Karotkaya moved to the US just over five years ago and has nicely settled into the City of Angels (Los Angeles for those who don’t know). We can speak from experience that Ana is the real deal. We hired her to shoot our first Celebrity Basketball event and she killed it! At the age of fifteen she picked up a Zenit-E camera and started taking pictures of friends and family. Ever since then it was history. Ana has propelled her clientele to include some incredible artists, models and athletes which include landing gigs with Culture Magazine, Hillsong LA, Tyler Allread, and Steven Paul.
Michael Khachadoorian exudes passion in everything he does. He is a self-taught photographer, having created the Converse photo studio in 2005 and becoming their in-house photographer. Where Michael really shines is on-set creating amazing photographs for your next project, big or small, stills and/or motion! Michael's ability as a photographer doesn't just start and stop at the fact he takes beautiful pictures. It's much more than that. He believes in collaborating with everyone involved in the shooting process. Some of his clients include Saucony, Riddell, Converse, Nike, Sony, Fabletics, DYI, Burt's Bees Baby, Stride Rite, Keds, Supra, Costco, Aspiration, Door of Hope, Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Rams, Wongdoody, Wishbone Design Factory, 50,000 feet and Hill Holliday. Be sure to hit him up and he will gladly schedule a Zoom or Facetime session with you!
8. Fmurphy
Felicity Murphy has been a photographer in Los Angeles for 18 years, specializing in commercial athletic, fitness lifestyle marketing and portrait photography. She is known for her strong and beautiful imagery and her ability to pull the best from her subjects. She’s had the pleasure of working with so many wonderfully talented minds and bodies. L.A. is a mecca for people who adore the healthy, fit and stylish way of life. Her photographic work is for these people- to keep the fires of inspiration stoked and fuel the larger public's appetite to connect, enjoy, move, learn, try new, run, play, change positively, share, and love!
9. Mike Ortiz
Up next is Mike Ortiz. A native Angelino, he was a quiet child, but had an intense love for sports. It wasn’t until college that he discovered photography and fell in love with the “dark room”. It became a second home, a place he could escape and create. He is a constant observer and can easily capture precious moments through his lens. Whether he’s in a team’s locker room, backstage at a music venue or trailing a crowd of faithful enthusiasts, he can be the one in your corner documenting it all!
10. camron.hatef
Last but certainly not least, is Camron Hatef. With a background of working in live events, Camron has been shooting for more than 5 years. What he loves most about photography is the ability to be creative and express the true identity of a person. He thrives off executing their vision through his unique and humbled style. Camron is best known for taking advantage of the “accidental mistakes” that turn into AMAZING photos. If you are looking for both videography work and precious photos, then he is your guy. His ability to take on complex shoots that include dance, fitness and athletic modeling is why is he an essential part to this list!
