We want our photography to help make our audience feel connected and more intimately involved in each scene. To achieve that, we want to shoot in a way that puts the viewer into this world. Creating more of a depth of field will make these moments feel more candid and intimate. This should help subtly create a bond between our audience and the people and places that we’re shooting.

• Create a greater depth of field by putting elements in the foreground out of focus.
• Shoot through people to create a more interesting, layered composition.

Incorporate negative space to make images type-friendly in layouts, and varied angles to create dynamic compositions:

• Add more distance in the foreground or shoot from a low angle to give more prominence to the sky.
• Shoot from a higher angle downward (on the water, dock, etc.) to change a viewer’s perspective.

Our workouts are led by our Athletes. They are not fitness personalities or influencers, and the photos we take of them should reflect that.

• Keep it candid — capture athletes during “in-between” moments to keep things authentic (like catching someone when they are out of breath, lost in thought, loading/unloading equipment, etc).
• Make it relatable — We don’t ever want our Athletes to feel untouchable, so keeping their expressions lighthearted, natural and human is key. Our photos should reflect the depth of each athlete.

A big part of the Hydrow experience is the environment itself: being on the water, near the boathouse, and under the sun. Showcasing our environment is a great way to set us apart from the competition.

• Try to weave in photography of our surroundings without the boat or athletes (so our viewers can put themselves in that space).
• Incorporate elements of the sport that go beyond the workout (boathouses, painted oars, team flags, etc.)

To establish a consistent look and feel across subjects and compositions, photography should adhere to the follow color treatment (subjective to each individual photo):

• Utilize Hydrow’s color presets for a consistent look across all brand photographs.
• Bring up shadows and bring down highlights for an evenly exposed, natural shot.
• Tone down saturation to avoid over-colorizing.
• Push images cooler or warmer in temperature depending on lighting and the surrounding environment. This is to help provide a consistent color temp across all brand photography.

While a significant portion of our On-Hydrow photography will take place within the home, there’s always an opportunity to take to new locations like renovated mill buildings or warehouse spaces. Additionally, the machine screen should always included updated UX/UI, never be black, and always match what the subject is doing (i.e., if they’re doing yoga, it should be a yoga workout; if rower is at the catch position, Athlete on screen should be at the catch position, etc.).

When capturing photography of the Hydrow machine, environments will play a big role. The spaces should combine character and craftsmanship with clean and modern design. Architectural details like wide plank floors, exposed brick, and wooden beams all help establish that aesthetic.