Wealthy or Wellthy? Photos of a status symbol

Instead of keeping up with the Joneses by moving into a bigger house (can anyone do that during these lean times?), buying flashier rides or more 'stuff', a growing number of individuals are gaining bragging rights by getting healthier-wellthier to the tune of a trillion dollars a year.

January is when the highest number of people seek lifestyle changes. Be ready for January 2012 by creating wellness images all through the year.

© alexandrenunes/Crestock

A positive attitude is one element of wellness that this optimistic image portrays.

Even though there are 45.3 million members in 29,750 health clubs in 2009 in the U.S., based on the latest report from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), don't think that the only photos that embody a wellthy lifestyle are of gym workouts and spa shots.

© Pressmaster/Crestock

Job satisfaction is a component of being wellthy that life and career coaches stress. Photos like this are a great illustration of that issue: the man appears self-satisfied and the business suit adds the career element to the photo.

Lifestyle coaches, dietitians, weight-loss groups, diet and vitamin companies, insurance companies, medical groups, religious organizations, social groups and even financial institutions all need images to illustrate their programs to help individuals attain a stress free and healthy lifestyle.

A hassle free life becomes more and more difficult to find in a multitasking world. Illustrate positive attitudes with photos of peaceful and smiling faces, meditation and one of the best means to a sound mind in a sound body – sleep.

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© 4774344sean/Crestock

When you think of illustrating workouts and spas, review the images that are already in the collection. Unless you can improve on the themes with a more creative angle or idea, move on to a broader category of exercise that is also popular but where you can create more variations.

It's difficult to shoot a spa production without massage, facials or a still life of spa objects. On the other hand a subject such as hiking or bike riding offers an infinite variety of possibilities for updating as clothing and equipment evolve and the physical environment could be in any season and geography.

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Don't neglect senior models in exercise productions.

Consider exercise that doesn't come immediately to mind when thinking of popular sports. Would you be surprised to learn that table tennis (ping pong) is the fourth largest sport in the world? And for a wellthy production, it can't be beat. Not only is ping-pong easy to play in a small space, there is a reason some companies have ping-pong tables in their employee lounges: it's a great stress reducer!

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© diego_cervo/Crestock

Stillness and its opposite – vigorous exercise – are used for a multitude of purposes illustrating a good life.

Some of the best selling apps for phones and tablets have to do with monitoring health, weight and exercise. Incorporate this fact into your images and be among the first that do so. (Be careful of trademarked electronics, apps and gizmos like the Wii.) And please don't take any more photos of models dressed in business suits running around a track, on starting blocks or doing yoga. Enough already!

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Healthy food rather than deprivation is what is now more often shown in marketing materials and articles about dieting. There is a definite status associated with those that make healthy food choices.

Dieting has come to mean healthy eating even though there are millions on restrictive diets at any one time. Wellness is about a healthy lifestyle but also about encouraging a positive self-image. You can accomplish the later by selecting plus sized models who appear satisfied and happy in any aspect of a lifestyle production.

A final note. If you insist on photographing a slim model with a measuring tape around her/his waist, make certain it is actually measuring the waistline. Many of these photos display the tape as if it were a belt cinched around the model with the middle of the tape being the belt. The correct way is for one end to be matched to the correct place on the tape as it actually measures the waist.

Stay positive...wellness photos need to be positive with light backgrounds. Stay well!