The Equinox group fitness instructor moonlights as a successful photographer. The two careers have more in common than you’d think.
There’s beauty in movement — and nobody gets it quite like Flaminia Fanale.
The Williamsburg-based creative, who hails from Palermo, Italy, has served as a group fitness instructor at Equinox for nearly 20 years. Starting off as a cycling instructor before adding strength-based classes to her repertoire, Fanale has thrived on the community-building, self-actualizing aspects each hour-long session offers.
Embracing and mastering movement may be at the center of their group fitness classes, but the idea of coming together with like-minded people to tackle a goal is what really keeps Fanale inspired.
“When you build rapport with your class, and you always have the same people coming in, honestly, it's not even a job at that point,” says Fanale. “You're hanging out, and just somebody has to be in charge, and I'm the person who's in charge.”
Fanale shares a similar appreciation for photography, a hobby the multi-hyphenate picked up “15 or 16 years ago” that quickly developed into a full-fledged career six months after buying their first camera.
“I just fell in love with photography, and I started just harnessing the craft. It started right away, to be honest,” recalls Fanale, adding that she attributes her success to hard work, persistence, and luck.
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Since moonlighting as a photographer, the member-favorite group fitness instructor has shot campaigns for major brands including Polaroid, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Moët Chandon, and LEGO. They also dedicate free time to their personal work, an ongoing portrait series they started in 2018 that highlights New York’s queer community. It has since expanded, with Fanale capturing portraits in Louisville and London.
On the surface, there are inherent differences between teaching group fitness classes and working on the set of a large-scale campaign. But at the end of the day, there’s a common thread that ties the two together, making for a seamless transition: ensuring the environment is ripe for collaboration, communication, and flexibility.
“Everybody's got different needs, especially when we teach,” says Fanale. “As instructors, our job is to figure out where our people are at that moment and how we can help bring them from point A to point B. The way to do that and to make them feel successful is to build a connection. It is the same thing on set.”
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Fanale values the relationships built and the sense of community that’s fostered to deliver a final product everyone is happy with.
“I tend to have a collaborative approach with the people I work with, other people I'm photographing. It is very important for me that people are comfortable,” she says of being behind the lens. “If there is a connection with your team and with your subject, it's going to translate better in the images that come out from the shoot.”
In that same vein, to succeed as a group fitness instructor, “you do need to learn how to communicate effectively, and I think that skill is translated beautifully into the art world.
Photographs by Flaminia Fanale.