I’ve always wanted to display custom made prints of my photos in a gym. That dream recently became a reality with a very cool project!
A very cool opportunity
I was approached by Xpozer, which wanted me to try and review some of its products. I was very enthusiastic about the project, not only because it was the perfect opportunity to display some of my favorite photos in a gym … but also because these prints were substantially big (30-by-45 inches). I’m an advocate for the “go big or go home” philosophy and that got me pretty excited!
The perfect gym
When Stephanie, a friend of mine, opened her brand-new gym — the “Sweat Club” — in late 2019, I knew this would be a perfect place to display huge prints. The gym had 18-foot walls with neutral colors, a huge open area and a killer brand identity. I reached out to her and asked if she’d be interested in having some custom made images to decorate her place. As you can guess, she was excited, too, about the idea.
Customizing the photos
For this project, we were given four prints and two reusable frames. That would make two duos that she could swap to change the mood/decoration of the gym (like for holidays, events, workshops, etc.).
Stephanie and I had already done a few photoshoots for her business in the past years. That made it relatively easy to find in my archives potential pictures for the project. We had many options and I offered her different combinations. We decided to go for an “action” duo (with athletes in movement) and a “macro” duo (with close-up shots and plenty of sweat). These concepts represented well her gym’s identity. I customized the photos with a splash of green color for the macro duo and a special effect for the action one.
Ordering the prints
Once the official setups have been approved, I went to Xpozer’s website, uploaded my files and then ordered two “Print + Frame Combos” and two “Print” pieces (for a total of four prints and two swappable frames). Once the order was approved, I got a tracking number to follow the parcels. The delivery was pretty efficient and I got the packages at my door in about five days.
I was quite impressed with the details and sharpness in the final result — even more because I had macro photography AND special effects combined.
As a side note for Canadians, plan to add custom fees to your UPS delivery budget. A “2 prints + 1 frame” package cost around $40 CAD to cross the border.
Installing the frames
Installation of the prints was a very simple procedure in itself. All that it required was a screw per frame for the “hook” — that’s all (these were even provided in the delivery package.) The tricky part was to perfectly align them in the center of a high wall.
We had also decided to have one horizontal and one vertical image to bring more dynamism to the ensemble … that’s where things got interesting. As you can see from the pictures above, I wanted them to be aligned at the bottom. HUGE thanks to my husband who handled the situation like a pro and hung them exactly the way I envisioned them.
The final look
The satin finish of the photos gives a clean, contemporary look and prevents the ceiling fluorescents from reflecting. And because Xpozer uses a custom-developed material that won’t react to elements, I am confident the pictures will remain in flat and in perfect condition despite the gym’s temperature changes, humidity or dust.
Both Stephanie and I are very happy with the final result. The high-quality prints add dynamism and are perfectly suited to her beautiful gym. I loved the entire process, from thinking about a concept, to editing, to seeing the physical result.
As a photographer, seeing custom made prints of my photos in a gym is highly gratifying. Would I do it again? Totally … and I’d dare to go bigger! Would you?
