Union Street Yoga – Boutique Yoga Studio Photography in Sydney

I’ve been a friend and colleague of Sydney yoga teacher, Steven Harris, for almost 20 years. I’ve been teaching and practising yoga for many years, with just a couple of breaks when I had my babies. After having my second child, I came back to teaching in 2020 at Steven’s yoga studio. Beginning again after mat leave at a new studio in the middle of a lockdown, when all classes were online and no one was sure what would happen next, was certainly a challenge. Steven was super supportive throughout, proving just what a generally great human he is. Thankfully we made it through to the other side, and Steven’s yoga studio is has grown into a thriving community hub of friendly, diverse yogis.

When Steven asked me earlier this year to do a portrait and branding photoshoot to refresh the images for his yoga studio website and socials, I jumped at the opportunity. The brief was friendly, natural and cohesive imagery that would reflect the studio brand, feel and unique approach. It was my absolute pleasure to photograph my fellow yoga teachers at Steven’s gorgeous boutique yoga studio, Union Street Yoga. Situated in Erskineville, Union Street Yoga is filled with natural light and lush plants, and it feels like a peaceful urban oasis tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of nearby King Street. The yogis teaching at the studio have a wealth of varied experience between them and are such an amazing and professional crew to work with. I’m quite possibly biased, but these are easily some of the best yoga instructors in Sydney.

Planning a yoga photoshoot

Before the photoshoot, I met with Steven and Hayley Steadman, the studio manager, for a coffee and a chat about future goals for Union St Yoga and what kind of imagery would support this. We discussed how they were planning to use the images on the Union St Yoga website, social media, and printed marketing material for upcoming courses and workshops. After giving some guidance on what to wear, we collaborated to nail down the look and feel, planning which asanas (yoga postures) would work best for the images. Together we came up with a comprehensive shotlist, with some room for improvisation.  

What is a yoga photoshoot like?

Having extensive skills in grounding yourself through calm and steady breathing definitely helps if you’re feeling a bit nervous about having your photo taken. We kept it friendly and natural beginning with portraits of each instructor and shots of the group together. Then I photographed a class led by Steven to create a range of images that show what it’s like to take a class at the studio. Finally I worked around the space documenting details that could be used for social media background imagery to give a sense of the clean, minimal style of the studio. It was such a fun photoshoot and the perfect opportunity for everyone to get together and have a chat about all things yoga and beyond.

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