Finding The Perfect Location For Your Photography Shoot

Websites

Many websites can give you inspiration. Here are a few of the sites I find the most helpful.

Shot Hotspot: This is like the Wikipedia of places to photograph, and I find this one to be beneficial. You simply put the name or the postcode area you want to snap into the search engine, and it gives you lots of great ideas.

Google Earth: This is a great way to do your research before going out on a shoot. You can see the whole area and work out the best angles and places to photograph.

Why is it better to choose the right location?

Location is essential to the mood or story you would like to portray. For example, a beachwear fashion shoot would not look right in an urban scene. Think carefully about the style and the story that you want to portray. Consider the background, as a bad background can easily ruin what would have been a great photograph.

Shade and Full sun

Taking photographs in the shade has many benefits. On a hot day, you and your model will be more comfortable. Your model will be able to open their eyes fully, and it will be much easier to get the correct exposure. This will save time and effort in post-processing.

Taking photographs in full sun can also have great benefits. You can manipulate the light to get some fantastic shadows. When photographing your model in full sun, it is usually better to have them facing the sun, so your back is against it. When doing this, watch out for your model squinting.

Choosing A Public Place

Depending on the look you are trying to achieve, it is usually better to look for areas without many people. Can you imagine getting the perfect shot, and someone has photobombed you? Also, it can be very stressful to keep an eye on your equipment whilst taking photographs and working in a busy area. The best way to avoid this is to get to your location early or late when everyone has gone or find a quiet place.

Think About How Your Photographs Will Look On The Wall

Always consider how your pictures will look on the wall when taking your photographs. Look for ways of framing the photo as this is very effective, for example, taking a picture through an open door or having the subject between two trees. Look for unusual angles and spend time trying many different things and points of view in one place.

Conclusion

Wherever you find yourself and whatever you photograph, always remember to have fun and enjoy the experience. For some, photography is a form of therapy. . For others, it's a life-long mission to capture the beauty of our world.

Whatever the case may be, photography is a journey that can take you on some amazing adventures with people and places you may end up meeting and exploring in ways you never thought possible.

If your motivation is letting go of everything else in your life and finding peace within yourself, then I envy your motivation.

If you are looking for a specific needle in the haystack, try finding the one that's spinning around while you're sniffing hay.

Don’t ever leave anything valuable in your car. It’s hard to take when you lose camera equipment, but it’s even worse when you have photographs on your memory cards that you will never be able to replace.

Make sure you only take what you will use, as camera equipment can be cumbersome, and you don’t want to be weighed down with excess gear.

And finally, always remember to make sure you have charged your batteries and have room on your memory cards.