Hi guys,
Recently I went to the city to check out a potential new shoot location and it inspired me to do a quick post on this subject.
Being an outdoor photographer and choosing the right location for a photoshoot can be quite challenging. I had to do a lot of research to be able to recommend a place when I was first starting out. Each location had to be visited and re-visted. The more I knew about a place to more confident I was.
My past clients I am sure heard me talk about locations with them, we had to decide which place would be better for their dog, the amount of distractions we would have to deal with and the final style, look and feel of their photos.
Location will have a huge impact on the look and feel of your images.
There are few things to consider when it come to choosing the perfect location for you and your dog and choosing the perfect location varies from one dog to the next.
Timing & Privacy – Depending on the time of year, time of day, weather, and popularity of a specific venue, some locations will be better than others. For example, to get the photos you see in my portfolio, sessions aren’t held in an open field in the middle of the day. For the best quality of light my sessions are always scheduled either during an early morning or late afternoon, usually 2 hours before sunset. Foot traffic and your dogs ability to focus is always something we have to discuss, because the more distractions the harder it will be to keep their attention on us.
Meaning & Comfort – Is there is a special place where you enjoy spending time with your dog? I love coming back to my old stomping grounds, but I also love exploring my clients favourite spots and photographing at a location that means something to them. Does your dog love a bit of an adventure? Why not get off the beaten track and shoot somewhere unique! For senior dogs we would choose a location with minimal or easy walking. We can even schedule a session at your house as long as there is plenty of available window light and room to work with.
Style – What ‘feel’ do you want the final images to have? An urban scene with city skylines in the background, graffiti walls, and architectural details? A natural setting such as bushland, park or a beach?
In the next few weeks I will be putting together a location guide to my favourite spots for photo sessions. I think this is going to be a very helpful tool for the future.
This guide will include my favourite parks, bushland, urban, city, reserves, rural and beaches, adequate information about each place and possibly seasonal locations (spring, autumn, jacaranda season etc).
Autumn at Bowral
