Finding the right location for the photoshoot

The location of the shoot is one of the most important factors to achieve beautiful portraits. If the background is beautiful, it’s easy to make the entire photo look beautiful.

I once was hired by an office to take a group shot of their staff. They asked to do the photos in a park near the office. I had never been to the park, so I agreed to meet them there. As soon as I got there, I knew I had a challenge on my hands. The park was extremely small – about one square block. So scenes beyond the park were viewable in any photo – and those scenes weren’t great. There was nothing spectacular about this park, so the photos did not turn out great.

When you look at a photo, you look at more than the people in the photo. You look at the surroundings. It’s important to trust your photographer to pick a spot where the surroundings will look great.

Photographers generally will welcome your suggestions for a spot – particularly if the spot has special meaning to you. But the photographer also should be honest if that location isn’t going to work well.

Be open to the photographer’s suggestions when deciding where to take photos at. The photographer likely has taken photos in lots of different locations and should know the most picturesque spots.

Selecting a location to take photos can be one of the biggest questions when setting up a photo shoot. I always ask my clients if they have a preference, but I’m also aware that the location will make or break the photo.

So be sure to ask for the photographer’s suggestions when selecting the venue. This is one of the most important places to trust your photographer.

This article is part of a series on trusting your photographer. Read the other articles on the proper time to shoot, posing, photo editing, and what to do with the photos when you have them back.