Finding the perfect outdoor location for a photo shoot may be challenging if you approach it like a task. What I like to do instead is wander around, enjoy the views, and make notes whenever I find a place that impresses me with its scenery, light, colors, or photography opportunities. It’s a pleasant way of building a personal database of photo shoot locations, providing me with a starting point for future searches. However, when my go-to places are not suitable for the photo shoot I’m currently planning, I rely on a much more practical and efficient approach. Read along to find out how to find outdoor locations for a photo shoot fast and without compromising on your artistic brief.
List Your Outdoor Photo Shoot Requirements
The first thing you need to do is clarify what sort of location you want and what characteristics it must have. A few limitations will arise from this initial research, making your search easier and faster. Here are the things to consider when listing your outdoor photo shoot requirements.
Find Outdoor Locations with the Right Scenery
Scenery is a key characteristic of a photo shoot location. For example, if you plan a landscape photo shoot, you’ll look for outdoor locations situated in a natural environment, such as a natural park, a mountain peak, or a remote beach. On the other hand, if you plan a street photo shoot, you’ll look for a busy market, a popular street, an architectural landmark, or a city tourist attraction.
Once you’ve established the type of scenery (e.g., landscape, city, rural area, etc.), go into detail, such as mountains or seaside, fields or hills, meadows or plains, old architecture or new architecture, crowded or peaceful, and so on. Other features may be important, too, for example, a café or restaurant where your subject can pose, flowers for a romantic mood, or a large water surface for reflection shots.
Find Outdoor Locations with the Right Light
Regardless of the scenery you choose, light is something to consider. The direction, intensity, and color of the light at the time of the photo shoot dictates not only what gear and camera settings you use but also what compositions you can create. Some locations are under direct sunlight all day long; others have a limited period of direct sunlight or are always in the shade. You must know beforehand what type of light you need and then look for it.
Find Outdoor Locations with the Right Color Palette
The artistic decisions you make for your photo shoot should be based on the location’s color palette. For example, a location near the ocean will have a specific color palette (e.g., blues, sand, bright pale colors, etc.) that may be incorporated into your model’s outfit. An old town will have a rusty, earthy, more neutral color palette, which may suit a nostalgic or history-related atmosphere. Knowing what colors you need in the background restricts your location search and speeds up the process.
Find Outdoor Locations with the Variety
A photoshoot takes at least a couple of hours and results in a photo series with a narrative line. Therefore, you need a location that provides a variety of backgrounds and photography opportunities within reach.
For example, if you photograph a family on a beach, you may want a pontoon on which the kids can run safely, a rock formation to break up the monotony of sand, a sunrise or sunset in the background, or boats or surfers in the water. If you plan a street photo session, you may want a location with more than just one landmark, a neighborhood with a variety of architectural styles and colors, or a market that provides multiple backgrounds that suit your photo shoot.
Find Outdoor Locations with Accessibility
What you want from an outdoor location is one thing; what you can get is another. The ideal location for your outdoor photo shoot shouldn’t be too far away, impractical for you to carry your gear there or for your client or model to get there, and extremely uncomfortable or dangerous. In addition, you should know from the beginning if you are looking for a private or public location and how much you want to spend on transportation, reservations, or any other possible fees (e.g., a photo permit for shooting in a castle’s garden).
If you intend to use a drone, make sure you find a location where you are allowed to use it and check all regulations in place. Limitations such as the possibility to use a drone exclude a lot of city locations and reduce your search area.
Brief
There is a third factor to consider, which is what the client wants. The brief you get or the conversation with your client may reveal additional limitations. For example, a corporate client may request a modern background with cars and glass buildings to fit their products. A family may request a natural environment where the children can run barefoot on the grass. A fashion magazine may request beach décor to match its summer edition. As much as you’d like to be fully in charge of choosing an outdoor location for the photo shoot, the other party’s opinion is part of the deal.
How to Find Outdoor Locations for a Photo Shoot
Other than making notes whenever you see a location you like or might use in the future, there are a few more technical ways to seek outdoor locations for a photo shoot.
Google Earth
Google Earth is a website where you can see every location in the world, including geography, terrain details, landmarks, street names, and all the details you need to make an informed decision. You can even go to ground level and check out the surroundings. In addition, you get precise coordinates of a location to share with your clients and can measure the distance between two points and check for roads to get an idea of transport necessities.
The Photographer’s Ephemeris
The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a website and app that gives you all the information you need about light in a location. From the exact time of sunrise and moonrise to the sun’s direction at different times of the day, detailed maps (even a 3D one), and augmented reality to see how the sun, moon, or Milky Way overlays the camera, The Photographer’s Ephemeris has them all.
PhotoPills
PhotoPills is another app for scooting locations and planning photo shoots. It allows you to see the position of the sun, moon, and Milky Way, explore detailed maps, calculate exposure and depth of field, and even compute parameters for time-lapse. The app saves your favorite locations, helping you to build a database and plan future photo shoots more easily.
Your Photo Community
Just like you know some great locations around you, so do other people. Enter photo communities and share information with your peers. Follow inspiring Instagram accounts and put the algorithm to work. They don’t necessarily have to be photography-related accounts. They may be travel magazines, local communities, history societies, architecture-related accounts, and anything else that can give you tips about good locations.
Improve Any Outdoor Photo Shoot Location with Photo Accessories
Although planning helps a lot, shooting in outdoor locations involves a good dose of unpredictability. For example, the weather can suddenly change, or something may obstruct sunlight and cast a shadow over your subject. Even with all the adjuvant apps, the quality of the terrain may differ from what you expect. Ensure you bring a few accessories that can improve your experience and help you take amazing photos in any condition.
A Sturdy Tripod
As you’ll take a lot of photos (many of them using the same photo setup), you need a reliable tripod that is able to stabilize the camera on any surface and sustain the load of camera, lens, and photo accessories. Choose a lightweight item, such as a carbon fiber tripod, with multiple leg sections for more creative freedom, a central column, and twist locks for fast setups. The Manfrotto Befree Advanced 4-Section Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod is a good option for outdoor photo shoots. It also comes with a versatile ball head suited for most photographic genres.
Lighting Equipment
Even if you will mostly use sunlight during an outdoor photo session, bringing lighting equipment comes in handy. You may use the artificial light source to add more light to the scene or complement the natural light. You may also use it to create artistic effects and have control over the lighting design like you would have in a studio. For example, an external flash unit, such as the Sony Alpha HVL-F28RM, can be mounted on the camera, handheld, or placed anywhere around the subject as it comes with a wireless remote control.
In addition, you may bring light modifiers, such as reflectors and diffusers, and create the exact illumination and atmosphere you envision.
Conclusion
Finding outdoor locations is a crucial step in planning a photo shoot. You can rely on familiar locations, but you should also look for new ones, offering fresh perspectives, interesting subject matters, and unique photographic opportunities. List your requests as a starting point and use apps, communities, and word of mouth to make an informed decision. However, develop an adaptable workflow and bring versatile gear to make the most of any situation and solve any problem that might appear while in location.
