Sometimes Life Just Needs a Beautiful Location...
As someone who has been working in the photography business for many years, I am well aware of how the location can make or break a session! Over the years, I have certainly gathered my top locations, and places I hold dear. While in this post I won’t necessarily be giving away specific places I go (I need to keep some spots to myself :)), I will certainly be going over what I look for in specifics when it comes to location!
1| Where do I tend to work?
I generally prefer staying local, but am always open to flexibility if I need to be. I tend to work in a 20 minute radius of where I’m based, and usually choose spots in Anoka, Ramsey, Andover, Elk River, Oak Grove, and so on. People tend to forget that while these are more suburban towns in some places, there are still those hidden gem spots of natural beauty! Think in Anoka and Ramsey, the rivers that run through them, or the small town charm these old cities have like Elk River! As a photographer, I have truly become an expert at scouting out these places people have never been before, not knowing they are in fact right in their very own ‘backyard’.
2| What do I look for in a new location?
When I’m scouting a location, the thing I look for most is variability. In small towns for those more ‘urban’ style sessions, it is easy to find different alleyways, walls, stairs, and other settings that look unique. When looking for natural spots though, I am very careful in my selection to make sure there are multiple spots I will be able to use. I don’t like staying in the same place at all because that would make the galleries end up looking rather boring.
So what do I look for in those outdoor locations? I tend to search for locations that work best with my lighting wants of sun or no sun, and have good shade or trees for sun filtering. I will also always look at open fields, tree coverage, tall grasses, wild flowers, and perhaps unique architect structures to add some variation in a session. These are all things that contribute to visual appeal, and can make the same ‘location’ look like many different ones, while also maintaining coherency! When it comes to new locations though, I generally do not like going in blind. Client suggestions are always open, but there’s a certain level of risk when it comes to going to a location I haven’t scouted yet. There could be major errors when it comes to lighting or set up that I would just not be aware of until we are there!
3| Things to know about locations
There are some unique locations that require ‘hourly rentals’ in order for photographers to work there. Places like tree farms, which are a very popular holiday choice, often like to work with photographers but require a fee to be paid. This prevents over saturation of the areas, ensuring that photographers aren’t just swarming in a place people are trying to enact their holiday tradition as well. There are also some studios in Minneapolis that provide unique settings, but require these same sort of hourly rental rules.
Other places in our area require permits, or special permission in order to have sessions there. This may be because they are public places that they do not want overly crowded with people ‘working’ and disturbing others who have the right to these public places. This includes places like Como Park, some parks in Minneapolis, and Elm creek. Again, it is always so important to be mindful when it comes to working in public places, due to the fact that you are using a space others are entitled to use as well. When using a public or popular space, expect people that may be in the background. Expect that you will be needing to be patient and flexible, knowing an area you might want to use may not be available.
When it comes to multiple areas in sessions, I recommend communicating with your photographer first. For senior sessions commonly there is a nature aspect and a more ‘urban’ aspect, just to add variety in the session itself. Again, communicate with your photographer and ask about what the location expectations will be when going into a session!
I believe that’s all I have for today. I hope you all found this helpful, whether you’re a client to learn what goes into it or a fellow photographer looking for tips.
Next post is going to be focused on social media and how you can stay updated on my work!
Please contact me with any questions. See you all later!
