Ahhh the age old question…”Where should we do our session?!” I get it multiple times a week so I figured it was a good time to write a post on it!
It might seem like a silly thing to worry about but your location can make or break your session! A few things I take into account when finding a new location:
- Background – Will it be too heavy (lots of trees, really dark, etc.) and consistent with my style? What about texture – is it too short, will it provide nice depth in the photographs?
- Ease of mobility – Can you walk through easily, romp around, lay down, kid friendly?
- Lighting – Is the sun in an optimal position? Will it provide good light during the time of our session?
- Private/Public – Is it public? Do we need to ask permission? During hunting season? (PA problems, HA!)
I always ask about your preferences and find a location that fits your personalities well! Is there somewhere meaningful to you or that you’re drawn to? Most likely that’s a perfect spot for you!
My most frequented locations for both families and couples include:
- Field
- City
- Garden
- Mountain
- Lake/Beach
- In-Home
Once we get a type of location down we’ll go ahead and find the perfect one for your session. A few things I consider when choosing an exact location:
- Time of year – Locations can look drastically different depending on when your session will take place!
- Time of day – I typically lean towards evenings about 1.5 hours before sunset but depending on the type of location, I’ll make an exception if the light is better at a different time.
- Type of session – This is mostly for families but I always make sure it’s safe for kids, that the grass is shorter, area for the kids to run, etc.
See? Told ya there’s a lot more to it then just picking a spot. In order to make sure my couples and families have the best possible experience, I put in a good bit of effort on the back-end to ensure their location is perfect for them! I hope this helps you in deciding one of my favorite parts of session planning! So which is your favorite?!
xo, Taylor
