The location question

Not sure how to identify the best location for your next portrait session?

Below are some questions to help you speed up the process of finding the best spot for you.

When it’s time to conduct a branded lifestyle portrait session, a lot of questions begged to be answered before the camera is taken out of the bag and ready to fire. 

One of the most common questions revolve around the choice of locations. 

And it’s certainly an important one. 

Now, for many folks, they prefer to conduct their sessions in their homes and office space as those locations are a mirror image of what their day-to-day activities look like. 

For others, the idea of shooting at home is not an ideal solution for one reason or another, and, as a result, we need to identify spaces and places that aptly represent who they are and how they work.

During the pre-session strategy call where we unearth the wrinkles and nuances in what their day-to-day life looks like, a picture is formed in our minds as to the right types of locations that make sense for their session.

The next step is actually booking a place. 

So, where do we begin?

Well, there are a few questions that I pose to my clients to help us identify the right spaces and places that will provide us the best possible solution to this challenge. 

1 - What type of architecture, design and decor compliments your personality, business and brand? 

Does your personality, brand and taste lend itself to more modem, business-like and sleek buildings? Or, are you more of an earthy, rustic and traditional type of person? Or do you fall somewhere in between? An answer to this question will immediately cut down your options significantly. 

2 - Does the location(s) have what you need in terms of some of the lifestyle shots discussed in your strategy call?

If the shot list calls for a white board, does the space have one available? If we’re capturing virtual photography, is there easily accessed WiFi to allow for that? Does the space have some open wall space to stand in front of and take portraits of you speaking? Know the shot list BEFORE you book a space.

3 - Are there multiple nooks and crannies in this space that can be used for different lifestyle activities and portraits looking into camera?

Are there multiple tables, couches, chairs and conference rooms available so that your lifestyle and work activities can be photographed in different parts of the room to create visual variety? You want to avoid spaces that have very limited options as it becomes repetitive to sit and capture every photo from the same corner of the room.

4 - If you need to shoot outside photos, is that an easily accessible thing?

Does the decor of the space outside the building in which you're shooting compliment your personality, business and brand? Or, will you have to travel in order to get there? If so, be sure to make time in the shoot schedule to account for that travel back and forth to the original location.

5 - Aside from the photographer’s lighting package, what type of ambient lighting exists in the space? Artificial light? Daylight? Can the photographer work with what’s there?

While your photographer presumably is equipped to handle lighting you, the ambient lighting in the space is important to account for because it will be incorporated into the lifestyle portraits. Whether you’re looking for bright and open or moody and dramatic ambient lighting, be mindful of your requirements as you mull over your location options. 

When it’s time to choose a location, it can become an arduous task. 

But, if you keep in mind these 5 questions, that will help you make a decision in a way that will help enhance the overall value of your branded lifestyle portrait session. 

Consult with your photographer every step of the way to make sure you’re on the right path and you two are on the same page. 

Take photos of the spaces you’re taking into consideration and share them with your photographer to get an immediate yay or nay on the space. 

And, as a result, the photographer is better prepared to walk into the location on the day of the session and crank out all of the photos that need to be captured. 

How has your experience been with finding locations for your previous sessions? Was it easy breezy or a total and complete pain in the ass? Please share your experiences in the comment section below.