I got the biggest compliment at a shoot this past week. The family remarked, “wow, it’s nice that you know exactly where you want to take the photos already; this is going so fast!” We went from once location to the next without a hitch. There was no wandering around searching for the perfect light. The reason? I had scoped out the location 20 minutes before they arrived and I had already found the perfect spots.
It’s easy to scope out your location when there is no pressure. When you spend just 15-20 minutes looking around on your own, without your camera, you will be amazed by how much less stress you feel during the portrait session. When you are walking around with the client, looking for a spot, you are not only wasting their session time, but you are feeling the pressure of them watching you hunt. No doubt there are some photographers out there who have no problem finding locations on the fly. They may be able to make small talk while they look around and can find a spot very quickly. But this should not be your method unless you are very confident in your ability to scout out a location very quickly.
Even if you have been to a location many times before, you should still arrive ten to fifteen minutes prior to your shoot to check out the lighting conditions, which change depending on the time of year, the time of day, and the weather. Your usual spot might not be so great under less than ideal conditions, such as a very windy day.
If you are walking from one location to the next, that is a good time to keep your eyes peeled for the unexpected spot, which sometimes ends up being your favorite. You still have the security of the other planned locations, and your subjects will almost never mind an impromptu snapshot in front of a cool background.
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