Before I even set both feet out of the car and onto the pavement, the white house with the picket fence had our name written all over it. “Mama!” I can still feel the butterflies in my stomach, “This is the one!” The ground to my red balloon ideas, she reminded me not to get my hopes up, “We haven’t even smelled it or jumped on the floors, Emily.” I held my breath and hoped that when we walked through those doors the foundation was sound and there wasn’t any damp smell.
Surrounded by the most ideallic picket fence, I could picture my whole life there before me. I’d get married across the street at the Methodist Church, we’d take our pictures here, then I’d start my business in the cutest most well lit and landscaped courtyard I’d ever seen. It’s like God drew a picture of a gift for me and plopped it right there on the corner where he knew I’d be starting my life as a young wife in just 3 short months.
I could see a swing on the front porch as a place to pose children and babies for photos with their families and having the square within walking distance was icing on the cake for even more locations to add variety to photo sessions.
Before I left that day I signed a deposit check to secure it before Zach had even seen it in person. This was our house and I’m so thankful it was.
That setting provided the backdrop for most of my photo sessions over the next decade. The leading lines, good light, and mature plants that stopped me in my tracks that day would turn out to provide the best foreground, middle ground, and background of at least 1,000 photo shoots.
Location, Location, Location
Obviously everyone can’t and may not want an outdoor photo studio at their home. I was in the mindset of starting a family and wanted to be as close to home as possible so I could be at the dinner table when my husband got home from work. This set up was ideal for us at the time.
When I look for other locations to shoot, I have my eye out for a few things that make or break a session. I wanted to share them with you so you can start looking for these things.
5 Things I Look for When Scouting Locations for Photo Shoots
- Shady, but with plenty of available light. Trees are great, but forests, not so much. The shadier the location, the earlier in the day you have to shoot.
2. Scenery that marks the seasons. In the Winter I shoot indoors or urban landscapes. In the Spring, I want to catch things blooming (azaleas in mid April, Buttercups/Fruit Trees in early March). In the Summer, I look for water and big green pastures as well as urban landscapes or sunflowers in late July. In the Fall, I watch the cotton and the foliage like a hawk (cotton usually peaks in late Sept/early Oct and the leaves are most colorful around Halloween-Nov 15.
3. Leading Lines like shrubbery, fencing, tree lines, bridges, etc. that add perspective to the picture and draw attention to the subject.
4. Character that will add texture, interest, and variety to the session like brick, wood elements, patina colored surfaces, worn paint or even natural textures like evergreen trees, rocks, and water features.
5. Foreground, middle ground, and background areas that add depth and a painterly look to images. I look for areas that have greenery, a space for the subject to sit, and a scenic background.
Ready to level up your photography? Try these tips now and share your stunning shots using #epcphotochallenge
If this post helped you in any way, I’d love it if you’d share it with a friend who loves photography, too.
Creatively,
Emily
Create Everyday 
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