When shooting on location there is added excitement at the creative possibilities available from not being bound to a studio setting. Here are 4 tips to help you get the best out of your time, models and area.
Please feel free to share any additional tips of your own in the Comments section.
1- Make The Most Of The Natural Light - Where possible, look at the direction the shadows are casting and play with the light to cast minimal shadows on your subject. if you have a reflector with you use this to bounce the light accordingly onto your subject. With the image below we were a small team with little gear. As such there are a few harder shadows on the model’s face which could have been softened or even avoided completely if we did make use of a reflector.
2- Time Your Shots - The two photos below were taken within half an hour of one another. Early mornings or dusk (Golden Hour) are fantastic times to shoot as lighting is optimal for most scenes. However, those times are not always available to us and our schedules so work with what you can. Midday is considered an inopportune time to shoot as the sun is at its highest and as such can cast sharp shadows but again if you have additional light features or a reflector to help direct your light and shadows it will help with your edit process later.
3- Location, Location, Location - If you have the opportunity to read up about your chosen area prior to shooting, do it. You can always gain more knowledge and others may have advice on a favourite corner, small business or even landmark to use. Then, make the most of it. The photo below shows the bustling inner city of Johannesburg on a Saturday afternoon with the iconic Nelson Mandela bridge in the background. It also makes use of lines which I discuss more in tip 4.
4- Let Those Lines Lead - There are lines everywhere you look. Sometimes you need to adjust your eye beyond the ordinary to make the lines work for the look you want. An example can be seen in the image below. Notice how there are shadows across the model’s face. I thought this gave a quirky as well as sultry touch to the image. Then with the image above, see how the pavement leads our eye to the two models in the centre. There are also the lines behind from the Nelson Mandela Bridge which further compliment the image.
