In my continuing series of tips to help everyone get ready for their photo session I want to talk about locations today. I love love love when clients choose their location for their sessions because that location says something about them as a couple or a family. It can be the site of their first date, an activity that they love to do or even a type of place that fits with their personality. I picked Old Town Alexandria for my engagment session location because it was the site of our first date and every time I go there I think about dumping a drink in my husbands lap on that date. Combine klutzy with nervous and you end up with David wearing Ginger Ale, I was mortified!!! Now it is a funny memory and something I will always associate with Alexandria. Some people come to me with location ideas in mind already while some need a little bit of coaxing from me to find something that fits with their personality. No matter where the location though it is never just one spot that we will stay in and shoot the whole session. I love to wander around a new location and find little nooks and crannies that I know will work great in photos. If you are stuck on ideas for a location think about the questions I’ve listed below and see what resonates with you!
This will sound like a dating questionairre but I swear I did not rip it off from match or eharmony!
1. Where is your favorite place to go? Do you love the mountains, a local park, your grandparents lake house? Your favorite place has meaning to you and that makes your photos there special!
2. What is your favorite thing to do? Hobby or interest? Are you a home renovator and spend all your time at the hardware store? Do you spend time on your boat? Is date night spent at the batting cages? I know photo sessions can be stressful and I want to make sure it is fun for you so if working your nerves off with a few rounds in the batting cage works then lets do your session there! One of my favorite photographers Melissa Jill did an engagement session at Home Depot because her clients spend all their free time there while renovating their new house. While searching for a link to that session I found an article Melissa wrote about spicing up an engagement session that I want to share! Click here! You can see the Home Depot photos also!
3. What is your style? Are you vintage glam or rustic country? If you are most comfortable in your jeans and a cute plaid shirt then something very natural like a field or a farm with a barn would be an awesome place for your session. By the way if you know someone with a farm and a cool paint peeling barn in the area please let me know I’m on the lookout for one!! If you love to dress up and are very fashionable lets check out a modern art museum. Oh how about a winery? There are so many wonderful places to shoot at a winery, I was up at Tarara Winery a couple months ago and I’m dying to go back and shoot there again. I would love to incorporate more of the grape fields and the rustic buildings!
If all else fails pick something quirky! There is an adorable miniature golf place on Route 1 just before Stafford that I would love to shoot a session at. It is so cute and painted with pretty colors and I think it would be so much fun! Another crazy idea would be a vintage flea market or something with lots of unusual props to play around with. I love Downtown Fredericksburg because it reminds me of Old Town Alexandria and I love the feel of that.
A location is a lot more then just the backdrop of your photos, it needs to be a place that you feel comfortable in and can relax and have a good time. At the end of the day though what makes your photos awesome is you and not a specatacular location! Of course I can’t have a post without a photo so here is this cool old boat I took a photo of over our Memorial Day weekend trip to Colonial Beach. Between this boat, the field behind it and the water on the other side that right there is 3 awesome spots to shoot all in a 25ft radius. My point is don’t rule out quirky! lol!
Cool Boat at Colonial Beach Yacht Club
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I know right!! Lowes would have been a great location for my engagement photos bc we are there all the time!
I love that Home Depot idea!!!