I’m dating myself here, but when I was young, this whole natural light photography thing…wasn’t a thing. If you wanted to have a family picture taken, someone nearby took it with your point-and-shoot camera while you were on vacation, or you went to Sears or JCPenney’s, where they had a studio set up with lights, props, and backdrops.

When I was a kid, we got our photos taken as a family….well, like twice professionally. Once was for the church directory, and the other was…oh wait, it was just once.

When I had my older boys, Andrew and Isaac, visiting those cheesy studios to get yearly photos taken to document them “professionally” before they were of school age was becoming a thing. I admit, I thought it was kind of dumb, but I did it a few times because of peer pressure from my sister, who did it every year for Christmas cards (she’s so put together), and my ex’s parents, who requested pictures regularly since they lived far away. I have to admit, now that Andrew and Isaac are adults, I love looking at those cheesy photos of them sitting on stools with giant teddy bears propped behind them.

Of course, once my boys were of school age, the school would have a yearly “professional photo” taken for the yearbook. I also remember The Picture People in a local shopping mall. You could walk in and have pictures taken. Or, dare I say — Glamour Shots?!?!?! For those of you who know what I mean, I’m sure you’re laughing with me. I actually have a glamour shot of me all made up in a Phillies cap with a baseball and bat…don’t ask. Plus, I always had a point-and-shoot camera on hand to snap those “just for fun” photos I loved to have printed out to put in albums that were (still are) stacked on my dresser.

At this point, taking regular pictures was becoming more normalized, but it was done for the individual with the purpose of documentation ONLY. Something to show the kids when they are older and to reference with the “grandparent stories.” You wouldn’t believe the laughter that ensues whenever those glamour shots come out. 🙄

When social media exploded a decade ago with the smartphone, pictures became increasingly important to people for their posts and “profile,” so digital photography also became more in demand. People started learning digital photography on their own outside of college and began creating their own businesses. But, there was a problem: studio space and all the equipment that went along with it was expensive. Too expensive. So, photographers started learning to use what they had to work with — enter the natural light photography phenomenon.

The question was: How can we do this outside nature instead of in a studio? New techniques and rules were introduced. New ways of thinking about light and photography in general were created. With this need in mind, new shooting and editing styles were developed, and a new generation of photographers emerged.

With every new generation comes new challenges, and for this generation of photographers, the challenge is where to shoot. And we’re still facing it, even now, years later.

In the beginning, it was easy. You could go anywhere, and people were in awe of photographers at their craft. It was like watching a show—so exciting to see a photographer in the wild! Now, there are so many photographers everywhere you go that people are not only not excited to see them anymore, but they are annoyed by their very existence.

You can’t go to a public park anymore without seeing a photographer taking pictures of someone. They. Are. Everywhere. So, what do you do as a photographer who is part of this? Where do you go?

No longer are the days when the challenge is simply finding a beautiful location. Now, we are called upon to provide a stunning location AND an experience….which, for many, doesn’t include fighting over locations at a public park with another family trying to have their chance at their family session.

When people pay a photographer to take their photos, they do not picture other people invading their space, much less other photographers being there as well. But the reality is that if you plan to use a public space, this will most likely be the case. There aren’t many public spaces that do not charge fees that are not scattered with photogs these days during certain times of the day. So, what to do? What do you say when the client types those dreaded words: “We don’t have any ideas. What do you think about the location?” How do you find a portrait location?

In this article, I will provide six ideas to consider when searching for portrait session locations to help make your life as a photographer easier.

1. Provide a Portrait Session Guide for Success.

Answer the location question before it is even asked and put it on your clients by providing them with a guide to selecting a location when they book with you.

The guide can discuss timing, lighting, architecture, nature, colors, uniqueness, crowds, tickets, fees, licenses, emotional significance, etc., of location selection. If you are just starting out, it might be helpful to purchase a tried-and-true guide from an established photographer who has already put it together for you.

I offer the same Portrait Session Guide for Success that I send clients when they book with me in the LPS Student Store. Other photographers sell some versions of the text in their session guides. The difference with ours is that I include all of my pictures in the guide, AND it is gender-neutral so that it is appropriate for all clients. It’s so easy. You can purchase, download, and send to your clients immediately with no additional steps. When you are ready, and if you are so inclined, you can eventually recreate the guide with your version of my words and replace my images with your own for more authenticity, but you don’t have to.

I promise you that whether you use mine or create your own, providing your clients with a guide will save you buckets of time (increasing your productivity) and allow you to increase your rates due to the increased value you provide. Win-win. After introducing my guide in 2017, I increased my prices by an additional $100 per session, and my clients didn’t even bat an eye. From that original rate, and after numerous revisions to make it perfect, I now charge an additional $400 per session, and many of my clients tip me at least $100 at the end of the session because I have given them such a fantastic experience. It all starts with The MHP Portrait Session Guide for Success.

2. Listen to the clients

For every five clients who choose their location with my guide, I have one who still would like some input on their choice. This is not a bad thing! It means they trust me and my vision for them.

Now, it would be easy to go with my favorite spot, a spot close to home, or even a location that would be good for my portfolio in these situations, but it is always best to serve your clients well in these moments of deep trust. I do this by asking them a few questions in the guide to help me make suggestions for them. I ask if they prefer city or country, architecture over nature, water or woods, field or walking path, how far they are willing to travel, if they’re willing to pay a travel fee, etc. Once I get a response to these questions, I can start to brainstorm some location ideas. If they are locations I have shot in before, I send a link to a session I have shot there (preferably in the same season). If I haven’t, I send a link to more information about the spot online to see if it resonates with the client(s).

3. Consider the Light

While a location’s beauty and significance are great, the light is ultimately the deciding factor in whether it is “great,” “difficult,”…or even “terrible” to shoot in.

Two of my favorite spots to shoot near my house (three, actually) are places I have never seen other photographers. They are not obviously beautiful places…, but the light is perfect no matter the weather or season.

These “location unicorns” (great public locations without photographer competition AND work no matter the weather) are easy to find but not as easy to get your clients to buy into using. This photo shoot may be their one chance at family photos in five years. So, when you suggest using the local park near your house rather than the beautiful gardens everyone else uses, you may get some pushback if you are not confident in your suggestion's delivery.

You must own your expertise and knowledge. You are the expert. Talk about the crowds at many popular locations and the time wasted waiting for and walking to alternate shooting spots. Educate your clients about the importance of the light and how you know the light in this spot is *muah* perfect!

If you are still unsure about how to find great light or still struggle to shoot in the sun, don’t worry. That’s part of what we teach in our signature Kickstart Your Photography Business Course™️. I remember having no idea of the importance of light when I started this photography journey and then the ensuing fear of the sun once I learned of its significance until I created the Rules of Light Quality™️. Our comprehensive, step-by-step program will take you from unsure to confident in your photography expertise.

4. Think outside of the box

Start going places! Go for “location walks” (and drives) in random parks, cities, or nature centers during portrait session hours so you can see the light at the right time (if you don’t know what portrait session hours are, please consider checking out Kickstart Your Photography Business Course™️ online. It will change your life. If you can’t go during portrait hours, map the sun’s position as I teach you in Rules of Light Quality™️ so you can visualize what it will look like, where the open shade will be, and great backlighting opportunities for different parts of the session for that golden glow.

You don’t know until you have scouted a location, so the more places you have scouted, the better. You will find more and more over time. Keep going.

5. Ask other photographers

Okay, so this is a last resort. Asking other photographers is hard. It’s hard for us to give up our unicorn locations because once others know about it, it’s no longer a secret. You must understand that. But you will find a few photographers willing to share, so asking never hurts. Just know that if you are already getting it as a suggestion from another photographer, you will most likely be confronted with many photographers when you arrive there for your session.

Not having an excellent location to take your clients is a challenging situation to find yourself in. I know because I’ve been there many times.

6. Never stop looking for good light

If you are a photographer at heart, you will never be able to stop looking at, well, anywhere you go, as light and thinking about every situation you find yourself in as, “Is this good light, or not?” It’s the blessing and curse of the photographer.

Again, if this is not happening, you might need help seeing the light in real-time. Check out my class Rules of Light Quality™️ inside Kickstart Your Photography Business Course™️. All of us light nerds will be happy to have you join the group!

Good luck with your location search. And, as always, happy shooting!

How to Find a Portrait Session Location