I’ve been around the world and back and seen some absolutely amazing places for photography. Coming from a small town, it always made me wonder why I couldn’t live around such photogenic areas. Yes, my state has some beautiful scenery, but many of you live in towns just like I am talking about and think the same thing. I know what you mean, there is just NOTHING where I live in this little rural town! Nothing that makes a good backdrop for shooting some portraits or even taking a good photo. I have to drive an hour or more just to find a neat place!
If you’re in this kind of rut trying to choose a place to have your pictures taken at, start thinking outside the box and recognize what you do have. It’s kind of like a relationship you are in that has grown stale; only when you start truly looking at the positives do you realize what you have.
Look around or think about the places you could shoot. Junkyards, lumberyards, old buildings, parks, farms, barns, fields of tall grass, flowers, bodies of water, carnivals, woods, and ball fields are all such locations that would make for interesting portraits. You would be surprised just how a pile of old rusted junk actually makes for a very unique photo set. So make use of everything! Just be sure to always get permission before shooting at a location, even if you think its totally fine to do so. Trespassing is illegal and never under any circumstances shoot in a place that is dangerous. Railroad tracks, for example, are highly illegal and dangerous to photograph on, so stay away!
Out in the country, you typically see an old car or truck in a field, and plenty of tractors. Just talk to the owner and see if you can use it as a backdrop. All they can say is no. And from my own experience, that rarely happens.
In large cities or even small towns with an old main street, get out and walk around. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be on foot, because only then do you truly find hidden gems that maybe you’ve drove past a million times and never noticed. Old buildings, theaters, wall graffiti, fountains, sculptures, street lamps, signs, store fronts, garage doors, alleys, and brick walls are just some of things you will find.
Once you have decided on some good locations, talk to your photographer about shooting there. They may even have suggestions or access to places they know of that maybe you don’t. Communication is always key in order to get the right type of photos you desire. Don’t fret over the technical details of everything, that’s why you hired a photographer! They will often visit the location and figure out best time of day to shoot there and if anything additional is required, like lights. If there is a problem with a place, discuss it and figure out what to do or choose a different area. Don’t get hung up on something just because it doesn’t work out. Just move forward with what does.