Should we have a photoshoot in an urban location?

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Urban locations can look great for photoshoots – interesting artifical backgrounds that give off a very contemporary type of style.

However, there are some things to consider before you fix your idea on an urban location

  • we’re very much at the mercy of other people – all urban locations are public places, so they come with the added ‘benefit’ of freeheadshot of a woman in the streeturban portrait of a woman wearing a beanie onlookers – we try to choose locations or times where the number of people is as low as it can be, but it’s not something any of us can control, so you need to be happy having your photoshoot in public (though in the many photoshoots we’ve done in urban locations we’ve always found ‘the public’ are a bit like spiders – your fear of them is far greater than any amount of interest they might have in you!),
  • some places have land-owners who won’t let you do a photoshoot on their land until you’ve formally obtained their permission and, usually, paid them for the privilege of doing so (almost nowhere in a town or city is ‘free’ nowadays); however, we’ve carried out numerous photoshoots in urban locations and streets and have only been told to stop on two occasions, so we’re happy to do this if that’s what you’d like,
  • urban environments aren’t particularly ‘child-friendly’ – you’ll find children will get bored quicker in an urban environment than indoors or in a rural location, so if you’re after a family photoshoot we’d generally advise against using an urban location,
  • if you want to be able to change your outfit during the photoshoot we need to consider that in advance, so that we can plan the location accordingly – that shouldn’t stop you from having an urban location, it just means that more advance planning is required.

But please don’t take that as a list of negatives, beacuse we find

  • urban locations can look fabulous,
  • they can be raw and gritty, but also modern and cool at the same time,
  • they can offer a great contrast against stylish clothes, or can easily complement any type of casual look,
  • and often they can help us take a ‘normal’ portrait and change it into a fashion-styled photoshoot,
  • so if an urban photoshoot is on your wishlist, let’s have a chat about what that means to you and how we might make it work.
  • street portrait a woman in a summers hat
  • woman in a beret

More information

Alternatively, we’ve got some more location advice on:

Which indoor location should I choose for our photoshoot?

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beautiful portrait of a girl at a child photoshootIntroduction

If you’re keen to have your photoshoot indoors, then you might now be wondering “should I do this at home, in a studio, or some other indoor location?” Good question – we’re here to help.

You might already have a strong preference for where you want the photoshoot. For example, if you’re after a specific type of background, then that will probably help make the decision for you. However, if you’re unsure, here are some things for you to think through.

People

  • if the photoshoot is for just one or two people, then the choice is yours – any location will work,
  • however, if you’re part of a large group then the choice is more restricted, as the room will need to be bigger – not only will it need to be wider, to fit you all in, it will also have to be longer, so that we can move the camera further away from you,
  • but if you’re a family of 4-6 people, you’ll find most locations will work if your room is not too small.

Style

  • if you’re after a super informal photoshoot, where you’re dressed very casually and not looking very posed, then ‘at home’ might be the best answer,
  • if you’re after a smart look, we can make this work in most locations, though if you opt for ‘at home’ you’ll either need to do this in a very tidy room,couple photoshoot
  • or we could bring a white, grey or black background,
  • of course, if you’re after a more urban look, then ‘on location’ is the answer – this could be indoors or outdoors.

Backgrounds

  • you might already have a certain ‘on location’ background that you’re after, such as a beautifully rustic brick wall,
  • if you’re after a bright white background, then we can use our professional mobile studio to do this in any location, or in your home if you’ve got a room that isn’t too small,
  • the same is true for a much darker black or grey background – a very different feel to the white version, but this too can be done in your home, or in the studio.

Furniture

  • depending on the furniture you have in your home, this might encourage, or dissuade you, from having an ‘at home’ photoshoot,
  • things you won’t want in the photos are: highly-patterned furniture, rooms containing lots of items of furniture, or walls containing multiple paintings/photos that can’t be removed – if any of these are problems that you can’t temporarily fix, then a studio or ‘on
    location’ option might be better.mum and son studio photoshoot

Lighting

  • we’ve got a professional mobile lighting studio which we can bring to any indoor or outdoor location to make you and the location look bright, dark, modern or cosy, depending on the style,
  • however, if you want the photoshoot to be in a private indoor venue, you’ll need to check they allow photography, as well as using any additional lighting.

More information

Alternatively, we’ve got some more location advice on:

 

How we increase someone’s confidence at a photoshoot

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Help, I don’t feel confident in front of the camera!

Psst… we’ll let you into a secret – you’re not the only one.woman leaning against a tree

We’ve looked back at over 100 photoshoots to work out who we thought was confident about being in front of the camera when we first met them and who wasn’t. Well, guess what? We reckon around 80% of people were NOT very confident when they started. Some had pre-photoshoot nerves, but most were either not very confident about what to do in front of the camera, or a surprising majority were not very confident in themselves and their appearance. If you were to look at the photos of these people you’d think “Wow, they look so natural and confident!” Yet the reality at the start of their photoshoot was completely the opposite.

So if this applies to you – don’t worry, you’re actually in the majority.

We know what it’s like – we all want great photos but, unless we’re a model who does this on a regular basis, we just fumble when in front of a camera – perhaps some of these things might ring a bell:

  • How should I stand? 
  • What do I do with my feet? 
  • Where should I put my hands?
  • Should I smile?  But, wait, I’m not sure I like smiling in photos! Oh, so you DO want me to smile occasionally.  But I’m not sure how I feel about my smile.
  • But what do you mean ‘natural’?
  • Relax! How can I?  

You’ll probably ask yourself many of these questions – just like so many who’ve who’ve been in front of our camera before you.

What do we do to help increase your confidence?

We’ve worked with so many people before that we know what you’re going through – and because of our experience we know how to help you relax. We find people often go through these feelings during our photoshoots:

The first 5 mins:

  • you’re likely to be unsure of the location, the photographer, whether you’ve chosen the right outfit – basically, everything you could possibly be unsure of will probably be running through your mind,
  • we therefore start our photoshoots by spending a few minutes doing nothing but having some idle chit-chat between us,
  • no photos at this stage – just some general chatting about anything at all,
  • we do this as a way of breaking the ice a bit – so that we’re all a little less like a bunch of strangers,
  • we’ll also find out whether there’s anything you do or don’t like about photos of yourself that you’ve seen in the past – some people hate their left side, others hate their right, whilst others don’t care – that way we can jump right in and adapt as we go, so you get more comfortable very quickly.

The next 20-30 minutes:

  • at this point you’re probably feeling the least confident in yourself and the photoshoot – and very uncertain,
  • this is where we take over and direct you about what you should do – you just need to follow our directions,
  • once we get the camera out we’ll start with some fixed poses that we know will look good, so that you don’t need to do any thinking about where and how to stand – we’ll tell you,portrait of a young girl with long brown hairsummer female portrait in the park
  • as we start getting some great photos we’ll show you some of these on the back of the camera as we go,
  • sometimes people will say “I don’t like myself in that pose” (which helps us quickly move on to what you do like),
  • but with most people they start to become impressed at how good we can make them look in a short space of time – often people will say “Wow, yes you’re right, I do look good in that”,
  • as we go through this phase you’ll begin to realise it’s all a lot more relaxing and easy than you original feared.

The last half of the photoshoot:

  • you’ll be please to hear that by this stage you’ll have much greater confidence and you’ll actually start enjoying yourself,
  • during this stage some people are still happy to let us direct them with more poses and guidance, which we’re very happy to do,
  • but with most people, this is where we find they’re happy trying out more adventurous things that we might suggest, or they might have their own ideas that they want to try out,
  • because, by now, we’ve already spent a while working together, you’ll feel very safe and trusting by this stage, which usually means you’re happy to try some new poses and some fun stuff.

Some final words:

Remember, you’re in the hands of an expert – so relax, we know what we’re doing. But don’t just take our word for it – here are some of our customer reviews where customers described how they felt.

Latest start times for an outdoor photoshoot

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MONTH FAMILY PETS ADULTS SUNSET
Jan 1.30pm 2pm 2pm 4-4.45pm
Feb 2.15pm 2.45pm 2.45pm 4.45-5.30pm
Mar (GMT) 3.15pm 3.45pm 3.45pm 5.45-6.30pm
Mar (BST) 5pm 5.45pm 5.30pm 7.30pm
Apr 5pm 6pm 5.30pm 7.30-8.30pm
May 6pm 6.30pm 6.30pm 8.30-9pm
Jun* 6.30pm 7.15pm 7pm 9-9.15pm
Jul* 6.15pm 6.45pm 6.45pm 8.45-9.15pm
Aug* 5.15pm 6pm 5.45pm 7.45-8.45pm
Sep 4pm 5pm 4.30pm 6.30-7.45pm
Oct (BST) 3.15pm 3.45pm 3.45pm 5.45-6.30pm
Oct (GMT) 2pm 2.30pm 2.30pm 4.30-4.45pm
Nov 1.30pm 2pm 2pm 4-4.30pm
Dec 1.30pm 2pm 2pm 4pm
Latest start times for outdoor photoshoots

Standard photoshoots

  • the one thing we need for great photos is great light on your lovely face(s), which becomes much more of an issue outdoors,
  • we have professional lighting that we can bring to any location, indoors or outdoors, which will make you look fabulous wherever you are, however, there’s only so much that artificial lighting can do,
  • if you’re after an outdoor photoshoot, and you don’t mind having dark backgrounds, then you can choose any time of day for your photoshoot,
  • however, if you want an outdoor photoshoot with lighter, naturally-lit backgrounds, like most people do, then we’ll need to start a family afternoon/evening photoshoot no later than 2 hours before sunset,
  • for example, in April and late August the sun sets around 7.30pm in the south of the UK, so we would aim to start a photoshoot by 5.30pm,
  • whereas in late June the sun sets around 9.30pm in the UK, so we could start later, though we’d aim to start a photoshoot before 6.30-7pm,
  • however, with photoshoots of pets or adults we can start later, since the photoshoot won’t last as long as it would for a family with young children,
  • the table on the right shows the latest start times for outdoor photoshoots, with different start times for families, pets and adults.

Temperature

  • on very hot days (above 25°C): you’re usually better off having a photoshoot as early in the day as possible (see Earliest-start-times-for-an-outdoor-photoshoot) before the heat of the day really begins.
  • on very cold days (below 5°C): you’re usually better off having a photoshoot late morning or early afternoon and not leaving it until the end of the day when the damp and cold sets in.

Sunset photoshoots

  • for photoshoots based around the sunset, then the start times can be later, as you can see in the ‘sunset’ column,
  • as a rough guide, if you wanted a summer sunset photoshoot, then you could start an adult photoshoot around an hour before the sunset times, 
  • but these times can vary by location, as well as if the area is surrounded by buildings or trees.

More information

Should you have an indoor or an outdoor photoshoot?

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couple together in the park

Introduction

This is a tricky question to answer, as there are so many choices of location where you might have your photoshoot:

  • outdoors, in a natural rural location,
  • outdoors, in an artificial urban setting,
  • indoors, in your home,
  • indoors, in a studio,
  • or indoors in some other venue.

There’s no ‘right answer’ to this question, as so much of it depends on ‘the look’ you’re after, the rooms in which you want to display the photos, as well as your personal preference.

But here are some of the things you might want to consider to help you answer that question…

Your preference

  • do you already have a strong preference, but some other reason is making you doubt taking that option?
  • if so, we’d suggest going with your gut instinct and taking your preferred option – a great photoshoot is so much more about how comfortable you feel than the location you choose.

black and white portrait of a womanWeather

  • this is always a big question – and ‘sunshine’ isn’t always the best answer,
  • the big ‘weather’ consideration is “will you be comfortable for the duration of the photoshoot?”
    you’ll no doubt be thinking ‘rain’ and ‘cold’ are the biggest issues – you’d be right, they definitely are,
  • however, you’ll be just as uncomfortable wearing makeup on a ‘melting’ hot July day while squinting in the bright sunshine,
  • none of these issues are things we can’t solve with shelter or shade, depending on the weather, but if you’re after an outdoor photoshoot, these are the things we should chat about beforehand.

Who is taking part

  • restless young children – if it’s not cold or wet, and they’re mobile, then rural outdoor locations work best, so they also have the chance to run off some energy,
  • families where the children don’t get tired from spending an hour on their feet – outdoors works well (but indoors at home, or in the studio, can also be just as good),
  • elderly people, or those who are less mobile – at home or in a studio are best, to avoid the standing around that’s inevitable at an outdoor location.

Time of day

The one thing we need for great photos is beautiful light for your lovely faces. This becomes much more of an issue outdoors, so we’ve created two more detailed posts to help you work out:

Style

You probably already have a good idea of what style you’d like – a lot of this will depend on where you want to display your artwork, but it might be one or more of these:

  • portrait of a woman on a japanese bridgea contemporary white background – this is best done indoors at home, or in a studio,
  • darker black background – this is also best done indoors at home, or in a studio,
  • natural green backgrounds – outdoor, rural locations,
  • urban backgrounds – ideally outdoors,
  • super informal style – either indoors at home, or outdoors at a rural location. 

More information

Alternatively, we’ve got some more location advice that you might find useful:

Otherwise you might find our urban gallery, our rural gallery, or our indoor gallery useful to see the types of photos we’ve created in these locations.

 

Should I bring along any accessories?

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Of course!

Accessories are great, as they show off your personality and what you’re interested in. These can be the more conventional accessories that you’d wear, such as earrings, necklaces, hats and shawls, to more adventurous accessories related to your interests.

Sunglasses:

Regardless of the season, sunglasses can add that extra touch of variety. It gives you something to play with in some of your photos. Of course, they’ll also make you look extra cool.

  • sunglasses at an urban photoshoot of a woman
  • woman in yellow wearing purple sunglasses
  • summer sunglasses in the park
  • informal urban portrait of a woman in blue
  • woman in red wearing blue sunglasses

Hats:

We LOVE it when people wear hats – they look fantastic, as they add great variety to your photos and are really eye-catching.

  • woman wearing an elegant wide brimmed hat
  • woman wearing a stylish cap
  • laughing woman wearing a straw hat
  • woman wearing a stylish burgundy hat
  • woman wearing a large stylish black hat
  • woman with blue lipstick and a black cap

Jewellery:

Feel free to wear as much jewellery as you’d like – we’ve more tips about jewllery in our Advice for women on what to wear.

  • woman wearing a large necklace
  • lovely earrings in the summer
  • man wearing colourful necklaces
  • urban female photoshoot
  • woman in red wearing a long gold necklace
  • woman wearing a tiara

Other accessories:

  • clothing – shawls and scarves can be great, as you can wear them in different ways – you can also wave them around (sounds strange, but it looks great),
  • interests – accessories don’t just need to be the things you wear – they can also be objects that define your interests. In the past we’ve worked with people who’ve brought along skateboards and guitars as accessories that were important to them,
  • props – such as umbrellas, toys.

More information

Earliest start times for an outdoor photoshoot

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MONTH SUNRISE FAMILY PETS ADULTS
Jan 7.45-8am 8.45am 8.45am 8.45am
Feb 6.45-7.45am 8.30am 8.30am 8.30am
Mar 6.30-6.45am 7.30am 7.30am 7.30am
Apr 5.30-6.30am 7.30am 7.30am 7.15am
May 5-5.30am 7.30am 6.15am 6.15am
Jun 5am 7.30am 6am 6am
Jul 5-5.30am 7.30am 6.15am 6.15am
Aug 5.30-6.15am 7.30am 6.30am 7am
Sep 6.15-7am 7.45am 7.30am 7.45am
Oct (BST) 7-7.45am 8.30am 8.15am 8.30am
Oct (GMT) 6.45am 7.30am 7.30am 7.30am
Nov 6.45-7.45am 8.30am 8.30am 8.30am
Dec 7.45-8am 8.45am 8.45am 8.45am
Earliest start times for outdoor photoshoots

Standard photoshoots

  • you might think we’re mad, suggesting an early morning photoshoot, however these can be lovely moments in the day for two reasons:  the scenery and weather can be simply stunning – but also, the early start means there are less people about to watch you during your photoshoot,
  • we have professional mobile studio lighting that we can bring to any location, indoors or outdoors, which will make you look fabulous wherever you are, however, there’s only so much that artificial lighting can do,
  • if you’re after an outdoor photoshoot, and you don’t mind having dark backgrounds, then you can choose any time of day for your photoshoot,
  • however, if you want an outdoor photoshoot with lighter, naturally-lit backgrounds, like most people do, then we’ll need to make sure there’s sufficient light before we start an early morning photoshoot, usually no earlier than 30-45 minutes after sunrise,
  • for example, in April and late August the sun rises around 6-6.30am in the south of the UK, so we would aim to start a photoshoot no earlier than around 7.15am,
  • whereas in late June the sun rises around 5am in the UK so we could start earlier, but not before 6am – though we’re not realistically expecting you’d want to be up that early in the morning! (but if you are, that’s great – you’ll get some gorgeous summery photos with some beautiful morning light),
  • the table on the right shows the earliest start times for outdoor photoshoots, with different times for families, pets and adults.

Sunrise photoshoots

  • for photoshoots where you want to see the sunrise, these must start a lot earlier – often 30 minutes before the actual sunrise,
  • however, if the area is surrounded by trees or tall buildings, these times can vary.

More information

Daddy’s boy

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This is a lovely candid photo of a boy staring into his dad’s eyes. It was important here to darken the background as much as possible, so that we concentrate on the boy’s face. It’s a lovely photo that really captures that love between father and son. And it’s so much better without the young boy looking into the camera.

  • a young boy staring into his dads eyes

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