We used a number of different locations during this urban photoshoot. We were deliberately looking for a variety of gritty artificial urban backgrounds to give a really modern feel to these photos with a fashion-based theme.
Headshot blog posts
Stylish street scene urban photoshoot
Posted onIf you find great urban areas that are on the quieter side you can use several locations in the same photoshoot to give some really interesting backgrounds for an urban photoshoot like these.
If you bring along a hat and an extra jacket or two you can add a lot of variety for yourself as well. That way we can create a great set of combinations to give you a wide range to choose from.
Latest start times for an outdoor photoshoot
Posted on| 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 |
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
- if you’re interested in an early morning photoshoot you might find Earliest-start-times-for-an-outdoor-photoshoot useful.
Should you have an indoor or an outdoor photoshoot?
Posted on
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.
Weather
Weather- 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:
- the Earliest start times for an outdoor photoshoot
- and the Latest start times for an outdoor photoshoot.
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:
- a 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.
a contemporary white background – this is best done indoors at home, or in a studio,More information
Alternatively, we’ve got some more location advice that you might find useful:
- Should we have a photoshoot in a rural location?
- Should we have a photoshoot in an urban location?
- Which indoor location should I choose for our photoshoot?
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.
Spring blossom in the park
Posted onIf you time things right, and are lucky with the weather, springtime brings blossom on the trees, which looks like a confetti-covered backdrop. The pinks of the blossom work well against the red tones in this woman’s coat. And isn’t that hat fabulous?! If you’ve got a hat and love wearing it, whatever the type, do bring it along.
Earliest start times for an outdoor photoshoot
Posted on| 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 |
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
- if you’re interested in an afternoon or evening photoshoot you might find Latest start times for an outdoor photoshoot useful.
A mix of bright and dark photos
Posted onOn this summer’s day the backgrounds in the park were a beautiful vibrant green, which worked really well against the blues of this woman’s outfit. With our professional mobile studio we’re able to make a dark day look like a light one, as well as transform a light summer’s day into a much darker and more moody look. All of these portraits were created on a bright sunny afternoon, in the same place in the park.
A toddler wearing cute hats
Posted onWe just ADORE hats – whether they’re on adults, children or babies, they look great and they’re so much fun. We tried two different hats on this young girl during a studio photoshoot with her family – they look fantastic.
Simple portraits really are the best
Posted onThe simplest portrait photos are often the best, as is the case here. We wanted a photo that was free of any distractions, with a clear background. This means there’s nothing to distract the viewer’s attention and it lets your eye focus on the person. It’s a lovely natural expression of this young girl.
Photos of a young girl in the gardens
Posted onA walk around the gardens of a large country estate offered us some great outdoor portrait photo opportunities with lovely backgrounds of trees and flowers. The Japanese garden became a temporary playground, which kept someone’s attention for a while.
Our approach to working with families is to work at the pace of the children and see how the time unfolds. Of course we’ll have a plan of what we’d really love to do but, as is so often the case, we’ll find that if us adults are flexible, then it allows the children to be more relaxed, less bored and to have a more enjoyable time – and happy children make for great photos.
You can see our approach in these photos. In the first photo we’ve set up the pose to give a more traditional, posed portrait photo that we all adore. However, in the second photo we asked the young girl to pull different expressions – she loved doing it, as you can see. Then finally, the third photo is an example of a candid informal photo where the young girl isn’t looking into the camera, yet it really captures what she’s like as a person.
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