One of my favourite parts of my job is scouting for the perfect location for my couple. I rarely reuse the same location as every couple is unique ( and if I do, the same location can look different in a different season ). I will first get a good idea of the feel the couple are after, whether it is rustic walls, luscious greens or blue sky and oceans.
People often ask me what makes a good backdrop for photography.
So here are the 4 things I look for :
1) Busyness
I tend to choose locations that are quiet and isolated so that my couple wont
be distracted and to ensure that the shot is clean with no clutter ( such
as cars, poles, other people passing or anything that will take the focus off the person or couple )
2) Texture
It is all about texture. Even though green is not my favourite color, it makes an amazing backdrop. Whether it is a garden, park, forest or just a hedge wall, greens look peaceful, calming and complimenting in portraits. Other textures that look great in portraits are brick walls, old rusted doors,
high dry grainfields, rocky beaches etc.
3) Symmetry
A row of trees, the sealines, doors are all pleasing to the eye and show depth to an image.
4) Reflection
It is important to keep skin tones real so I like shooting on pathways or any neutral grounds instead of grass as the green in the grass will reflect onto the persons face!
This week I went for a drive up the mountains with my friend in search for a location for an upcoming engagement shoot. It was a rainy, foggy day and the forest looked magical in its mist. I took this shot just on my iphone as my friend carrying her daughter was walking back to my car ( in their trendy double denim!). I think my couple will be stoked!
