The Importance of Location in Luxury Portrait Photography

Working together to create your portrait, we will focus on telling a story, your story. The three essential elements of any story are character, setting, and plot. You are the character. The setting is the location, which is the “voice” of your surroundings. In combination, they inform the plot.

Some stories are best told in the studio with a backdrop while others require a specific location to develop the narrative.

Considerations in choosing the location for your photoshoot:

1. Connection. Particular locations can hold deep emotional associations. Incorporating locations that are special to you can ground your portrait and increase its resonance. When choosing a location, we will always explore options that have special meaning for you.

2. Uniqueness. The distinctiveness of the location can help to create a portrait that is distinctly yours and sustains a narrative of deep significance to you.

3. Ambiance or Mood: The location needs to support the emotion conveyed in the portrait. Shooting in a natural environment can create a sense of tranquility, while an urban location can convey energy. It’s very much about the intersection of your personality with the mood. We’ll work together during the discussion phase to determine what you would like your portrait to convey. For instance, if the portrait is to convey serenity, a good location may be in nature or a favorite corner of your home. On the other hand, if your goal is energetic vitality maybe the location would be a wall of graffiti in a busy urban environment.

4. Aesthetics. Similar to mood, the aesthetics of a location can enhance the narrative or confuse the viewer. We will work together on visuals to clarify what of the location’s aesthetic qualities you’d like to see exemplified in your portrait.

5. Lighting. I could write paragraphs on lighting because it is so critical, yet so ephemeral. It is also a key component of my signature style. Light has a powerful effect on the human subconscious. The way I choose to use light is what gives my work its painterly look. Because lighting is a key component of my signature style, I work with off-camera flash in almost all circumstances. That said, sometimes the light is harder to control and won’t match the desired look of the portrait. For example, if we decide to take your portrait in an outdoor area with great scenery, I would very likely recommend scheduling the photoshoot early in the morning or late in the afternoon for the golden glow or just before dawn or just after sunset for the blue hour light.

The location is one of the foundations of your custom portrait design experience, along with wardrobe and props, which we will explore in future blog posts. It will be an important part of our discussion when we meet to plan your session.