Use Location to Make Your Portraits Sizzle

Make sizzling portraits tip # 2: Use the location

“I like your work,” a model once told me, “because you make the background look just as beautiful as the model.”

Choosing where to shoot for portraits is sometimes just as important as choosing the right model who will make your concept come alive. The location for a shoot can evoke creative ideas and add impact to your portraits. Here are some tips that can help you make the most of a location.

1. Look for locations that add atmosphere to your images.

Mystery adds interest. Scouting for a location, one of the things I do is to see what the quality of light is around my subject. What time of day works best for this location? Where is the light coming from? What is the feeling that the light gives the images I can make in this place? These are some questions I try to answer when I am out looking for good locations for photoshoots. Finding the right places to frame your portraits can make the difference between pictures of beautiful people, to beautiful pictures of people.

Use location to add mystery to an image. Copyright Aloha Lavina.

2. Look for locations that add depth to your images.

Some locations are better than others. Locations that add depth to your shots are better than flat backgrounds. When scouting for a location, look for elements that can add a three-dimensional quality to your shots. Is there a leading line that is naturally occurring? Are there elements that will add balance to the portrait? These elements can be exploited for images and add dimensions to your photos that you would otherwise miss in a background where all you have is a wall behind the subject.

Use location to add depth to an image. Copyright Aloha Lavina.

3. Look for natural frames.

Frames focus the viewer’s eye. If you can find a location that provides a natural frame to a shot, that’s a plus. Deciding where to place the subject can add interest to your portrait. Sometimes, a frame can be as simple as foliage.

Look for natural frames for your portaits. Copyright Aloha Lavina.

4. Look for props you can use.

Furniture or other props already at a location are good to have on hand. Props work with composition, or to give the image an added dimension. Curvy props, for instance, like these structures at an unfinished building, add grace to an already graceful portrait. You can also look for props that add contrast. A grungy background, for example, might work to bring out the softness of a model’s skin or the delicacy of the clothing they wear.

Use props to add impact to your image. Copyright Aloha Lavina.

5. Use the location in your compositions.

Patterns, geometry, and other visual elements in a background can add to your portrait. Looking for compositional elements in a location brings additional impact to your shots. Closeup shots of beauty are beautiful, but you can do those in a studio with a plain backdrop. If you are going to the trouble of finding a location that is not a studio, you can also take the trouble of composing so that the location enhances your portraits.

Use the location to add to your composition. Copyright Aloha Lavina.

Using a location to add impact to your portraits is something you can do to make portraits that stand out from the crowd. Making the background ‘just as beautiful as the model’ can work for you, and give you images that are worth another look.

What locations stand out in your mind for the next photoshoot?

Up next: Make sizzling portraits by finding the model behind the makeup, right here on Imagine That!

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