Shooting outdoors

January 16, 2018 • Leave a Comment

All photography is inspired by light, light that we either create with flashes and the like to more natural light of the outdoors. As I shoot I'm always looking for great light to pose you in.

So the winter is rolling away and it's time to look towards Spring. Winter brings about a flat, non inspiring light with mostly grey overcast days. Once in a while a snow day appears but they are so bright with all the light bouncing off the snow that it can be hard to create texture. Spring with the blue skies, cherry blossom and daffodils, pockets of light and shade in the Spring sunbeams. It's the perfect opportunity to get out and take some portraits in the park. The light is not so bright it hurts your eyes, the sun not so hot it burns the skin and the ground not so dry that the grass is brown. All in all Spring is a great time to get out with a camera and snap away.

It also lends it self to a search for locations and venues. Somewhere that is both suitable for the shoot brief, is it a family shoot, is it an individual portrait ? What if any props are going to be included ? What is the story being told ?

Over the years I've found a great number of locations to take you to for a wide variety of shots. From local parks, to places in London that really shine through. Parks with playgrounds, walk ways, coffee shops all lend themselves to great photo opportunities.

I quite like the aspect of having to travel light ( pun not intended ) on an outdoor shoot. Often in the studio the choice of equipment, camera, lens, light, background and so on can be a little overwhelming and whilst build a set for interest it can be draining.

Outdoors is a little different, I often take a single backpack with a limited selection of equipment. I can't take just one camera, I've never had one fail but it just worries me too much. Then maybe 2 or 3 lenses and that can be it. Often I find that I could have left a lot of that behind and just picked up a camera and single lens for the entire job. On occasion, because the mood of the shoot dictates it, I can take a light stand and a single flash for the addition of a bit of mood lighting or fill in, but then I need an assistant also.

Gander Photography Outdoor Dancer Portraits

An outdoor shoot is often a more organic session than shooting in the studio. So many factors provide flexibility and unique opportunity and you can be almost certain that each time you visit a location there will be something different about it. Whilst studios are great to shoot in the familiar feel of the backgrounds needs to be overcome.

Shooting outdoors can also be different during different times of day, the soft light of the morning is different to that of the harsher light of midday that will create deeper shadows and then of course the golden hour just before sunset and night-time ... I certainly want to do more outdoor and location work in 2018 even with the unpredictable aspect of British weather.

Gander Photography Outdoor Dancer Portraits

Keywords: gander, london, photographer, photography, portrait

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