Ali Gordon

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS | SUMMER LOCATIONS


I recently took a trip to a local a poppy field near to where I live and it got me thinking about how I shoot content. I know I’ve been asked in the past to talk more about my creation process so I thought today I would focus on my guide to Summer shooting.


Location

A key consideration to any summer shoot is the backdrop. Finding great landscapes and interesting backgrounds is a great way to portray the season, flowers and fields in full bloom and both the colour and design in architecture complimented by the summer light & contrasting shadows all help in creating a stronger image. I use to shy away from the harsh light in the middle of the day & home in on sunrise and sunset hours to produce those golden summer vibes, which of course I would still recommend to this day, utilising that softer light can be really effective and more comfortable condition to shoot in, however as seen in todays post mid day imagery can still work, play around with your location look for ways to create shadows & story tell. It’s a huge bonus getting more daylight hours so don’t waste them waiting for those golden ones.


Attire

In terms of outfits & accessories I find it aesthetically pleasing when the subject compliments the surroundings, obvious moves such as swim shorts on a beach with an open shirt always looks authentic and creates a relatability, however I love how editorial photography plays around with tones and introduces more eye catching scenarios that don’t look out of place albeit slightly less obvious for the location of choice, take this shoot for example the linen suit with a light wash pallet helps create a pure balance within the environment allowing the poppies to pop whilst creating a clear separation between myself the subject and my environment, typically you wouldn’t catch someone walking through a field with suede shoes & a linen suit but it doesn’t feel out of place and it works ( the stains may not come out of the linen but it won’t be the last wear and was worth every shot ) Next time your planning your locations think twice about how your outfit could enhance the overall feel of the image. 


Storytelling

Apart of the process that most people including myself at times don’t put enough thought into. What are we trying to portray in this visual? a mood, a message, a feeling, sometimes we want to evoke emotion or make a statement whatever it is think about how you can create a visual representation within your shot, a model / subject can be a great way to do this, facial expressions and body language can be used to speak without words but also the composition of your shots can help to. Think about the lenses you are using and how closer details and wide angle shots can immerse your viewer into the environment. I hope this gives some ideas for your next location shoot.

Stay safe


Affiliate Links used :

Linen Suit – HERE

Hat – HERE

Shoes – HERE 

T-Shirt – HERE

Watch – HERE