5 Ways to Find Great Photoshoot Locations

Whether you are a beginner photographer who wants to find inspiration or if you are a veteran who is running out of new ideas on where to conduct your shoots, keep reading and check out our tips on ways to find great photoshoot locations. You can always use professional photo editing during post-production, but it’s best to start out the best way possible. This all begins with a great location.

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Take a Walk 

It's as simple as asking taking a walk. Spend a day or two and go to a historic part of town. Go someplace you haven't been to in a while and try to see everything with a fresh set of eyes. Discover beautiful places you would have otherwise overlooked. Pay attention to different architectural elements, color contrasts, and even textures in the natural structures around you. 

If you could make some photo sketches, it can be quite helpful to indicate the exact spot that you are looking for. Otherwise, you can stick to mobile map applications to help you out.

Go Out at Night 

There is something about the night time that gives everything a different aesthetic altogether. You will find that the light shines differently, from windows of shops, street lanterns, car headlights, and the shadows from tall trees and structures. These elements can create a unique atmosphere that would otherwise look unappealing during the daytime. 

Besides night time, you can also try to explore the outdoors during sunrise and sunset. Parks, seasides, streets, and plazas can have a warm charm thanks to the soft light of the morning, which will translate beautifully when conducting a photoshoot.

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Take a Drive 

Here's another great way to find a photoshoot location. Keep it simple. You can take a drive on your own or with some friends. Make sure you have your camera with you, a map of the town or city to make sure you don't get lost (or just use GPS). 

Start an adventure searching for creative and beautiful spots. If you already have something in mind, it might be easier for you to spot a location and capture it immediately. But one of the best things that can happen during a drive is finding unexpected areas that you can use for your work, from lakes to forests to street corners.

Size Doesn’t Matter

Remember that photoshoots don't always have to have been in the widest of spaces. Sometimes a 2-meter area could be enough if you just get creative with it. Your own apartment or a friend's house can be a beautiful setting for a shoot if you just use the right background and accessories. Add decorations and necessary backdrops. 

Besides, you can do some photo retouching during post-production using retouching apps. 

Do Your Homework

Photography is an art. But it will not hurt to take a look at the work of professional and veteran photographers before you. Their successful work can strike up some inspiration on your part, and could give you some pointers on where to look first. 

There are also a lot of amateur photographers who are sharing their images online, and you can look to their portfolios for more inspiration.

Use Your Connections 

Finally, you can always ask your friends or family if they have access to picturesque locations that you can use for your photo shoot. Sometimes the best locations are right in front of you, but you have not been paying attention or are too busy looking elsewhere. 

Try to use your connections and set up your photoshoots in factories, warehouses, parking lots, libraries, or even farms. Be sure to check the location before conducting the shoot to make sure that you have everything you need. 

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or just fake it / FIX IT

If you can’t get access to your favorite location, or the lighting isn’t right when you are there, then try an app like MIKU. MIKU allows you to send your photos to a team of professional photo editors who can make any changes you want including changing the background entirely. Alternatively they can fix lighting problems so the background and foreground is more visible. In fact you can ask for anything you want.