Blog photo locations. This has been one of the biggest struggles as a blogger. If you are a blogger or have a personal brand, having a great backdrop/location is so important because it brings your aesthetic to life.
Before I go into all of my tips, I have to say that I am not perfect at this because I have a very specific vision for my brand, and I am unwilling to forgo that vision if the background is not right. To get specific, I shoot in front of walls quite often because the area I live in is not a prime place for cool looking buildings etc. Very recently, I have been making an effort to change this by driving to San Francisco, a 20 minute drive, to shoot.
1. VISION BOARDS
Create Pinterest boards for location ideas, whether it’s for a cohesive vision for your brand, or for a specific shoot. What I have found is that my vision boards involve a lot of black, gray, white, and pink. Many have intricate backgrounds.
2. CONSIDER COLORS
As I mentioned above, I always consider what colors will be in the photos. Think about what you’re wearing: will you blend into the background or stand out? Sometimes I’ll find a great place to shoot, but there are touches of a color that I don’t care to use. Don’t let that deter you! I simple desaturation or color fix when editing will do the trick.
4. DEPTH OF FIELD / BLURRED BACKGROUNDS?
Go back and look at your vision board(s). Do the photos you pinned have blurry backgrounds, or are the backgrounds in focus? If they’re blurry, they have a depth of field. If they’re crisp, they do not.
If you LIKE depth of field: You will need to stand at least 3 feet in front of the wall or backdrop that you want to be blurred by the camera. So, do not stand right in front of a wall if you want a blurred effect.
5. KEEP A LIST OF LOCATIONS
When it comes time to shoot, I always refer to my list! I can never remember all of the places I’ve ever shot and loved. So I keep a list and shoot at this spots on rotation. It is the WORST to drive around looking for locations…not efficient at all.
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