HOW TO DECIDE ON A SESSION TIME AND LOCATION
The most difficult part of planning a photo session is finding the right photographer. The second most difficult part is choosing a location and time of day for your session. Thank goodness most photographers (including me!) have a lot of knowledge on locations and times for the best light to shoot in. We are so lucky to have so many perfect photo locations in and around the Binghamton area; from beautiful rolling hills, to downtown Binghamton's historical buildings. But how do you choose where to shoot? I have many locations I like to shoot at, but ultimately I leave it up to my clients to choose where and what time they want for their photo session. The location of a shoot is a big piece of what sets the vibe in your photos, which makes choosing the location extra important!
Are you looking for soft and romantic? light and fun? adventurous? chill and intimate? classic and timeless? There are so many options! A good way to get some different vibes in one session is by splitting your shoot. When you are booking me, ask me about doing this! I can help you choose two locations that have completely different vibes, but that are not too far from each other. I also recommend that you bring outfits to change into for different locations. This helps add variety to your finished gallery. I won't get too into what to wear right now, because that will be a whole other blog post!
Let's talk about timing. Assuming your session is outside, we have to work with the sun, not against it. The sun can be super bright, creating harsh shadows on our faces in the middle of the day. But don't fret! There are some tricks to getting around this. If you are looking for a shoot earlier in the day or even mid-day, find a location that has some shade! This could be in the city with the shade of the buildings, or in a park with good tree coverage.
Have more flexibility when scheduling an outdoor shoot? I highly recommend scheduling shoots for later in the day, around 6pm-8pm depending what time of the year it is. This is what we photographers call "golden hour". It is the perfect time in the day where the sun is less intense, but makes photos absolutely pop with golden color. I use a sun tracker to check and see when golden hour would be during different times of the year. This can help me schedule your shoot for the perfect time of day if you have flexibility!
And now that the weather is finally breaking in Binghamton, NY I can't wait to get outside for all the outdoor sessions! Contact me to find your perfect shoot location and time.