Phototips: A Crazy Lady's Locations

This post could go in so many different directions...

I could tell you about how my sisters influenced this shoot from head-to-toe without even knowing it. Lissie inspired the RED LIPS. Emma gave me that bag a long time ago and recently convinced me to buy the hat. Lauren bought the same J.Crew shirt I'm wearing from her Goodwill in Dallas. And then after seeing how cute it was on her, I found myself my very own copy at the Port Orchard Goodwill. (Can we all put our hand over our hearts and sigh, "sisters!")

I could tell you about how Husband took these pictures in the parking lot of the Albertson's right by my house! We were in a hurry because it was date night to Costco before closing time (awesome date, right?). The red curb caught his eye, and at the last possible second I said, "Okay, okay! Yeah, that's good, but I hope nobody sees us!" And so he swerved in, and we proceeded to see uno. dos. TWO people we knew.

I waved to the first acquaintance. I mean I had to; there was eye contact. She gave me a half wave plus a puzzled look, and I just hung out, la-di-da--I'm not getting my picture taken-- until she pulled out.

Next up, I saw the bishop's wife from church. It was just after we'd finished up our little shoot, and I was inside Albertsons waiting for Husband to pick up a Redbox movie. As I was scrolling through pictures while my kids made a jungle gym of the motorized handicap carts, I heard,

"Oh, hi, Marie!"

"Hey!" I put my camera down, a bit startled.

She's laughing, like really laughing. "You crack me up! I come here to buy groceries and you come here to take pictures."

"Oh, actually, we already had the photoshoot--heavens no, it wasn't here." I resisted the urge to point outside the automatic doors and say, "it was there."

I also kept the part about how just minutes earlier I was spinning and clicking my heels while people pushing grocery carts did double takes. I'm sure she wondered why I was all dolled up while my kids looked like they stepped straight out of Ragamuffin Orphanage. A few minutes later, the bishop caught up to her and they both left laughing.

So. Now I'm not only the crazy cat lady (okay, so we might feed a stray cat or two),


and the crazy tire lady (we have nine colorfully spray-painted tires hanging out in our backyard),


but now I'm also the crazy mom who dresses up for photoshoots at the local grocery store. I'm not sure how I should be feeling about myself right now.

So, yeah. A good location for a photoshoot could be just about anywhere. My first priority is usually good lighting (which wasn't necessarily the case in the above photos); second, a spot that's colors coordinate with my client's clothes; and third, texture, baby! I love me some nitty gritty backdrops.

And whether I find those things in the corner of an Albertsons parking lot or in a more traditional place, I try to keep an open mind. And PS. I'm notorious for knocking on a stranger's door if they have a cool property.

What are some of your favorite photo locations?

XOXO,

Marie