There are lots of options when it comes to picking a location for your family photos. If you are going to go through all the effort to have the photos made, picking out what your family should wear, and preparing your kids for the session, you want to also make sure to get the location right. I’ll be honest and tell you that the location can make or break a photo. There is no “bad” location, really, but there might be a “wrong” location for the look you are going for. Even if you got the outfits right and everyone in the family is in the best mood, the location being “off” can cause you not to love your photos. Today, I am going to give you some solid tips for picking the perfect location for your photos.

More of a visual learner? Check out my YouTube video all about picking the perfect location for your photos below!

Imagine them on the wall

First, let’s talk about the look you are going for. If you don’t know where to start, think about how you want the images to look on your wall. If the decor in your home is mostly neutrals and really bright, you probably will want more of a light and airy style photo. Maybe your space is very colorful and warm. If that’s the case, the photos should be as well. Now what you have an idea of how you want the photos to look, let’s talk about how to achieve it.

Light and Airy

Oh, this is my forte! I have done tonssss of research on this topic… especially before building a natural light studio. For those of you who want bright, light, and airy photos to display in your home, you will really need to pay attention here. The location for light and airy photos is everything! Luckily, you have options. You want to make sure to go somewhere that is

• very well lit with natural light. The more windows the better for indoor spaces.
  • If you want light and airy photos indoors, lots of natural lights a must. Photographing in a room with no natural and achieving an airy look is nearly impossible. (ok, it’s possible… but you need some serious gear.)
• light color walls for both outdoor and indoor photos
  • I love finding buildings that are white to photograph. The light bounces off of the building giving the photo even more gorgeous light.
• a sunny day for photos take outside
  • I highly recommend shooting on a bright and sunny day. Overcast can cause your photos to feel flat.

The beach is the perfect location for this style of photo, because there’s a lot of natural light, no shade, and the color of the sand makes the photo even brighter.

Warm and colorful

Rich, deep, colorful photos (also commonly referred to as dark & moody) are super beautiful and very popular right now. I absolutely admire these photos, but I am not going to claim to be an expert at achieving that look since that’s not the look I go for. However, I do have some solid tips that will get you photographing in the right direction.

• My favorite warm and colorful photos I’ve come across are photos taken in the fall. The rich warm color of the leaves changing is absolutely gorgeous. If those tones match your decor, I would definitely schedule your photo during the time the leaves are at their most colorful.
• Warm and colorful photos can definitely be achieved indoors. You do, of course, need access to enough light to properly expose your subject. However, you don’t need nearly as much as a bright and airy photo.
• Look for a room or venue with colorful and dark decor that coordinates with you outfits your family will be wearing.
• Find dark and/or colorful buildings. Downtown areas are usually full of these!

So there you have it! Picking the perfect location for your photos all comes down to the look you are going for. Start with thinking of the room you want to hang the photos in and work backward using the tips I gave above. Let me know in the comments which style is your favorite and why.

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