I was inspired to create this post after being asked how I find photoshoot locations for my blog. I did share a short and sweet Q & A answer but I have more ideas that are too long to put in IG stories. I’m sharing this from the perspective of a style blogger, but honestly this is applicable to anyone that needs to find photoshoot locations for anything.
You’ll find this post helpful if you:
- Have multiple looks but don’t want all the looks to be in the same location (whomp whomp)
- Are unfamiliar with your new surroundings and have no clue where to start looking for photoshoot locations
- Don’t have time to shoot outfits everyday. You can shoot multiple outfits for content scheduled across weeks to months.
5 Ways I Find Photoshoot Locations for My Fashion Blog
Google and Browse Location Websites
Let’s say I had a bunch of spring dresses to shoot and knew I wanted to have a garden setting. I would search for parks, botanical gardens, and even nurseries. Next I’d search Google Images to see all photos of the location to get an idea of how “workable” it was for my outfits.
Search Local Hashtags and Accounts on Instagram
When I first moved to Tally of course I had no clue where anything was. I searched hashtags like #tallahassee and #tallahasseephotography to find my photographer and to find photoshoot locations. If I found a cute location I’d look to see if the geotag included was the specific location. If I wasn’t sure I’d save the photo as a collection on Instagram and then ask a local or my photographer if they can tell where the location is. The location may also have its own Instagram account! You can lurk in their stories to see how the area looks in real time.
You can also follow accounts that share all the happenings of your specific city. These type of accounts often repost images from IG worthy locations with geo tags. Even if they don’t know the location, you can see if the original poster of the photo tagged the location on their account.
Scouting
Good ole fashion scouting also does the trick. I wouldn’t recommend taking your eyes off the road when driving, but take advantage as a passenger. Look at all avenues, alleys, walls, EVERYTHING and snap pics if you’re able to for future reference!
Stalk Photographers
“Stalk” seems like a bad thing to do, but in this case I say go for it. My photographer often shares locations with me when he shoots somewhere new. I also send him my passive eye emoji in the DMs when I see a shot with an interesting location. Ha! He knows what that means. It also won’t hurt to ask. Just be open to the possibility that you may not get a warm and useful response if you don’t support the photographer. I’ve built a good rapport with my photographer and I keep a tight lid on locations to honor that.
Central Locations
As a working mom, I don’t have a ton of time during the week to shoot. So I like to shoot multiple looks in a photoshoot session. However I like to vary the locations for each outfit so it’s not repetitive and boring. So choosing a central location that has loads of “good spots” is essential! For example here’s a collage of some of my recent photos all of these locations are within a 5 minute (max) walk from each other. So I’m able to shoot, change in the car (glamorous I know), and shoot at another location.
Whew that was a lot, but that’s exactly how I find photoshoot locations. This is definitely one I’d love to be shared with all the bloggers, photographers, and creators.