Exercise 2: Thinking about location

I had the role of location hunter for this exercise.  I had to find six different locations and backgrounds that would be suitable for shooting a portrait.

It was suggested that I should bring my camera with me to as many places to take reference pictures.  Not always practical but I do have an iPhone now so I can take recce shots using that.  

The locations had to be suitable for an entire body shot or torso portrait which makes sense because you don't actually get an awful lot of background into a close up shot.  

Here are some of the locations I found.  

Stone wall. 

I'd been staying at my Mum's house in Ireland when I noticed this old stone wall.  Stone walls similar to this have made a big comeback in the building trade and can be seen on nearly every new build across the rural countryside.  I felt the old fashioned and authentic stone wall would make an interesting backdrop for a shot of a local.  Or in this case my husband posing like a local.  

Another location I spotted in my house was these bookshelves.  They provide a consistent tone and texture and would make a good backdrop for a portrait of a scholar/writer/academic etc. 

This bench in a park would be suitable for a full body portrait or you could zoom in closer and use the trees as a background.  

This bridge in the trees would make an interesting place for a portrait. 

For a young portrait with a modern feel, this backdrop with the faded graffiti provides a solid toned and even textured background. 

I like the available light in this tunnel near London Bridge and I feel it would make a good location for a shoot. I would probably need to use flash though to illuminate the person's face or try and make use of the available light.