Locations | Mastering Portrait Photography

Your subject may claim they have nothing good enough to wear, but after browsing this section, you can never again say that you have nowhere good enough to shoot! As long as the lighting is good, there’s usually a way to make any location work.

Getting The Most From Any Location

Almost everywhere has potential as a location for photography. It’s all too easy to focus on the problems with a potential location – overhead cables, litter along the curb, a street sign and so on – but most barriers can be overcome with a change of angle or crop. Whether you want to add narrative with a background, use it to add visual interest and texture or simply keep it plain so that all the focus is on your subject, this section will help you to get the best out of working on location.

Outdoors Sprint Portrait For A Local Gym

An everyday location, some high power flash and a little bit of luck all came together to create this fitness ...
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Whizzing out the frame in a Little Italy Van

What happens when a commercial client challenges you to create an unusual portrait in a place where the light isn't ...
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Topshade and Framing in a Doorway

The door in the background of this portrait provides a sense of scale, while the boy’s pose calls to mind ...
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A Window-Lit Portrait in a Client’s Home

What to look for when shooting a windowlit portrait at a client’s home and why negative space provides a welcome ...
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Portrait of an Artist at Her House

Here’s how I photographed one of the world’s best portrait painters, using just window-light and white walls for a relaxed, ...
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Film-Inspired Group Portrait

This group portrait was taken under a bridge which featured in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Here's how I ...
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Welder At Work

When shooting people carrying out their jobs, sometimes you have to go beyond your own job description to ensure a ...
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Spotting A Location… After A Shoot

This portrait was taken after a shoot had officially finished, yet it's my favourite of them all. Once you train ...
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Portable Flash At The Skatepark

You don't need complicated tricks to create a great action portrait at your local skatepark. Height, consistency and timing are ...
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Environmental Portraits

Whether you’re photographing a chef in their kitchen, a footballer on the pitch or a family in their home, an environmental portrait shows us more than just what each person looks like. Instead of just acting as a background, your location provides context and narrative, with the scene around your subject, helping to communicate something about that person.