Boston Area Family Photography // What I Look For In A Location

Hey friends! today’s blog is all about LOCATIONS. Finding the perfect Boston area family photography location sounds simple enough, right? Just pick a park or some conservation land and you’ll be golden, right? Not completely. There are so many things to think about when choosing the right location for you and your family. That’s what I’ll be breaking down in today’s post!

Finding a Great Photo Location

As your photographer, part of my job entails helping you choose the perfect location for your family photos. And it’s actually something I really enjoy. After years of photographing families at various locations in the Boston area I have narrowed down aspects that I love about certain locations. I feel like a detective of sorts when scoping out a new spot. I can tell pretty instantly whether or not a location will work for me or not.

What I’m sharing today is what I look for in a great portrait location in order to achieve my unique style of photography. There are tons of beautiful spots in and around Boston that are great for photos, however not every spot will work for every photographer. Just like we all have different editing styles, we all have different location requirements. Here are a few of the things that run through my mind when scouting a new location!

Space to run around

Many of my clients are families with young kids. Room to run around is a must. Young kids usually need some time and space to burn off some energy before our session starts! Or to take breaks throughout.

Accessibility

When I’m scoping out a location I always take note of what it takes, physically, to get to where I want to photograph. Do we need to traverse stairs/curbs? A big hill? Are there ramps available? I need to make sure that if my clients will be able to get to our location safely and easily!

Access to the sky

This one is important to me to make sure that I will have enough light reaching my clients during our session. Being in a location that is open enough to be able to see a big portion of the sky helps me create beautiful and true-to-life skin tones. A heavily wooded forest? As Randy Jackson said, “that’s gonna be a no for me dawg”.

Parking

How easy is it to park at this location? Do you have to pay to park? Paying to park is certainly not a deal breaker, but it’s important to know this beforehand. If the location is super popular, I try to check it out during a busy time to ensure that we won’t have a stressful situation once session time comes!

Trees (diffused leaves with low-lying branches)

Ah trees. I love them. However, when it comes to photographing portrait sessions not all trees are created equal. This aspect can be the photographer’s personal preference. For my brand style I prefer trees that have low-lying branches and soft, translucent leaves. I’ll tell you why! For me personally, evergreen trees like pine, spruce etc tend to be a bit too dark and heavy, unless I’m doing a specific Christmas tree farm session. My brand is soft, timeless and a bit ethereal. I prefer trees that evoke those characteristics, like willows, cherry trees or apple blossoms. Also, having some low lying branches allows me to incorporate the beauty of trees into a photo, without having big bulky tree trunks. Wow, this section on trees has gone on longer than I thought it would, apparently I’m passionate about trees! Haha

Privacy

Nowadays there are so many gorgeous spots to take photos in the Boston area, however many of them have become super popular. For many clients they want a bit more privacy during their session so they can relax and feel free to let their family just BE. Interacting with each other and allowing me to photograph yourselves just as you are, without the worry of people watching you.

Diffused sunlight/direction of sunset

This one can be a make or break situation if you are set on a certain session time. Let’s say I find a beautiful park, it has room to run around and beautiful willow trees. However, come session time I know that the sun is going to be hitting my clients directly in the face. Okay, I think to myself, I’ll have to turn them around so that I can get that lovely glow enveloping them like I want it to! But, I change my direction and can now see the parking lot in the background of all of the photos. Womp womp.

This one is always a bummer. It’s not a total loss though, sometimes depending on the direction of the sun we may be able to keep the location if we switch up the session time. That same location will now be perfect in the morning versus in the evening like we had planned.

Phew! That was a lot!

This was fun for me! I love delving into the behind the scenes of running a photography business. I hope this helps you when thinking about the location of your next photo session! There’s so much that goes into choosing a location, so you’re always best to trust your photographer and ask them for suggestions!

Corinne Isabelle is a Boston Motherhood Photographer. Corinne Isabelle Photography specializes in timeless portraits, in-home or in studio focusing on genuine and authentic moments. During Boston area family photography sessions, Corinne allows her clients to find beauty in the simplicity of everyday moments, even amidst the chaos of raising small children.

To get in touch with Corinne and book a portrait session please use this contact form to inquire directly.

Boston Area Family Photography

CIP serves families in the Boston area including Cambridge, Arlington, Jamaica Plain, Brookline, Needham, Newton, Somerville, Charlestown, and more throughout the Metrowest Boston area.