Often when I ask a client if they have a particular location in mind for their session, they’ll hesitantly answer, ‘Um…the beach?’
This seems to be the fallback choice of the masses, the place people suggest when they can think of no other. While beach shoots can be fabulous, especially during golden hour, there are so many other options out there and they don’t necessarily need to be pretty or picturesque in order for you to get some great shots.
I’m fondest of the random places, the ones that people generally wouldn’t think to pick. Think laneways with peeling, painted garage doors or barren fields of long, dry grass. One particular location I used to use and was often asked about, was literally a clump of bushes on the side of the road.
It’s been ages since I went location scouting so last week I convinced a reluctant Emme to leave our gloriously warm and cosy home and keep me company in the frigid cold whilst I attempted to find somewhere new to shoot. With the sky turning a stormy grey and rain threatening to fall, we had just 20 minutes before the light of the day would completely disappear.
Earlier in the week, I’d noticed this spot on the side of the road and taken a couple of iPhone pics so I’d have a visual reference for later. But a little more on that at the end of the post…
With limited time until darkness descended, this was where we headed. Whilst Emme explored, I did a quick recon of the area, hastily photographed my very patient 9 year old, then headed home to see how the location showed up in camera.
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I have to admit, I really love the ruggedness of the area and I love the end result. There’s a raw beauty that’s interesting but doesn’t detract from the subject. I think I’m definitely going to add this little spot into the rotation for winter sessions.
So, the important question is, where were we?….
A little place called Phoenix Reserve which resides alongside the Barwon River. It doesn’t look like much does it? The area itself isn’t particularly large but it’s quiet, fairly centrally located and easily reached on foot.
What do you guys think?
K x
