REBECCA WESTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY - GRAD PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER

CHOOSING YOUR GRAD PORTRAIT SESSION LOCATION

The location of your senior portrait session is completely up to you! As you’ll see, most of my clients love showcasing the natural beauty of outdoor sessions. For most of my sessions, outdoor, open-air environments (shade preferred) are always my first choice! There are great options all around the Lloydminster area, so even if you’ve never seen me photograph in a specific place before, I'm always up for exploring a new spot!

Think Outside the Box

When it comes to choosing a location, don’t be afraid to think outside the box! I encourage you to brainstorm unique places that you might have special access to that most people don’t. For example, maybe you (or someone you know) have access to an amazing location that would otherwise be off-limits, like a beautiful private cabin or a family farm. Spend a few minutes thinking about it and checking around with people you know. You’ll be surprised by what you come up with! If something seems out of reach, just remember: you never know until you ask! In the past, my clients have secured permission to shoot in some pretty incredible places!

If you need some location ideas and inspiration, I have plenty! Check out the images below, or browse my Instagram, Pinterest Board, and Senior Blog Posts! If there’s a certain session you really love, just let me know which one, and I can look at doing some photos at that location if it’s available.

Keep reading for some really fun location ideas and important tips!

5 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Location

Choosing your location doesn't have to be stressful! If you need a good place to start, these 5 tips are sure to get put you on the path to thinking of a location that suits your personality!

1. Somewhere meaningful to you. Going to a place you love and have made positive memories can make for a really comfortable experience, and more meaningful photos to look back on.
2. Somewhere new. On the other hand, choosing a spot that you've never been to but have always wanted to go to is a really fun and exciting way to explore and have a more adventurous photoshoot!
3. Doing an activity or sport you enjoy. Showing off your favourite sport or activity is becoming a really popular choice for my grad clients! Adding in some of these portraits results in a gallery with so much variety and helps tell the story of who you are! My blog post about clothing tips for your grad session will give you some more information on these types of portraits!
4. Downtown vs. a natural setting... or both? Do you love that urban vibe? Let's go shoot downtown! Are you more of a rural person? Then let's scout out a field, some trails, or a farm! Or maybe you'd like a little bit of both. It's totally up to you!
5. Think outside the box! What exactly do I mean by this? Get creative! Here are some really fun ideas to help you get the gears turning, but the sky is the limit to what ideas you could come up with! Don't forget to check out my Senior photoshoot Pinterest board for more inspo!

• a local diner or fast food restaurant
• coffee shop
• ice cream or candy shop
• food truck
• arcade
• playground
• bridge
• greenhouse
• outdoor pool
• pumpkin patch
• the fair
• music or record store

I hope that these ideas were helpful to you! I can't wait to see what creative locations you come up with!