Seasonal minis are finally behind us and now I’m able to share all the photography tips on how to have a successful mini session day!
I love setting aside a handful of days in my calendar each year for different seasonal mini sessions (Check out my current mini sessions to see what I have available right now!). It’s a great way for my clients to get updated photos of their family to frame in their home or use for their holiday cards. Plus it means I get to see so many of my Minnesota and Wisconsin families return year after year, watch their little ones grow, and become besties with my clients! It’s a win win win win.
Whether you’re an experienced photographer who’s been doing seasonal minis for years and just looking for some new locations, or are planning your very first round of mini sessions, this post is for you! When it comes to outdoor minis, the location you choose makes a big difference.
As a seasoned photographer, I have had my fair share of outdoor sessions that ended up having less than ideal lighting or being WAY too crowded. Over the years I’ve learned how to scout out the perfect locations for photos, and it’s made such a difference in the experience I am able to provide for my clients. I just finished up my last round of minis for 2024 and they were the biggest success yet! (I ended up booking over SIXTY fall and winter minis this year!).
I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 tips to help you choose the perfect location for your outdoor photography sessions below. I hope you find it helpful!
Location tips for photographers
Tip 1: Where will the sun be at?
Whether I’m shooting at noon or capturing golden hour photos, I always like having the sun behind my clients when I’m shooting outdoors. Whenever I’m scouting out a possible new location I will determine where the sun will be while we’re shooting and make sure the background in that direction looks good. There’s nothing worse than finding the perfect background for photos just to get to the session and realize it’s facing the wrong direction!
Tip 2: Look for a location that has open shade
Open shade basically means your clients are standing in the shade, but there is nothing directly above them. For example, if the sun is casting a shadow on a group of trees, that shadow might extend several feet from where the trees themselves actually are. You’ll have your clients stand in that shade without having them stand directly under the trees. This will give you the best lighting!
Tip 3: Check for even light in the background
Once you have a spot that will give you good light directly ON your clients, the bonus is also getting good light in the background too. Try to avoid areas with spotty light in the background or spots where the sun is super bright so the background doesn’t look blown out.
Tip 4: Choose somewhere not overly busy
I love finding locations that are fairly quiet without a ton of people around. This makes it easier for your clients to find you, and your session will go much more smoothly if the toddler you’re snapping photos of isn’t constantly distracted by people walking by! Plus a more secluded location allows you to use more space without worrying about getting people in your background (and also saves you editing time if you aren’t photoshopping people out of every photo). Pro tip: when scouting out a possible location, try to visit on the same day of the week and around the time of day that your session will be to get an accurate idea of what the crowd will look like.
Tip 5: Keep the season in mind!
If families are booking you in the fall, they usually are looking to get some of those changing tree colors. Try to find a location that screams fall! For holiday mini sessions, somewhere with a thick evergreen background is always a hit. If you are doing summer minis, this is a great time for beach sessions. I keep a running list on my phone of my favorite outdoor locations in general, but then also have a list of the best locations for each season too so I don’t forget.
Looking for the perfect tree farm in Minnesota for photos? Check out the Hansen Tree Farm in Anoka, MN!
If you’re a fellow photographer, what other educational topics would you find most helpful? Leave a comment below and let me know what you want to see more of!
Be sure to add your email to my subscription list and immediately receive my FREE pricing guide or sign up for a FREE mentor session! That’s right…it’s all free! Plus all sorts of photography tips coming your way in the near future!
