Problem Solving

As a Lifestyle Photographer, part of my job is to problem solve.  Especially when I am on-location, require natural light and photograph kids (where there is a limited attention span), I have to think fast when a problem arises.

This afternoon’s lifestyle family photography session ran into a problem:  We got KICKED OUT a few minutes after the shoot started.  Minutes! (I’ve shot at this location before and never had a problem, so this was a surprise.)

Since this shoot started in the late afternoon, the option of changing locations wouldn’t work because we would have wasted precious light.  And if you have kids, or have worked with kids, you know that getting them in and out of the car another couple times and driving around to find another location can turn even the sweetest kids into Grumpasauruses!

Another option would be to tackle the security guard, so we could keep shooting.  Tempting… but nah.

The third option — the one we chose — was to shoot what we can…wherever we were.

[Photography Tip: Lifestyle Photography isn't as much about the location as it is about what you're doing at the location.  So if the location is beautiful and picturesque, that's great, but if you don't have much to do there or aren't enjoying yourself, then your shots can end up looking redundant and *yawn*...dry.  I'm not suggesting you shouldn't choose a pretty location; my point is that you don't need a "special" location to get great shots.]

Here is a shot I took at a very pretty Japanese teahouse that overlooked a creek (the original location)…

Here are a few shots I took after we got kicked out…

We shot near the parking lot, in the parking lot and in the middle of the street!

Just have fun and look for photo opps wherever you are.  It’s only “a problem” if you can’t think outside the box.

Posted in Lifestyle, Photography Tips

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