Photo by #CanonExplorerOfLight @larajadephotography of model @roosabels shot on location in Jackson Hole, Wyoming: “I almost always shoot in the studio nowadays but this shoot was a nice reminder of how much I love shooting on location! The shoot concept felt like a throwback to my early days as a fine art photographer (in a good way!). Waking up at the crack of dawn wide eyed and excited for the day, running around locations trying to match outfits to locations! I wasn’t short of unique perspectives and beautiful backdrops on this location – every frame I took felt like a still in a movie!
My biggest tip for location photography is to plan ahead but don’t over plan. Be open to change at the last minute and if an idea isn’t working or a location isn’t working – move on! Sometimes the best shots come from spontaneous moments and you have to wait for the right moment to shoot them. This particular backdrop in this shot was too bright and overexposed to shoot earlier on in the day and I had to change my shoot plan to accommodate coming back to this scene. I am glad I waited until later in the day to get the shot – the diffused light created a cinematic feel.
On location shoots I plan my shots around the way the light moves and how many ‘looks’ (outfits) we have. Often on an editorial like in this case it’s 8-12 shots which means 8-12 looks – the more the better! Early morning or during golden hour (when the sun is at its lowest) is when I get the best shots because the lighting is softer. I typically plan portrait or beauty shots when the sun is at its highest because I can shape and diffuse the light easily in a close up portrait (by using a scrim or the shades of trees or buildings). I always aim for light consistency if everything else in the frame is changing – such as the outfits, background & styling.
For this shot I used the Canon EOS R5 and the Canon RF24-70mm F2.8L IS USM (my go to lens for location shoots as I can quickly go from landscape to full body shots to portrait without switching lenses). The settings were 1/1600 Sec, f/5.0, ISO 200.”
Ciao, Nihon.