How to Find Suitable Outdoor Shooting Locations

Finding the perfect outdoor shooting location can be challenging if treated as a task. But if you enjoy wandering around and appreciating beautiful scenery, it's advisable to take notes whenever you discover a place where the view, light, color, or photographic opportunity impresses you.

This is a great way to build a personal database of shooting locations, providing a good starting point for your future searches. However, there's a more practical and efficient method to use when your usual spots aren't suitable for your current shooting plans.

1.List your outdoor shooting needs

First, you need to clearly define the type of shooting location you want and what characteristics it must possess. Initial research will include some constraints to make your search easier and faster. Below are some things to consider when listing your outdoor shooting needs.

(1)Looking for scenic outdoor shooting locations

Landscape is a key characteristic of any shooting location. For example, if you're planning a landscape shoot, you'll look for outdoor locations in natural environments, such as nature parks, mountains, or secluded beaches. On the other hand, if you're planning a street scene shoot, you'll look for bustling markets, popular streets, landmarks, or urban tourist attractions.

Once the type of scenery has been determined (e.g., landscape, city, countryside, etc.), you can begin to describe it in detail, such as mountains or seaside, fields or hills, meadows or plains, old or new buildings, bustling or tranquil, and so on. Other features may also be important, such as cafes or restaurants where subjects can pose, flowers that create a romantic atmosphere, or a vast expanse of water for capturing reflections.

Looking for scenic outdoor shooting locations

(2)Find an outdoor location with suitable lighting

Regardless of the scene you choose, lighting is a crucial factor to consider. The direction, intensity, and color of light during shooting not only determine the equipment and camera settings you use, but also the composition you can create. Some places are in direct sunlight all day long; while others have only limited direct sunlight or are always in the shade. You must understand in advance what type of light you need and then find it.

(3)Find an outdoor location with a suitable color palette

When photographing artwork, the color palette of the location should be considered. For example, locations near the sea might use specific color schemes (such as blue, sand, and bright light colors), which can be incorporated into the model's clothing.

Older districts, on the other hand, might use more neutral tones like rusty or earthy colors, which may be more suitable for creating a nostalgic or historical atmosphere. Understanding the desired background color can simplify location searching and speed up the shooting process.

Find an outdoor location with suitable lighting and color palette

(4)Find diverse outdoor locations

A single shoot can take at least several hours and will ultimately result in a series of narrative photographs. Therefore, you need a shooting location that offers a variety of backgrounds and shooting opportunities.

For example, if you're shooting a family on the beach, you might need a floating bridge where children can run safely, a rock to break the monotony of the sand, a backdrop of sunrise or sunset, or boats or surfers in the water. If you're planning a street scene shoot, you might need a location with more than one landmark, a neighborhood with diverse architectural styles and colors, or a market that offers a variety of shooting backgrounds.

(5)Find accessible outdoor locations

Your requirements for an outdoor shooting location are one thing, and what you get is another. An ideal outdoor shooting location shouldn't be too far away, inconvenient for you to bring your equipment, inconvenient for your clients or models, or extremely uncomfortable or dangerous.

Furthermore, you should be clear from the outset whether you want a private or public location, and how much you're willing to spend on transportation, bookings, or any other possible costs (such as a permit to shoot in the castle gardens).

If you plan to use a drone, be sure to find locations where drone use is permitted and review all relevant regulations. Restrictions such as drone usage limitations will exclude many urban areas, thus narrowing down your search.

Looking for accessible outdoor shooting locations

In addition, there is another factor to consider, namely the needs of the customers. Client requests you receive or discussions with them may introduce additional constraints.

For example, a corporate client might request a modern backdrop featuring cars and glass architecture to complement their product.A family client might request a natural setting where children can run barefoot on the grass. A fashion magazine might request beach décor to match their summer issue. Even if you want complete control over the choice of outdoor shooting locations, the other party's opinion is also part of the deal.

2.How to find outdoor shooting locations

In addition to taking notes when you see places you like or that you might use in the future, there are some more technical ways to find outdoor shooting locations.

(1)Utilize online resources and tools

Online map tools: Use map tools to view terrain, landforms, and the surrounding environment. For example, using Google Earth, you can find terrain undulations, water outlines, or special landforms (such as terraced fields and salt lakes) through 3D views and historical imagery.

Photography communities and geotagging: Browse photography platforms or social media to see other photographers' work and location recommendations. For example, Instagram has popular hashtags that can help you discover lesser-known spots.

Weather and astronomical tools: Use weather apps to check the weather and lighting conditions at your shooting location. For example, Windy can predict cloud cover and the blue hour during the golden hour, helping you avoid blindly choosing a shooting spot.

Use online resources and tools to find locations

(2)Cross-disciplinary search for creative scenarios

Film and painting locations: You can refer to film and painting locations to search for a list of filming locations for movies and TV series. For example, the bamboo forest in Hongcun, Anhui, was a filming location for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

Historical and cultural clues: Combine local chronicles and old photos to find lost ancient roads, abandoned railways, old docks, etc., and shoot comparisons between the old and the new (such as the Yangshupu Power Plant site in Shanghai); use solar terms and folk activities, such as the terraced field irrigation period (spring plowing), autumn drying (autumn), temple fair activities, etc., and combine them with cultural elements for shooting.

(3)Discovering "unconventional" shooting locations

Off-season and extreme weather: Going out of season, such as shooting beaches in winter, can avoid the summer crowds and capture the desolate reefs and frost; taking advantage of extreme weather, such as shooting cities on rainy or foggy days, can capture reflections on glass curtain walls and wet street reflections, creating a cyberpunk atmosphere.

Nighttime and low-light exploration: Shoot construction sites during the blue hour, where tower crane lights blend with the twilight, and use long exposures to capture industrial beauty; shoot waterfalls and coastlines during a full moon, using ISO 1600 + 30-second exposures to present soft water flow.

Microscopic perspective and abstract expression: Observe the world from a microscopic perspective. For example, a patch of moss in the forest or the texture of a rusty iron gate can be captured with macro or telephoto lenses to show close-up details. Use fence projections and water ripples to play with light and shadow and create geometric abstract images.

We need to find some unconventional filming locations

3.Enhance any outdoor photography location with photography accessories

While advance planning is helpful, there's a great deal of unpredictability in outdoor shooting. For example, the weather can change suddenly, or objects can block the sun, casting shadows on your subject. Even with all the assistive apps, the quality of the terrain may not be what you expect. Be sure to bring some accessories; they can enhance your shooting experience and help you take great photos in any condition.

(1)Sturdy tripod

Since you'll be taking a lot of photos (many of which use the same shooting setup), you'll need a reliable tripod that can stably hold your camera on any surface and support the weight of your camera, lenses, and photography accessories. A lightweight tripod is a good option, such as a carbon fiber tripod, which has multiple leg sections for greater creative freedom and features a central pillar and twist lock for easy and quick setup.

A stable tripod is very useful for outdoor photography

(2)Lighting equipment

Even if you're shooting outdoors and primarily using sunlight, your portable lighting equipment will still come in handy. You can use artificial light sources to add more light to the scene or supplement natural light. You can also use it to create artistic effects and control the lighting design as if you were in a studio.

In addition, you can bring light modifiers, such as reflectors and diffusers, to help create the precise lighting and atmosphere you envision.

In conclusion, finding outdoor shooting locations is a crucial step in planning a shoot. You can rely on familiar locations, but you should also seek out new ones that offer fresh perspectives, interesting themes, and unique shooting opportunities. First, list your shooting needs, and then use some methods to make informed decisions. Of course, you also need to develop a flexible workflow and carry versatile equipment to take full advantage of any situation and address any problems that may arise on set.