Why scouting portrait locations is important
In fashion photography, scouting is important to select the exact locations you're going to shoot, ensuring no time is wasted on the day looking for the perfect spot and lighting situations. I do the same with my weddings.
There are so many things that are out of our control on a wedding day - punctuality, the weather, people's emotions, etc - that at least I can be in control of some things and that includes doing my homework. It also helps any pre-wedding nerves knowing I already know my locations and have a backup weather/lighting plan prior to starting to shoot.
If I am shooting a wedding in Melbourne or Victoria, I'll go visit the locations ideally within a month of the wedding so that I am scouting at a similar season with the same lighting conditions etc as the wedding day. I also try and visit at the time of day that those photos will take place, i.e. first look scouting at first look timing, ceremony scouting at ceremony timing etc. This ensures that I will see the exact light that I will encounter on the wedding day.
If I'm shooting a wedding interstate/internationally I plan to arrive a day or two ahead of time to allow time to scout. This is also a great time for me to meet with the couple or/and the wedding planner to do a walk-through and meet prior to your wedding.
If scouting alone I will have my camera on hand too so I can photograph "B-roll" or "establishing shots" (landscape, venue, and detail shots) to help set the stage of the day within the gallery, especially because on the day I'm often too busy to capture these shots.
When there is a location I have been to before and am confident with the locations I won't visit again unless its to walk through with the couple or wedding planner. If I haven't been to a location before I will often reach out to the photography community who are super helpful in recommending their favourite spots to shoot. Instagram, Google Earth and Pinterest are also very helpful when scoping out where to shoot!
Katie and Tom's Portrait Location Scout
A few weeks before Katie and Tom's wedding (pictured) I drove down to the Portsea on the Mornington Peninsula to meet them and have a look around the private property where their wedding would take place and scout portrait locations.
They mentioned they wanted to shoot at the spot where they got engaged just a few minute's drive from the venue. Katie and I drove there, parked and started walking up the bushy, sandy path. Eight minutes into the walk our chatting slowed as we were panting from exhaustion. I made the executive decision that on the wedding day we will not want to be trekking up this bushy path especially Katie in heels and a wedding dress so we would go with their alternative option, a paragliding launch pad, a short 1-minute walk from the car park. If we hadn't scouted the location, we may still be passed out from exhaustion, Katie, and Tom in their wedding gear, to this day!
