Talented equestrian Beth chose a beautiful rural setting out in Parma for her senior portraits last September. It was a blast working with her and horses, and despite that evening’s pale skies, well, that’s where Photoshop comes in!
The winter months at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013 have seen some of the most frigid temperatures and icy conditions in southern Idaho in a long while. With temperatures plummeting below 0F for a few nights and weeks of snowy roads around Boise, it’s been a challenge to take photos without frozen fingers! But I stuck it out a few times, thankfully – here’s a look at our Idaho winter around the Treasure Valley and Idaho City.
Boise’s Capitol District is home to some of the best spots in town for portraits, and local model Brittany and I took a couple hours to shoot at a bunch of them, including the capitol building itself and Freak Alley. Check out the results below, or head over to the Facebook page for the full gallery!
As an on-location portrait photographer, one of the most common questions I get asked is how to pick a good portrait spot. At the end of the day, it’s all about what sort of portraits you’re looking for–do you want a classic elegant look, a grungy hip style, a serene natural vibe?–but if you’re looking for more specific ideas, this is the blog entry for you – newly updated as of August 2015!
What makes a good
portrait location?
You can find a good portrait location anywhere, and I’m not just saying that! If you look at portraits shot from the waist or neck up, you’ll realize that in most cases, you can’t even tell where the portrait was shot. We shot the photo at left by the Boise River in Eagle, but since the focus is on the model, the background blurs into the background – it could have been anywhere.
Light is usually a far more important factor than location when it comes to getting beautiful results, so if you’re concerned about picking a location that’s just right, don’t be! As long as you pick a good time of day for your session (usually starting a couple hours before sunset, or shortly after sunrise if you’re an early bird), a spot that will give you a few options for shade (locations out in the open with no shady areas can be difficult), and a variety of textures (brick walls, trees, bushes), you’re bound to get great photos.
Want to make sure your full-length portraits have a stunning background? Read on for four whole pages on my favorite spots in the Treasure Valley!
Cornfields and barns, trucks and cowboy hats – Cheyenne’s senior portrait session out in Nampa had a great rural Idaho feel to it and was a lot of fun to shoot. Take a look!
