Where to Shoot your Austin Brand Photos
Where should you take your Austin brand photos?
When deciding whether you should shoot your personal brand photos on-location or opt to use our Austin studio for your photoshoot - there are things to consider.
Questions to consider when choosing your brand photoshoot location:
Do you value convenience, ease, styling, or location?
What do you want these photos to capture?
What lifestyle are we trying to depict to your audience?
Do you prefer familiar city backgrounds or are you looking for designed sets?
Where do you do most of your work?
How do you feel about having an audience?
How much stuff do you plan on bringing/carrying?
Do you prefer having more control or are you ok flying by the seat of your pants?
What feelings are you wanting to elicit?
This is why a discovery call is part of our booking process. Your answers will tell us a lot and sometimes we’ll know the best option for your brand photos almost immediately.
When shooting on location, we aren’t able to be in full control. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It comes with pros and cons.
Some drawbacks of shooting on location:
Weather: We don’t have any say on what the weather decides to do that day (humidity and my curls are a tough combo).
Other People: We can’t always predict what other people will be doing or how many people will be there, though I sure try! (That can mean onlookers, crowds, or even sometimes strange people doing or wearing strange things)
Wardrobe: Changing clothes can be tricky — especially when there aren’t any bathrooms nearby or they aren’t open to the public.
Walking: There is usually lots of walking and relocating, as needed
Nature and Elements: Texas Mosquitoes and well… bugs. Humidity. Dirt.
Additional Fees: Many Austin areas have fees associated with using their space for photography
Time of Day Limitations: The best time of day to shoot is usually sunrise or sunset when shooting outdoors. Or for indoor locations, the light of the space determines the time of day we should use it. So… a bit less flexibility there.
Seasonal Limitations: Certain seasons are often preferable for brand photos, depending on your area. Do you want the background to be green and lush, barren, covered in snow? Your background options may be limited or not ideal.
Some perks of shooting on location:
Identifies Place: Your photo shoot location can help “place” you in an area of your community that you serve and help build relatability
Romance of Nature: Sometimes on location, we get the most gorgeous light and/or breeze that adds warmth and a tinge of romance to your photos.
Visual Interest: Natural and environmental elements (and sometimes the right people) can offer your photos a sense of time and place and add visual interest
Adventure: It can be a bit of a sweet adventure that makes things even more magical and create unexpected opportunities and visuals
Fewer Physical Props: No need to style a set, less prep work and shoot time (but styling a set is a pro of shooting in the studio!) Instead, the location can act as a bit of its own prop sometimes
Tells a Specific Story: If you are trying to communicate something specific, like a particular environment or scene, sometimes using a location is preferable because it better communicates the story and the space is already setup.
For some clients, the perfect solution is using both at different times— shooting in the studio AND then shooting again on location on another date.
We first photographed Megan in the studio and styled the set for her content needs. We created a ton of variety and flexibility for her brand visuals doing so. You can see her in-studio session here!
Later, we took her out on the town to capture a bit more of her personal side in her brand photos and show her travels to Austin (since she came all the way from Minnesota for her shoot)! Below, you can see her Austin boardwalk brand photoshoot and how we used the city as a “prop” of its own!
Still stuck? Explore other sessions shot on-location and in the studio throughout the blog.
Ready to figure out where you want to book your Austin brand photo shoot? Contact me and we’ll chat!
