How to Scout Locations for Photoshoots

A beginners guide to Plan, How, Where & When?

Last weekend I took a trip out on the bike around Runcorn. My aim was to check out potential locations suitable to carry out a bike and rider photoshoot in the near future. I have a client (also in Runcorn) who wants to have some photos taken of him and his motorcycle. On a previous blog post I went into detail (Discovering locations on two wheels) around choosing a location, so go check that one out if you missed it.

How I started looking for a location

It helps if you can spend some time brainstorming or researching possible places to use before you leave the house. Having lived in Runcorn for many years I know the place very well. My plan was to find three/four locations within Runcorn. I already had one in my mind but I used google maps to look at other venues on street view. Finding a location though is not as easy as you think! My criteria for choosing a location was based on the following :

• Easily accessible for bike and rider
• Flat terrain
• Interesting background
• Quiet – minimal chance of distractions

Anyway, I came up with four possibles and here they are:

Location 1 – Big Park , Runcorn

The backdrop here is fairly nice, lots of greenery and trees. The terrain is flat which is good as I would be using both the larger sized tripod plus handheld tripod. You cannot though go on the grass area with your vehicle. There would be a choice of backgrounds to choose from angle wise, but his was only a minor factor to think about. When shooting a bike and its rider, it is likely that they will be close to you and the background will play less of a part in the photos you take. A good way to proceed is to ask the rider what is important to them. Is it the rider in the photo, the bike, or both! That way you get to concentrate on what they want to achieve in the various photographs that you take.

Not the full story…….

However, everything is not hunky dory with this location. If you then look at the other photos you get the bigger picture concerning the location. Firstly, we are in a car park which is free! This is fine and can be used but I would advise only doing so when it is practically empty of vehicles and people. I visited here today on a Saturday afternoon, not realising that a football match was taking place on the pitch next door! So the car park was pretty full. It may well be the same issue on a sunday as that is when local football leagues generally play. So while this could be a suitable venue for the shoot, it might have to happen on weekday when it is hopefully quieter.

Location 2 – Big Park, Highlands Road.

This location is close to location one but on the edge of Runcorn hills. It is again a free car park, not as large as the first one but a little more remote and hidden away behind the park’s tennis courts. There were three other vehicles present but overall a more quieter location but still with some scenic backdrops. The terrain was not bad. Look for dry, flat areas to use the tripod.

You just had to be careful if using a large tripod as you were in the road and needed to be aware of vehicles coming past you. Keep well away from them when choosing a tripod position. The large tripod works fine on the grass but make sure it is well planted before you take shots. The tripod I use is the Hama Star 61. You can check out the latest price on Amazon here.

TIP: If you are able, screw your camera to the tripod mounting plate before you leave the house. This makes it far easier to mount on the tripod legs once on location. There is an image here of the camera connected to the mount.

Location 3 – Wigg Island, Runcorn

This location is set between the two bridges that connect Runcorn to Widnes. Popular for walkers and birdwatching, it has views out over the River Mersey. I came here as I knew there would be great views on offer, plus less people and distractions at certain times of the week. There is a small free parking area as you enter Wigg Island, with a larger free car park a few hundred metres away. So there is potential here to do a shoot in different places without too many distractions. These images should give a good idea of the location and scenery nearby.

Location 4 – Warrington Road, Runcorn

This location is near to where I live so I thought I would come and see if it was suitable. The road is a dead end, which is actually a good place to start as its really quiet. There are a couple of houses at one end but is fine. The backdrop once parked is mainly a sandstone wall surrounded by trees and greenery. The road is fine for using a tripod or taking photos freehand.

The only downside I could see would be that of available light. Ideally you would need to come here on a sunny day in order to catch the best of the light. There is extensive tree cover across the road, which may not be a problem but its useful to consider potential hazards before you meet them! You could use a flash if the light was an issue and that may be fine. Just something to think about when using this sort of street as a backdrop.

Useful Equipment for outdoor photoshoots

One item that I use which has been a great buy has been the mini iphone tripod (image above). This item is lightweight, folds up small, is easy to carry and can be used if you don’t have a larger sized tripod. This tripod is for iphone sized mobiles, it is not for DSLR type cameras. The thing I like about it is that it takes seconds to setup and you can use it a bit like a selfie stick to take both photos and videos if need be. It gives you some stability still even being handheld is better than nothing. It comes with three extendable legs and the phone holder bracket is rotatable. It is a sturdy item, ideal for anyone into blogging. To find out more you can find it here on Amazon.

Conclusion

So there we have it! A few local options investigated. There is nothing better than boots on the ground. Yes it takes time, but unless you have used a location before, it is something that I would certainly recommend you do. The next step is to have a conversation with my client and discuss these options. Hopefully we can agree on a location to use for his photoshoot and get it pencilled in. I will let you know how we get on!

Check out my first video on youtube here. It is the visual version of this blogpost.